Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-31
RAILROADS GET A SOAKING
Trains Run Slowly and Irregulsrly on
Account Of Heavy Rains.
ROCK ISLAND THE GREATEST SUFFERER
Forced TO Abandon It's Service I'm Ne
brHska and Run only stub
Trains In Io~wa-TroubIe
on other Roads.

SOdhlnB Anhl won I come OH Is the
way a railroad man describes the effects
Of the heavy rains that have softened all
roadbeds and made It necessary for trains
to observe precautionary rules for several
days. No railroad is entirely free from
the effects of the continuous rains and
some are severely handicapped, yet all the
Omaha lines are steering clear of acct
dents in a way that Is nothing short Of
remarkable.
The Rock Island probably is the greatest
sufferer. 1t has been forced to abandon
its service in Nebraska and to run only
stub trains in parts of Iowa, 80 heavy
have been the rains along its routes. The
worst floods on the Rock Island in this
state seem to be in the vicinity Of Fair
bury. Parts of the trackage might be
safe for use, but the Rock Island desires
to take no nance and in the interest OF
its patrons has abandoned its trains tenn
porarily.
Between Omaha and Denver.
Meanwhile all trains west from Omaha to
Denver are being sent out over the Union
Pacific main line, as are also all of the
Union Pacific trains between Kansas City
and Denver. These trains are all going
from Omaha to Kansas City over the
Wabash, which is practically the only road
running through Kansas and Missouri
which is not tied up greatly by washouts
and soft tracks.
The Missouri Pacific is having great
difficulty, but has met with no accidents.
Its train due out of Omaha Friday night
at 10 o'clock was held as a precautionary
measure until 4 yesterday morning. 1t
then left the city over the regular route
but got no further than Union, when it
was compelled to return and go down by
way of South Omaha over the old route.
This route has been badly flooded in places,
particularly near Springfield. and slow time
will have to be made in order to avoid
danger.
All trains over the Missouri Pacific on
the divisions between Omaha and Kansas
City are being held over night and run
only in the daytime, as the danger from
new washouts and soft track is growing
greater with the increased rains of yester-
day afternoon and last evening.
Overflow of the Missouri.
Passenger train Nc. 3 on the B. & M,
due here from Kansas City. was nine
hours late as a result OF the tremendous
overflow Of the Missouri river below ST.
Joseph and in the vicinity Of Forest City,
where the flood has been bad from the first.
II finally came in with all passengers safe.
No. q, due from st. Louis at II :O5 a. m,
was annulled altogether, as the high waters
in places, chiefly between Hamburg, Ia,
and Bigelow, MO, made it extremely haz-
ardous to undertake to run that train
through.
While the B. & NJ. had a deal of trouble
in and about Nebraska City the tracks
have all been repaired so that trains are
running everywhere to the west, although
~ ,1Ft N--aI. - 49, -
been made on bridges causes some delay
in the running time.
A very unusual thing occurred on the
Union Pacific. The train from Denver to
Kansas City yesterday came in through
Omaha and from here went down on the
Wabash to Kansas City. As is known, the
Union Pacific and other lines skirting the
Kaw, Missouri and Blue river swamps are
having a hard time to cope with conditions.
Yet they are doing the job in good shape,
no accidents having been reported up to
this time.
On the Iowa Lines.
The Illinois Central reports it's trains on
or nearly so and no grave difficulty
with its tracks. The Milwaukee. North
western and Wabash also are pulling
through in good shape, having been spared
the hardship that has befallen some of
their competitors.
Speaking of the general conditions, Tom
Hughes. travelling passenger agent for the
Pacific. who has just returned
from a trip over the country, says:
This Is a wetting that won't pass of in
a day or two. The ground all over the Mis-
souri, valley is so thoroughly soaked that
1t will take much time to put the tracks
and roadbeds in safe condition. There is
for the water to go. There is so
much in the ground that no quick seepage
process is possible. X will be quite re-
If some Of the roads in this part
of the country don't experience even more
trouble than they have, II this weather
Keeps up. Certainly the roads have thus