The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-06-18
ARISING FROM FLOOD.
Burlington Road Repairing Damage
Done at Tracy.

out by the Des Moines river food
where the new Burlington cut off
crosses the bottom lands and the
stream by grade and bridge has been
commenced. The damage done by
the floods and the water has been
great, but the construction gang is
busily engaged again with the repairs
on the dunr cn the sorth side Of the
river and VIII be up to the trestle
work within week or ten days.
The damage at the bridge and to
the grade has to be seen to be appre-
ciated. The dump" on the south bot
toms was badly washed out and in
many places it was entirely washed
away end will have to be replaced.
The ;, the water flowing across
these bottoms must have been terrific.
1t picked up the track that was laid on
the top of the grade and swung Sec
ton a quarter of mile in length
around in the direction of the stream.
One end of this piece of track was
carried the distance of half mile or
more. Several other pieces of track
were picked up and floated off over
the bottom land at this point to con-
siderable distance.
The water pouring over the grade
made deep holes in the right of way on
the east side. These are now filled
with water and are affording fine bath
ing facilities for the boys.
The great flood, in tearing across
this piece of bottom, made swift cur
rent and for time the main channel
| of the stream was altered. 1t, cut
across almost two miles Of this bottom
land, making a direct shoot to the
southeast. The force of the great
flood ate great holes in the land and
had the waters not been in a measure
| restrained by the railway embank-
ment it is very likely that the stream
would have cut a new channel at this
point. making huge island If 1t did
not forsake the old round about chan
mel altogether. 1t is easy to see that
the river made a strenuous enort 10
accomplish this sort of a thing. Tne
waters were carrying great burdens ot
sand and when the floods began to re-
: cede and the current therefore to be
diminished this freight was dropped
all over this piece of bottom crossed
by the Burlington line, and there is TO-
day a deposit of sand from six incacs
to two feet in thickness over the Ell
tire stretch of land.
A considerable part of the raise
workof the structure of the new bridge
was carried out, but this will be cas-
lily and soon replaced. One OF the ce-
ment piers had been completed and
another was under way at the time OF
the flood. Parts of the false bridge On
both sides of the stream were left ana
, the gap to be repaired is not great.
The damage to the structure would
have been much greater but for the
:, foresight and judgment OF Robert Law,
u superintendent of construction. When
the waters began rising so rapidly ne
caused the bridge to be cut in sectlons
a so that when the break did come the
;. parts were easily pulled around to the
! sidesand saved. Not great amount
. ofthe material that was on hand tor
- the building of the bridge was lost'
a a The greater part of all loose material
- had been anchored by means of ropes
IL oLo on1 held against
e the fullest force of the big flood.
The material track on the south
side of the grade was much damaged
&c and the carsthat were standing on the
- track are all wrecked. Each one viii
= have to have separate attention IRON
~ a wrecking crew.
Workmen are now engaged in get
ting the truant track back into III
original bed. A rather unique pla1
# has been followed in this work. The
:, niece of track was floated Off the
grade and swung around down the
IL current and there deposited upon th'
e bottom in a line as straight as though
;e it had been surveyed and laid by hand
Ell A gang of section men makes use o
-. this circumstance. A EuDDle Cal y
. pushed out to the end of this piece o
> track and the rails and ties farthes
" from the grade are picked up first ant
hauled back to the point where the.
will be used again. The other pieces
of escaped track will have to be re
turned by other menas, however,pro
ce ably carted across the bottoms b.
horse power.
The rains caused lot of trouble II
~ the cut west of Beacon where tn
,r. steam shovel has been at work. Tn
q sides of the cut slipped down and int
M the center of the big work and thous
IL andsof tons and yards of the dirt vii
N. have to be handled to reach the grade
av Every hour that can now be used ]
lv being put in to regain the work los
W Sundays will be utilized in the compl'
a tion Of the work and the gangs en-
wv ployed are as large as can be worke
st to advantage. Not many weeks WI
- ,.oouirod in getting back to III