Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-18
RAISING TR ACKS
BURLINGTON TO ELEVATE ROAD.
BED ONE FOOT HIGHER THAN
1908 MARK.
Road Has Started Upon Improvements
to Prevent Recurrence of Losses
From Floods-To Extend Bridge and
Build Levee Along River Bank.

The Burlington has begun an extern
sive series of improvements which,
when completed, will place all it's
tracks in the district submerged by
the recent floods one foot higher than
2 the high water mark of this summer.
Not only will this protect the property
of the railroad company, but it will
effeetually bar the river from over
flowing onto the property between the
bridge and the boat house, unless the
water reaches higher level than
that of the recent flood. The south
main line track from the Morrell ice
house to the four mile bridge has been
raised from two to four feet and gangs
are now at work west of the bridge,
where the track will be raised for a
mile.
The bridge is to be rebuilt and ex-
tended. Sixteen new concrete piers
are to be constructed. The north
main line track is to be raised to the
level of the south track and a levee
is to be built along the bank of the
river from the Burlington to the Rock
Island tracks. All these tracks will be
elevated one foot higher than the
high water mark Of 1903.
81 "A frequent Sunerer.
Twice last year and once this year
has the Burlington suffered from the
floods. The tracks between the Nor.
rell ice house and the bridge have al.
ways been at a low level and they in.
variably suffered heavily. After the
last flood the civil engineering force
set about to devise some means to save
the road from the expense arising from
the frequent floods.
Damage Suits.
The river takes a big bend Just
above the bridge and that is what has
always caused SO much damage to the
company. The water washed over the
banks here and swept down on the
north side of the tracks, gradually un.
dermining the road bed. The tracks
then being higher, banked the water
back onto the property in that vicinity
and this led to several damage suits
now pending against the company in
the district court as the property own
ers claim the company is liable.
The improvements decided upon,
however, appear to be solution to
the question. The engineers state
that the water will have to rise one
lOOI ulSHcT Ludu WIS TedCn6Q IN the
flood Of 1908" The levee from the
Burlington to the Rock Island tracks
will be high enough to prevent an ov.
erfow, while there is talk of erecting
few mill dams to divert the current
from this bank of the stream. The
frightening of the bridge with the adj
dition of sixteen new concrete piers
and the raising Of both main line
tracks from the ice house to point
one mile west of the bridge will place
the road in position to withstand a
more disastrous flood than any that
has yet visited the Des Moines valley.
There is some talk of moving the
Keb track from it's present position,
about quarter of a mile from the
bridge. to the new levee which is to
be built This will shorten the track
slightly, but not to any great extent
Property owners west of the city are
watching the railroad company's &C
lions with interest and they with other
citizens of the city will be glad to
learn that the road is taking steps to
be able to withstand high water with.
out lessening it's service, and without
suffering damage.