Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-06-04
Entire State Seems to Be
Affected By High
Waters.
DES MONIES HAS GREAT LOSS
Thousands of People Are Homeless,
and the Property Loss Is Almost
a Million Dollars Ottumwa Is Also
Suffering.

year. "A tOLdl vi t"euly-loui lSCt
was reached by the river at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon, and during the early
evening an additional three inches
took the water above that mark on
the gauge at Locust street. The last
official measurement was 1926 at 1880
o'clock in the evening. Last year the
official maximum was 21.90 and the
actual measurement was 21.30.
The excessive height to which the
flood went added new terrirtoy to its
field of operation. For the first time
since 1851 the water extended from
the east river bank to the Northwest
ern tracks and traffic over the main
city bridges was totally suspended.
All of the city bridges were closed to
travel.
Business was totally suspended.
The street car company was forced
to abandon it's power plant and the
street car service was wholly aband-
oned.
More than /, 900 homes were partial
ly submerged and 500 business houses
and factories were surrounded by the
water.
The churches and school houses
have been thrown open to the home
less, and the public authorities fur
nished them food From 1000 to
5000 people were chased from their
homes by the flood.
Half the ice supply has gone out
and the remainder is expected to go
before the food recedes.
All the railroads have ceased oper-
atoms
The water last night covered the
following territory:
From Flint brick works around the
foot of the Highland Park hill to
Thompson's bend and south to the
south bank of the channel.
All of Central Place, being a block
west of the Belt line railroad, east
to the river and south to the dam.
All of East Des Moines from the
dam to Elm street and west TO tie
river
the covered bridge to Eighteenth
street and as far north as Elm street
and the Rock Island tracks.
All of South Des Moines to the foot
of the hills from Jefferson street to
Avon.
All of South East Des Moines from
the rivers north to the Rock Island
tracks and east as far as vision
reaches.
The damage will be not much less
than half a million dollars.
The following is the story of the
food in brief
twenty-five fatalities reported; two
certain, four believed to be authentic
four reasonably authentic, the other
twelve doubtful.
Sixteen ice houses, half the city s
supply, gone, and half the remainder
in imminent danger.
Between 1000 and 5000 people
homeless.
A money loss aggregating hundreds
of thousands.
The highest water in the history OF
Des Moines, "a feet.
Power plant of the street car com
pany abandoned and no car service
possible for several days.
Imminent danger of the water works
plant, the electric light plant and the
gas plant closing down.
Business suspended and the energy
of the people devoted to caring fol-
the homeless in the churches and
school houses and watching the
food.
Larger area than last year covered
by the waters.
For the first time since 1856 the
east approaches to the wagon bridges
cut off by four blocks of water.
Travel over the bridges prohibited
All train service into and out of the
city abandoned.
Des Moines, June 1.-The water be
gan to recede at an early hour yester
day morning 1t fell rapidly the en-
tire day despite the heavy rain which
continued off and on throughout the
day and night The falling of the
waters lent security to the public ser
vice corporations which had continued
to run. These were the gas, electric
light and waterworkS companies. The
street car company had been forced t
abandon it's plant on Saturday morn
ing and no cars were possible even i
the power plant had been relieved o
the surrounding food on account o
the injury to the machinery. The cit,
will be without street car service TO
| d week, dl ledSl, even IL TIE HOOu Ell
! tirely recedes tonight.
An epidemic of sickness threatens
to follow the other horrors of tn,
food which has made from 5000 t.
5000 people homeless in this cit,
within the last three days. The un
seasonable cold which has accom-
panied the last two days rain is re
sponsible for the sickness, more thai
100 cases of which among those eX
posed in the food are being treate,
by the physicians. Former Presiden
A. M. Linn of the state board O
health and several other doctors ioi
in the prediction that there will b
several hundred cases of pneumoni
and kindred ailments among the Chi
dren, especially, of the food sufferers
and that the epidemic will begin t
show itself quite plainly tomorrow
Arrangements are being made to car
for hundreds at the city hospitals.
When the food, which was the higl
est in the history of Iowa, began to RI
cede yesterday morning the extent c
the damage it had done could be al
preciated though not accurately est
mated. That the damage exceede
half million dollars was apparen
Many business men believe that it wi
exceed $1.000,000.
Committees appointed by Governc
Cummins established headquarters
every part of tie flooded districts, q
early as Friday, and yesterday til
charitable people of the city had file
/ large depots with clothing while til
city and county treasures wei
thrown open for the purchase of foo
Between 5000 and 5000 persons al
homeless, and dependent upon tn
public for food and lodging. The
are being housed in the churches an
| school buildings until the water leave
their homes.