Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-05
ST. MARY'S THREATENED
Big Reservoir May Yet Break and
Flood the Town-coIumbus Facto.
ries Are FIooded-Many Towns suf.
fer and Four Lives Are Lost.

Damage Is Very Great.
The damage from Findlay south
through Troy, Piqua and other points
as far as Hamilton is estimated at ST.
100000. the other points suffering
most being Lima. Mansfield, Ottawa,
Dunkirk. Rossville, Wapakonetta, Ash
land, Delaware, Canton, Upper San
dusky, Delphos, Algo, Bucyrus and Mt.
Blanchard.
Four Lives Lost.
Four lives have been lost. Twenty
towns are without natural gas and sew
eral cities are without power for wa
terworks, electric light, gas or troll
ley cars, while Celina, ST. Mary's and
other towns in Mercer and Auglaise
counties have suffered great damage.
Columbus Factories Flooded.
At Columbus, the Scioto river Is
very high and nearly all the factories
along the river are flooded. The west
side Of the city is threatened with the
worst flood in many years.
Fears For ST. Mary's.
Lima, O., April 2.-(2:3O p. m. y
The situation at the east bank of the
st. Mary's reservoir this afternoon is
growing worse each moment. Hun
dreds of men have volunteered upon
the call of the town authorities, and
are now at work filing in behind the
weak places in the bank with sand.
Unless seepage is stopped quickly it is
positively stated that the bank will go
out inside of few hours.
Water Falls, Wind Rises.
st. Mary's, Ohio, April 2.-The wat
er in the Grand reservoir Of St. Mary's
lake commenced falling gradually this
morning and it is believed all danger
of a break in the banks will be over
within ten hours.
Wind Threatens the Banks.
Great alarm was caused here at
noon by strong southwestern gale
that dashed the waters of st. Mary's
reservoir against the eastern bank In
it's weakest places. This leaves the
western banks around Celina secure
but it has seriously increased the dan
ger here since morning. The water
has broken through the banks at diff
ferent places but not to any uncon-
trollable extent.
Men Working on Banks.
Every able bodied man in the city
and vicinity is today employed along
the banks of the reservoir. While the
waters are falling the wind is rising.
Prepare for General Alarm.
Preparations were made at noon for
a general alarm on a moments notice
TO- o3{ I,o ,o1,,, Il
with a lake of 10000 acres in the
event of break in the levee.
Town Without Food.
Vincennes, Ind, April 2.-The first
word from Russellville, ILL.,, for three
days was received today when two
men arrived in a boat after desper-
ate fight with the current. They said
that during the entire miles trip from
Russellville they found but one house
that was not under water.
All Under Water.
The town of Russellville is all under
water The people have no provi-
sions except meat, which is plentiful
The two men now here are trying to
charter boat to take load Of provi.
sions to the flooded town
One Reservoir Is Broken.
| Columbus, o., April 2. - A report
just received from Lake View, in Lo
gan county, at the head of the Lewis
town reservoir, that a thirty foot break
had been torn in the bank of the reser
voir in the waterway, and water is
pouring through the break at a rapit
rate. The people have been warned
and it is believed there will be no loss
of life
Feeling of Relief Grows.
indianapolis, April 2-The floods are
receding today in every part of Indi
ana and there is a general belief that
every hour will now bring slowly i'm
proving conditions. In the lower Wa
bash river districts there is still some
fear that the second flood of Thurs
day night may bring an additional
rise.
East Marion In Ruins.
East Marion is practically in ruins
from the two floods and will have tc
be rebuilt.
| No Hni,,po In cb,robarI,in,e Nouot