Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-21
Flood on the Napsie Bottoms
the Greatest Since the High
Water of 1883
a VIEW or CONDITIONS NOW
Miles and Mie7 of Land are Under
Water and Damage Can Scarcely be
Observation-Disclosures of Acres OF
Growing Crops are Inundated and
Will be Total Loss.
peeial to Times Republican.

Chapfal to Illness epupllCdus
davenport. June 21-Not since 1883
have the Wapsie bottoms been Hooded
as thew are at the present time. This
was the statement made by several OIL
the farmers who reside near the Wap-
sic Yesterday afternoon and their
statement was concurred In by others
who have watched the river closely for
wears past.
At any rate there are miles ana miles
Of land under water and the damage
.hat has been done can scarcely be es-
.imated. Thousands of acres OF grow
ing crops are completely submerged
and these will be a total loss or almost
so.
The Wapsie river is about two miles
wide where the 1. & l. crosses II. AS
far as the eye can see the muddy wa
ter is washing away the fields OIL oats
and corn. or swishing its way among
the trees and carrying away the fences
and wood that is secreted therein
The Mississippi has grown to enor-
nous proportions also and at point
Just above Princeton is about three
miles Wide. All thru the low districts
there the water has backed UP until II
extends to the very foot of the hills
that skirt the rich area of lowlanus
that border the river
After one leaves Princeton a short
distance the effect of the high water
can be noticed The Mississippi begins
to broaden out then and to cover up
the rich lowlands along its bank. One
can see acres and acres of corn with
the top just above the water which has
covered the ground for foot or more.
Other fields are entirely covered SO
they look like a big lake. Trees can
be seen with the river washing around
their lower branches and the tops of
long lines of fence posts can be seen
just sticking their heads out from the
murky river that has swelled to such
proportions. When you come within
mile of the Wapsie, however, the river
is the widest There the water flows
back as far as you can see, and the
woods that line the banks are all sew
eral feet deep in the overflow. For
distance of at least a mile where the /.
e. /. interurban road is built on trestle
work the water flows a foot or more
deep under the tracks and it gives the
appearance of a long, bridge extending
from hill to hill.
The tracks of the interurban are well
above the murky river. however. and
it will take rise of couple of feet or
more before they will be affected. In
,.,11 n,Nf
busy to see that everything is safe for
the cars to travel.
On Rock creek near Clinton the wa
ter, comes very close to the tracks of
the steam road. In one place 1T is up
against the girders that hold the ties
and rise of a foot will stop the trains
from crossing. In several places it is
SO near the tracks that eighteen inches
or two feet more would submerge the
road. The trains ran all day yester-
day, however, and the road is yet in
good condition.
The farmers in that vicinity are
feeling very blue. They state that all
of the springs work is gone for moth
ing besides the fact that it is getting
too late to plant over again when the
water shall have gone down. Should
it recede Immediately, portion of the
crops might be saved, especially the
corn, but II 1t should remain up for
several days. the small stocks will have
been washed out, and hundreds and
hundreds of acres will be totally de-
stroyed.
Half the roads In that vicinity are
impossible. In some instances they
stand under water several feet deep
and culverts and bridges have been
washed away, doing much damage.