The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-05-31

DRF LIZ WEEKLY NEWS-JO
noon &c of an inch Of rainfall fell and
It fell so quickly that the hills north.
west of town poured millions of bar
rels Of moisture down the rayine
which leads into the city at It's north
west extremity.
Just west and north of the G.. G.
Cow home on Thirteenth street and
Koenigstein avenue the water which
rushes downward strikes the new
drainage canal and Is forced into a
sharp angle, the ditch heading off to
the southwest at that point. A dixie
on the east side of the canal was built
for the current to beat against that 1t
might be switched into the new direc'
ton. Striking against this dixie, the
water tended to spread north as well
as into the ditch, resulting in a slight
overflow around the end Of the dixie.
This overflow flooded the garden Of
C. G. Cow and washed down across
other premises in the neighborhood,
finding an outlet down the old cutters
on Norfolk avenue. During the high
point in the food Norfolk avenue was
entirely under water In the west end.
Part OF the overflow sought the old
channel of Corporation gulch into
Thirteenth street. Although the tun'
mel there had been filed up the force
OF water ate a passage through and
brought this abandoned waterway once
again into slight use. This water GOV.
cred Thirteenth street south of Nor.
folk avenue.
New Canal Was a River.
But pretty nearly all of the water
that came down from the hills was
diverted into the new drainage canal
and went rolling at terrific rate to the
Elkhorn river, into which the new
ditch empties just west of the North
western roundhouse at the Junction.
Bank full and with a mighty cur
rent, the new ditch became a river In
itself and the muddy water, with de
bris from the hills, rushed down the
channel with amazing speed. The
sight was a good one to the eyes Of
residents of the west end who real
lied that, but for the dew ditch, one
of the most disastrous overnows il
the history of the gulch must have
been experienced.
The ditch has a decided drop anC
this sent the water bounding southwes
out of town and into the Haase slough
Here the water spread out over tn,
meadow for the time being but wheI
morning dawned it had practically al
been drained away into the Ellhorr
1 river.
The ditch was finished from TIL
Haase slough to the river about tel
days ago when the county elevate
grader was put on the job. 1t was in
spected and accepted by the enginee
and commissioners. The ditch run
under the Northwestern freight yard
tracks, there being eleven bridges Il
the yards because of the canal.
Was High Water.
Compared with other freshets, tn
water from the hills represented a
!, unusually high mark. C. G.. Cow sal
| llldl only Oltt HuU lut water COlll
higher and Rev. ]. w. Bovee, living
mile northwest of town, said tina
? while he had seen the water highe
| there was more water this time tina
is usual He arrived at cofclusion
from the fact that the highegt waite
took out his entire pasture fenc,
| while this water only took out half {
, it.
County Commissioner Taft was Ell
thusiastic over the efficiency of tn
} new canal and said that it had prove
the solution. He said a couple {
days work with a few teams woul
< remedy the dixie at the north eXtren
ity so that there could be no Quite
hereafter excepting by way of tn
: ditch. Teams would be set at wor
as soon as they could be arranged 70
Mr.. Taft will communicate with Eng
+ neer r. A. Swartout of Omaha, VIII
4 designed the canal, and Commission
+ ers Malone and Harding, before goin
g ahead with the work.