The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-05-14
Continued Rains Soak Ground and
Make 1t Impossible for Farm.
ers To Put in Crops
ROUGH LAKE TEARS SEWER
Two Sections of Indiana Street Sewer
Torn Out by Fierce Lake Storm
Which Prevailed Thursday
Property Damaged

The fierce storm of rain and wind
which prevailed in Kenosha on Thurs
day and this morning did great deal
Of damage throughout the city and
county and reports from all parts this
morning indicate that the county is
pretty we'll under water. Farmers
coming in from the outlying towns
claim that the ground is SO soaked by
the continued downfall of rain that it
will be impossible to work the ground
for several days even with the best of
weather. There is an indication that
there will be great crop Of grass, but
at the same time it is feared that there
will be a shortage Of garden truck.
Some Of the gardeners are planning to
plough up their lands and put in a new
crop as it is claimed that the seeds have
been rotted in the ground by the con-
tinued downfall Of rain. In the low
lands Of the county the rivers are out
of their banks, but there is no reason
to expect serious floods unless the rains
continue. The storm dashed the lake
to fury Thursday and last night and as
a result a great deal of damage has
been done along the unprotected water
front Of the city. A great deal Of land
has been carried away along the east
side of Durkee avenue and the city has
sustained considerable loss. Down at
st. Mary's Summer Home for Children
at the south end Of Durkee avenue the
work of the storm is particularly notice
able. The new breakwaters built along
the lake during the past summer and
fall have stood up against the storm,
but the waves broke so high that they
went over these breakwaters and wash
ed out the land At the foot of Ohio
and Indiana streets where the city is
now planning to put in pile protection
there was heavy damage. Two sections
of the Indiana street outlet to the
sewer were torn out by the storm and
many houses along the lake shore at
this point had their cellars filed with
water.
The storm has shown the immediate
demand for the protection of this por-
ton of the water front. The bids for
the contract for setting these piles are
still in the hands of the Street Assess
ment Committee and Alderman Wade,
one of the members of the committee
stated this morning that the contract
had not been let The Committee will
make an effort to get down and visit
the two streets this afternoon and it is
possible that some action to secure the
immediate building Of the protection will
be taken before the next meeting Of
the Council.
Property owners who have erected
breakwaters during the past few years
claim that the price being asked the
city by the Racine contractors is no
higher than the prices that have been
given them for the work and these peo-
pie believe that the contracts show no
sign of a combine. The property own
ers received bids from Racine and Chi
cago contractors and the amounts of
their contracts were only small
amount under the amount demanded of
the city by the Racine men. The com
mittee has been Investigating in Chica-
go and other cities and will probably
be ready to act within a few days.