American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1909-01-23
SERIOUS WASHOUTS
in THE CANAL
Storms Of Last Week Cause
Great Damage.
Gap in Big Fill Reported and Living
ston's Fill Washed Out AT Aber-
deem are Ten Breaks in Three
Miles, Floods Everywhere

j. j. Unruh, who was in from the dry
farm settlement north of town Tues-
day, says the canal embankment is
washed out in large number of places.
Reports from other sources saw the
banks are washed out in fifty places.
This is probably an exaggeration of the
conditions, but that serious damage has
resulted is not unreasonable. Cedar
draw, where the Aberdeen road crosses
1T, carried five feet or more of water
and number of instances are reported
where horses narrowly escaped drown
ing in crossing. E. Nash and son, in
coming down Saturday afternoon, un-
hitched their horses and swan them
across, and deciding that wagon could
not cross, went around the head of the
draw. Cedar draw drains compare
lively small country, and must have re-
'celved large part of it's water through
a break in the canal.
AT some points along the high line.
where there are fills of any size, water
would back up for long distance,
Should the force of this impounded
water suddenly break through the en-
bankment the stream following would
soon wear away the inner bank, and in
this manner the breaks in the canalIare
accounted for. The work of repairing
them will be material if the breaks are
as numerous and serious as reported.
Henry Hege, the Aberdeen mail car
rier, relates an incident which will give
those familiar with the country an idea
of conditions. In returning with the
mail Monday afternoon, he encountered
about five feet of water in the draw be-
tween the Tiahrt and Giesbrecht places.
The horses swan across and water ran
way over his wagon box. In order to
get the mail here Tuesday he came
through the dry farm settlement above
the canal, but found the mud there al
most as bad as the water on the lower
road.
j. T. Wedel, who came in Tuesday,
says two washouts occurred in the Liv-
1ngston fill, near his place, in the high
dine canal and flooded all that section of
the country. The water covered
great part of his land to depth rang
ing from eight inches to several feet,
and for time he thought he would
nave to move out. The water flooded
his barn, but did not quite reach his
house, although expected to do so. He
moved everything from his cellar when
the flood came, but no water found its
way into it. Relief from the flood
was secured by cutting the banks of
the low line canal near his place, allow
ing large part of the water to escape
through it into Tartar hollow. The
nigh water in the draw near Mr.. Tiahrt's
place which swan Mr.. Hege's horses,
came from the breaks above mentioned.
Mr.. Wedel's 14-yea --old-scn was at the
place where the breaks occurred in the
Livingston fill shortely before the
banks gave away and says that the
water was banked up and overfowing
The outer bank. This bank was evi-
IDENTITY worn away by water pouring
over 1t, and the inner bank could not
Withstand the force of the rush of
water resulting.
1t is also reported that large wash
out occurred at the big fill, near Spring
heid. Should this prove true it will be
ehe most serious damage to the canal.
The fill is thirty feet high, and about
1oo feet wide at the bottom. A small
culvert was built under the canal
at this point, but fears have been enter
tanned that it was not large enough to
carry away the water in case of pro-
tracted heavy rains. The break is re-
ported just below the point where the
low line leaves the main canal. 1t will
De some Gays before the actual damages
VIII be known because the floods have
made travel along the canal almost out
OF the question.
from Hermann Landsvatter, who
was IN Wednesday,, it is learned that
the break at the Livingston fill is about
forty rods long, and as the fill is about
nIteen feet, means vast amount of
work alone. Mr.. Landsvatter followed :
the nigh line for about three miles and
round ten washouts. Most of them are
small, however, and will require com l
paratlvely little work If the damage
was as serious all along the canal as on s
the three miles referred to it is possi-
oie there are many more than fifty
breaks. So far as learned the damage S
Is confined to the high line. 1t