Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-06
Nebraska
Rain at Beatrice
Floods Railroads
and Levels Crops
Five Inches Of Water Falls, Tracks
Washed Out and Wind Does
Damage.

BEATRICE, Neb., jury 6-cspeciaI Tele-
granddaughter disastrous rain fell during
the night, accompanied by a heavy wind
that damaged the wheat beyond recovery.
Oats are also badly down. The govern
ment guage shows GIG inches fell. The
Blue river has risen five feet and still
rising rapidly. Railroad traffic on the
Rock Island and Union Pacific is sus-
pended. Cellars are flooded and the dam
age wrought is quite large. The First
National AMI building was struck bv
lightning, but not seriously damaged.
Further details of last night storm show
that il covered a wide area Of country
Ftlley, Pickrell. Wymore and Wilbur re-
port rainfall from four to seven inches.
The Burlington trains between Beatrice
and Nebraska City have been annulled
on account Of washouts. The Rock Island
resumed traffic this afternoon. but no
trains are moving on the Union Pacific
between Beatrice and Manhattan. The
Blue river is out Of its bank and is still
rising this evening. but it is thought the
water has reached is highest point.
TECUMSEH, Neb., July 5-(Special Tel
egram)-Following a rain which was al
most a waterspout during last night the
water came out on the bottoms of Yankee
creek and the Nemaha river here, reaching
ne nlEneSI point IN history. thousands
of dollars Of damage has resulted in the
loss Of wheat and oat fields on the bottoms
which were ready for the binders, and
corn fields of splendid stand which had
just been laid by. From six to eight inches
of water fell in a very short time. There
is some loss to stock and people living
near the creeks in some places had to move
out Of their houses. The storm did not
extend very far north. it being reported
the river was in it's banks at Sterling.
Coming as it has with the splendid crops
ready to be garnered 1t makes the condi-
ton especially deplorable.
YORK, July 6-(Special-The heaviest
rain York has had for several years COM
menced Sunday afternoon and by evening
nearly six inches OF rain fell. The sewers
and streets could not take away the flood
and many homes in South and West York
were surrounded by water, and a few oc.
cupants were obliged to move in second
story of houses, as water was coming in
on the first floor. A number of cellars
were filled in the business part of the city
The York opera house roof was rent and
the ceiling, scenery, orchestra pit chairs
were soaked, resulting in several hundred
dollars damage Farmers suffered heavy
loss by reason of the rain causing wheat
10 Idu uOWn III places WneTe III WdNoi
could not run off fast and IL the wheat
ripens fast, a part Of the bumper crop OF
the year can not be harvested. The Beaver
and Lincoln creeks and the Blue river
are bank full and spreading out over the
valleys.
GENEVA, July 5,-(Special.) Just at
church time last evening the skies looked
threatening, and rain soon began to tal
which kept up almost continuously al
night. The lightning was unusually severe
At about 1870 the barn of Al Ewalt was
struck and took fire. The top was burned
off. Two and elghty-two hundredths
inches Of rain fell. There was enough
wind with IT to blow corn and small
grain over badly and make a bad time
for harvesting. Low places are flooded.
AUBURN, Neb., July 5.-(Special)-OVer
five inches of rain fell here last night and
this morning, the heaviest downpour of
rain that has fallen In this vicinity this
season. The Little Nemaha river is out
Of its banks for the second time, flooding
all of the bottom lands and running thou
sands of acres of corn and small grain.