Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-19
EFFORT MADE TO DEsrRov TX
PENsivE WORK ON MISSOURI
RIVER At FOLSOM.
COSTLY PROTECTION TO
RAILROAD PARTIALLY WRECKED
Seven Hundred Yards Of Willow Mat.
ting Blown Out and River 10 Eating
Into Adjoining Farms - ostset;vss
Hurried to sesns-Thrss Explosions
Heard.

Folsom, April 19.-What is believed
to have been q malicious attempt to
destroy the riprapping along the Mis-
! souri, river a mile south of Folsom.
Iowa, where nearly $500, 900 was spent
last year to, prevent the river cutting
into hundreds of acres of valuable
farming land and the Burlington rail-
road tracks, has been revealed. Seven
hundred yards Of willow mating, near
I ly half of the works. was torn away
by three explosions. A small army Of
railway and government secret service
men have been hurried to the scene In
an effort to catch the parties believed
guilty of trying to destroy the works.
Folsom is fifteen miles down the river
from Council Bluffs
John. Clark, 2 farmer living short
distance. from the riprapping, told OF
seeing three men in a row boat cross
the river from Hobo island. just across
the river from1the works. several hours
before the explosions were heard.
Shortly after o'clock Wednesday eve
ming people living in the vicinity heard
| three explosions. Water and rock were
thrown high in the air above the rip
rapping. Wednesday night the river
tore away the damaged mating and
attacked the farm lands.
Huge chunks from the farm of H. w.
Matthews. a mile down the river from
Folsom, were being cut away by the
| river Thursday. Two crews of rail-
road workmen were hurried to the
scene and are now busy in an effort
% 90 NJ 80 ~
Other farms below the Matthews land
are being attacked by the river. 1t is
feared much damage will result before
the river. in its swollen condition. is
stopped.
May Have Been Revenge.
| Railroad officials at the works
Thursday were unable to give rea-
son for the destruction Of the hiprap-
! ping. A crew Of American workmen,
with their foreman, were discharged
There several weeks ago, when a fight
was being made against the river.
whether they were seeking revenge is
mot known. Hobo island was secured
by special officers Thursday In an at
tempt to find the guilty parties. A
deserted row boat and the remains of
a fire were found.
The officials. while inclined to be-
liet,e some one tried to destroy the
works. said it was possible that several
large cables might have been broken,
letting the river in behind the mating,
but the explanation was hardly salts
factorily on account of the explosions.
When the river was cutting away
large blocks Of land and. threatening
the railroad tracks last year the Bur-
lington had nearly a hundred carloads
Of rock dumped. cars and all. over the
bank. The government later appropri-
ated $4,000 for the work and the peo-
pie in the danger zone and about Pa
cific Junction. five miles from Fol-
som, gave an equal amount.
Farmers. whose land was protected
by the works, are furious over the de-.
struction Of the riprapping. Many of
them deserted their work Thursday,
altho it is during the rush season, and
joined in the search of Hobo island.
Should the guilty parties be caught it
is believed it will go hard with them.
Sheriff Buck" Bushnell. of Mills
county, with half score Of deputies
arrived on the scene Thursday after
noon to prevent such an outbreak If
possible