Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-15
RAILROADS BADLY
WASHED BY RAINS
Twelve Bridges on Wabash Between
Omaha and St. Louis Give Way
Before Flood.
CROP LOSS WILL BE HEAVY

The rains throughout eastern Ne
braska, western Iowa and north
western Missouri Tuesday afternoon,
night and Wednesday have resulted
in damages OF fully $1,0o0,0O0 to
the roads operating out of Omaha.
according to local railroad officials.
They are of the opinion that the
damage to crops in the storm area
will be an additional 100000, and
perhaps considerable more.
As q result OF the torrential rains dur
ing the last twenty-four hours. bridges
along the railroad lines have been washed
away. Along the valleys of the streams
for miles on either side the rich agrtcul-
tural lands are under water to a depth
of from one to six and nine feet In
these sections where there are many
thousands of acres of corn and small
grain, it is asserted that crops are to-
tally destroyed, that in many localities
Il will be days before the water will run
off and that then It will be too late TO
replant.
Roads to south Imperative.
between Omaha and Kansas City and st.
Louis, though late in the afternoon the
Missouri Pacific resumed service.
West of the Missouri river the damage
sustained by the railroads was insig-
nificant as compared with that through
Iowa and in western Missouri.
Along the Northwestern, from Fremont
all the way through to Long Pine and
h,.a NnrfOlIx
10 Winner, the rain continued from late
Tuesday afternoon until morning, the
precipitation being figured by agents and
others along the lines at from four TO
eight inches. 1t threw the streams out
of their banks and spread their waters
over the bottom lands for miles. From
Fremont to Norfolk. all along the Elk
horn valley, the water was up to or
over the tracks. The bridges withstood
the floods, but in many places the
grades were softened and badly washed.
Many Acres Under Water.
A conservative estimate by Northwest
ern officials indicates that up the Elk
horn valley fully 10000 acres of crop is
under water. some fields only a few
inches, while in others the water is as
many feet deep.
The main line of the Omaha road from
above Blair, all the way TO Sioux City,
and where 1t is built on the lowlands, Is
under water. The bridges remain intact,
but the track is badly washed. The
same conditions maintain across from
Emerson to Norfolk. and on the Harting-
ton ana Bloomfield branches. Through
this section of the state. corn and small
grain on the rolling land Is badly washed,
much OF 1t being torn our by the roots
and carried into the lowiands below. All
the streams are out OF their banks and
some OF those that at low water are
only a few feet wide. have now spread
out from one-half to a mile over the
valleys.
Down the Missouri and for twenty-five
! to forty miles back in the state It is as
serted that conditions are even worse
than farther north. the rain having been
heavier and continued longer.
Reports TO the railroads Indicate that
from late Tuesday afternoon around
PIattsmouth, Nebraska city. Auburn,
Peru. Brownvine, Weeping Water, Yer
don, Stella and dozen other towns in
the southeast part Of the state. the precip-
itation was from four TO eight inches
and. owing 10 considerable OF the land
being rolling. the water rushed through
the fields IN torrents, tearing out the
grain and tuning all rayincs ana small
streams into rivers.
Farmers Lose Heavily.
All through the southeast part Of the
state. including cass. otoe. Johnson.
Pawnee. Richardson and Nemaha coun-
ties. the loss to farmers. It Is asserted.
Wall be unparalleled In the history Of Ne
CONTINUED on Page Two. Column Three)