Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-13
FLOODS DRIVE MANY
FROM THEIR HOMES
Large Area in North Omaha Flooded
by the Torrential Rain Of
Last Night.
DAMAGE ALL OVER THE CITY

Omaha was visited by the hardest
fainstorm in some time Sunday night
when considerable damage was done,
and in a section Of the city several
blocks square around Twenty-fourth
and Clark streets people we're driven
from their homes and the police we're
called out to rescue some who were
in danger.
The cause Of this. the worst trou-
Bile, was the inadequacy Of the sew
ers to carry off the water. which
amounted to almost a cloudburst.
For several hours the rain fell in tor
rents and the lightning flashed with
its accompanying peals Of thunder
keeping a large part Of Omaha
awake. New streets we're washed
out, new cellars filled and patients
in hospitals we're greatly annoyed by
the storm.
B. weiner. 2O2s clark street, his
wife and daughter. and Harry Cohen
and his wife and three children were
carried by policemen to the ambu-
lance through water waist high.
A number Of fires due to light
ming were reported, but no serious
damage was done.
Rainfall 2.s4 Inches.
During the rain last night the surpris-
inR amount OF ga inches fell, and the
total rain fall to-date from January l Is
IAs2 inches. This IL LII inches In excess
of the normal weatherman Welsh re-
ports that the rain was general between
here and Kansas City. and east TO the
Mississippi.
Catch Basin CIogRed.
As soon a. the catch basin at Twentieth
and Clark streets was opened, the floods
rapidly subsidized. For an hour the weter
poured down through the catch basin and
into the main sewers with a roar that
residents in the vicinity likened TO that
of the tornado that passed over the same
ssction Of the city. year ago last Easter
Sunday.
Most OF the lateral sewers within the
territory bounded on the east by Twenty
first. the north by Burdette and the west
by Twenty-fifth, the south by Clark
streets were choked at the manholes by
Tho debris that came In with the water.
As a result the entire territory was
flooded to a depth OF from few inches
70 foot or 30.
Many families IN the flooded area be-
came frightened. expecting that their
homes were going to be washed away.
Women and children m tneir night
clothes waded out OF their homes and to
the higher land west Of Twenty-fifth
street, where they spent tho balance OF
tho night with people who took them in
providing shelter until morning.
Sidewalks Covered with Mud.
An through the flooded area the side
walks are covered with mud 10 dept
Of several inches and In the territor'
there probably IL not q basement o
cellar that is not filled with water.
That portion OF the city where tn
flood was the worst is densely populate,
and the loss OF residents will be con
siderable, II coming largely by reaao
Of foundations that will be weakened b
the waters IN the cellars and Easements
Repairs 10 many foundations viii hav
70 be made and Il Is asserted that unite
many u ttio tlOhelA Wv Ar'AfN0NAeA va
viii cave In when the water Is iiumpe
out OF seeps away.
The skyiight OF the Postal Telegram
building ON Famam street gave wa
under torrent OF water during th
night slight Inconvenience was e1
penenced In the otficea
over Papplo bridge.
Farmers coming In from the Yves
Dodge country say that the Littie par
Pic was five feet above It's banks yesteI
day morning.
Considerably damage was done all owe
the city where excavations were bein
made for new structures. The excava
ton for the, new Blackstone hotel q
Thirty-sixthf and Farnam streets wa
about complete and numerous machine
were In place putting In concrete pilini
TIE rain caved In the banks and file