The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-06-16
Over Three Inches Fall at Early
Hour; Flooding Many Base
ments and Low Sections
Of the City
DAMAGE TO GRAIN
CROP IS SERIOUS
Street Car Traffic Tied Up for Hours
and Jitneys Strano..d; Whole
sale Houses Sustain
Some Losses

This morning about S:l5 j. Pluvius
opened the flood gates and when they
closed some two hours later, a deluge
that is reported TO have been general
had descended. the total here being
3.0S inches, flooding everything in the
lower sections of the city and daLag-
ing the small grain crcp in Grady
county to the amount Of thousands Of
dollars, 1t is believed. Il was the
heaviest downpour this year
A report from Purcell during the
hardest Of the rain said that water
was falling in torrents there, flooding
everything. A Rock Island passenger
conductor, alighting from his train in
Chickasha, said that he had been in
yeritable downpour since leaving
Caldwell, Kan. Reports from other
sections indicate that the rain covered
a wide area
Street car traffic was tied up for
hours. Jitneys and service cars we're
stopped and tour through the south
ern and southeastern part of the city
showed many automobiles stranded.
Near the Carnegie library, an automo-
bile had been abandoned and the wa
ter at the highest point ran over the
body of the car into the seat
From sections OF Chickasha avenue
on the north and Ninth street on the
west. the city was a solid sheet ~,
water. Iowa, Minnesota and Idaho
avenues we're raging torrents, espec
tally at the intersections OF all streets
east of Eighth street. Water ran into
the Carnegie library. il was reported.
Some OF the residents on Iowa avenue
between Sixth and Eighth streets were
forced to take up the rugs from the
floors as the water was running into
their houses.
Several small boys took advantage
OF the flood and unearthing boat
from somewhere padded up and down
Iowa avenue for several hours. At the
Central grocery, ON South Fourth
street, the water was up to the bed Of
delivery wagon, and from that point
TO Colorado avenue the depth OF the
torrent was an average Of about hub
deep Shepard. First and Second
streets. were under water, which was
running into store buildings and
houses. with gardens and truck
patches" all but submerged.
Considerable damage was done in
the wholesale district to stocks stored
in the easements. AL the Doughty+Mc-
Donald company water had flooded
their basement, especially in their
house on Second street, the old Swift
Packing company building. Also OF
Third and Chickasha this company suf-
fered They estimate their loss at
$1,000. r. d. Turner and the William
on-1alsell-Frazier company we're los
ers 10 lesser extent Though some
water entered their easements, they
were able to get most of their goods
out. In all these houses, men were
busy with tubs carrying water from
the Easements, while the managers
were securing the town for pumps.
Some water entered the city hail
basement the basement of the federal
building, the Early hotel the base
ment under the Chickasha National
bank.
Between Fourth and Sixth streets,
the watsE lfipHds the street and ran
over the sidewalks. AT the curb, in
front of the First National bank build
ing. an, automobile stood hub deep in
the flood.
While definite reports had not been
received from the county in general
this morning, 1t was stated by local
banker that in his estimation the small
grain crop in Grady county would suf'
fer a damage of 100000 as the wheat
and oats stalks. already loaded with
ripening grain, would be crushed 70
the ground by the added weight Of
water and by the wind, which at times
was strong.