The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1915-07-23
The FLOOD OF 1915.
CONTINUED from page ~

Tvs iep0"esVb VI CouuIUO0S OF 1851
some seem to think II was worse, a.
drinking water could not be obtained.
The southwest portion Of Craig was
partly under water, but not seriously
damaged; this was caused by the Little
Tarkio.
Thus 1t may be said, o. in 1881, the
entire Missouri bottom from Forbes,
north TO the state line Is completely
inundsted-only here and there
farm may be seen, by reason Of ele.
walton and other causes have escaped
and the destruction u far greater by
the 1915 flood than that Of 1881, be.
cause there are far greater acreage
now In cultivation.
The Nodaway river bottoms from its
mouth to the state line, IL In like
condition.
The flood Of 1916, will 90 on the
secords Of Holt county, - the most
o. reaching In ito destSuctiyeness In
~ history.
County Highway Engineer J. II.
Psret estimates the damage to the
roads and bridges Of the county 1t
$4,000.
The Missouri, river during the
rood, was st no time to the: flood
line-l2 feet being the danger line;
that ID IL feet above low water
mark. On Wednesday, lath, 1t vas
sos above the low line; 18th II was 10
feet; 10th It was 10 o. feet; on the 18th,
Saturday, II was O.o4 feet. On June
2sd the river was ii.Oofeet above
the low water mark, or within one
foot Of the danger line--while last
week, II was lower by one foot, or
within two feet Of danger marking.
On Monday, July 18th the marking at
81. Joseph was II on, or within ~ Of
Q foot OF the danger line.
II you wish to ascertain the con
dillon OF the Missouri river IS 10 It's
volume Of water, you should remem
Der these facts. The basis Is 0 at st.
Louis. the low water mark indicates
1881 feet ~ st. Joseph: danger line Ia
10 feet above this marking, or 3a3 ! |
feet; and high Is marked u 3a5.7 feet
or II feet above the low mark. In
1851 the marking ~ St. Joseph was
403 > feet or 1915 feet above the low
line.
Follow the meanderings Of the
Missouri river along the line OF
Holt county from It's south TO its
north line, and you viii travel the
distance OF 5Ji mile. DO the same
along the Noda~sy river from the
south line TO the north line, and the
distance II 81 miles.
The giving way of the railroad
bridge across the Nodawsy, wednes
day night, July 18th, WAS the cause Of
tile abandoning OF the main line trains
and also those OF It's Denver ant BIN
ings rua. Many feet Of It's trsckage
washed out At Corning ant other
places on Its X. g. and g. % line, and
Its branches.
The fo)d caused the greatest "tle
up" ~ st. Joseph, In the history OF
That city.
The Hood OF 1918 We believe means
q loss TO the farmers OF Holt county.
approximately half . million dollars, |
aud TO the railroads, twice this
amount, and not an artery In the
great business world OF this section |
but will feel keenly this great loss.
This Hood Of 1915, following the ex.
IRENE dry years Of 1913 aud 1914. isl
but . verihcation Of the old adage
that extremes follow.
Monday 10Th, rise In the Rig Tarkio |
river puts Its waters into the By
Lake from the north end and Kahn
Island was In danger Of being cover. |
ed with water. The river also got
around Burr Oak school house, and
o. the lands OF Sol Ammo, Chss. Mos.
er, George Lease and others. ii
Mound City was without mail con
nsctions from Tuesday. July IL until
Sunday, July 10th. They obtained |
mall by driving to Napier on Sunday
The Big Tarkio lsvee, south Of
Craig end northwest OF Bigslow, along |
the south bank Of the old bed Of Big
Tark, gave way, and flooded oil the
lands In sections 81, u, IS In 90 %;
sections Z, 8, o, 8, Q In 6l.39. cover.
Ing lands owned by the Shsllsnbsrger,
Jones, Morse, Br.dgsman, Richards,
Mccoy, Idsn. Smiths and Others. Il
10 believed BY some that this lsvss
WAS dynsmited, In order to let the
water of OF the north side Of the
levee
In 1881 there were 277,s57 acres
sssessed In Holt ct . valuation Of
e2,t0l, $50. For 1915, taxes were a.
ssssed on 2s3,723 acres. ct . valuation
Of ~ ,99l $50.
In sstimsting thu loss IN thu farm.