Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-09-11
100000 DAMAGE
CAUSED BY RAIN
IN THREE CITIES
Communities Suffer Big Loss From
Heavy Rainfall Which Floods
the Streets.
MOLINE IS HIT HARDEST or ALL
Plow City Made 70 Look Like Venice
Lightning Strikes the Dav-
export Court House.

export t0nrt House.
Damages TO the extent OF at least
100000 we're caused by the severe
storm which visited the tri-cities yes
serdae afternoon. Deere & Company.
The Moline PIow company, and other
concerns in Moline suffered the great
est loss.
The hardest rainfall which was
heretofore known in this locality was
fla. " July z when 2.69 inches Of wa
Ter fen in 80 minutes and the Pillow
Civ looked more like Venice than an
island city Only 1.54 inches Of wa
Ter were registered at the weather bu-
reaQ Office Davenport, but officials
there are inclined to think the fury
Of abe storm was greater in Moline
thaa ID the Iowa city.
At First street. Moline, q stream
more than half a block in width tore
ma5Iv toward the Mississippi The
street was flooded to the curb on the
Rock Island side, and on the east,
WHERE il was lower. the water spread
fCEIsEa E.E T al tL~s I641Al4E t8 tLE
rampant course. Fences were torn
ont dv The stream and cellars were
filled to depth of two feet hut little
damage was recorded
Mud Foot Deep.
Large quantities OF dirt. sand, peb-
bles and stones were carried down
Fifteenth street by the rushing wa
Ter. AT sixth avenue they accumu-
lated into a pile more than foot deep
and extending across the street,
blocking Prospect park and Elm street
car line traffic.
HoGue'z isle Of safety was a real
island Water swished around the
iron pole, the only object besides the
strecr cars TO Withstand the food.
Many other streets Of the city were
Uttered debris. Cellars of Fifteenth
street establishments were flooded
In short time The Peacock barber
shop underneath the Weinrott store,
was invaded by the murky water and
the proprietor of the place, his EN-
pIoyes and several patrons, sought
refuge on the tops of chairs Their
apprehension was increased when the
water continued to rise and the men
decided to make 8 dash for liberty.
Third avenue from Fifteenth street
to Twelfth was more like a canal than
anything else. with more than Two feet
of water standing in the roadway
and reaching from building to build
Ing
Rescue Girls.
Factory officials and Office employees
found IL Impossible 10 escape from the
buildings. When a. C. Barber, trade
manager Of the Moline PIow company,
came to the rescue Of several young
women Of his office, volunteering to
give them the use of his car standing
before the building, he found water
running onto the floor Of the machine
and the engine stalled. The office
force left by way of the rear platform
after the waters had subsidized slightly.
Automobile trucks were brought in
to use to remove office employees from
tde Deere building. The large We
lieles We're backed through the water
10 the doorway and made very salts
L4s....A -ALF-|.fE ~ -A rs DELsEA anu
children first" lent an Arabic atmos-
phere 10 the occasion. Debarking was
accomplished in brief space Of time
and without accident. Captain" But
terwnrth was the last 10 leave,
Phone service throughout the tri-I
cities and vicinity was greatly hamp
cred. a 251-plv cable from Rock Is
land to Davenport was put out Of
order Communication with Galva
was suspended for several hours and
four more long distance lines from
the city were out Of order for q time.
Street cars on all lines in the city
operated off schedule during the
storm An arsenal car bound for
Davenport was derailed on Fort Arm
strong avenue, by cinders being wash
ed on the tracks, and traffic on this
line was suspended for an hour and
30 minutes. and all Davenport EN-
pl0yes at the arsenal were late for
supper. ATmatures Of three cars we're
burned out Many automobiles were
stalled by water entering the carbu-
retors, when the drivers attempted to
AVE- "a inc Apb0eu streets
In Rock Island,
Although a great deal of water fell
in Rock Island, the cities and villages
70 the east. Moline, East Moline, Sill
Wis, Rapids City. Hampton, Bastow and
the country about them bore the
brunt Of the storm. a veTitable cloud
burst struck East Moline. The rain
fall was much heavier there than the
weather stations register shows.
Washouts On Burlington.
Although many trains to the city
were delayed in arrival. the Burling
ton was the only company to suffer a
severe setback. Two washouts took
place between Rock Island and Bars
tow. and two more between Barstow
and Alpha. The worst washout oc-