Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-06-07
NORTHEASTERN IOWA
v|sI1t BY FLOOD
Heavy Deluge Of In Starting at
s O'Clock Thu LAY Afternoon
Lasted for eEo Hours.
DRY RUN BROKI
& cR IT'S BANKS
Water FYlled Cellars in Path Of Flood
and One Residence Moved From
Its Foundation and Swept
Block Away. KS

The Northeastern section of the
state was visited on last Thursday
evening by one of the heaviest rain
storms of the year, which resulted in
a disastrous food, and reached for
many miles south and east OF Decor
ah. It started to rain about five o.
clock in the afternoon, and kept up
a heavy downpour until seven o.
clock, and very few people who we're
up town at the time were able to
reach home until the rain subsided.
The rain gauge at the Winneshiek
County State Bank registered 3h
inches of rain in that space of time.
We have had so much rain this
spring that little thought was given
to the possibility of another flood,
such as visited us on May 21, 1902,
fourteen years ago. Nevertheless Dry
Run filled and overfiowed its banks
above the Milwaukee stockyards, and
the water swept through part of the
residential district in q nOrtheaster-
ly direction for about three-quarters
OF mile to the Rock Island yards
where it emptied into the Upper
Iowa river.
1t was practically repetition of
the food of fourteen years ago, al
though no lives were lost, and we be-
lieve less damage was done. The
water coming as It did early in the
evening, the residents were able to
prepare themselves. The water filled
many cellars in its path and the first
floors Of good many homes was
reached by the water, which was
mixed with mud. and after the water
receded, coats Of mud were left on
the floors, and as result many car
pets, rugs and much furniture were
practically ruined.
The high water, which was from
two to five feet deep in places lasted
for about an hour. While many resi-
dences in its path suffered from the
water entering the cellars and first
floors. The greatest disaster visited
the residence Of Mr.. and Mrs. Louis
Stoskopf on Washington street aai
corner OF st. Lawrence. The residence
a large two story frame was raised
from its foundation and fioated
northeast down the railroad tracks
one block to Lloyd street, where 1t
lodged against big tree. 1t passed
the John Headington residence on
Lloyd street, striking the corner of
it, but fortunately did little damage.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stoskopf were in the
house at the time and took refuge
upstairs. They were not injured, and
Mr.. Stoskopf stated that when the
house raised OF the foundation and
started to float away they hardly
knew 1t was moving. The front and
one side Of the lower floor was torn
away and practically all of the fur
niture and valuables in the home
were swept away. 1t is hard blow
to Mr.. and Mrs. Stoskopf. but they
are bearing up bravely under their
misfortune. The house Is practically
ruined.
The C. M. & st. p. and Rock Island
railroads entering Decorah are hea-
Wy losers. Their are Al railroad
bridges between Decorah and Como.
yer, and nine of them went out and
probably 25 were more or less in
jured. The big bridge near the Mil.
waukee stock yards was torn and
twisted from its foundation and rods
and rods of track were torn up, and
practically all Of the track entering
the city was inundated.
On the Rock Island three lone
bridges each about $50 feet long
one over Trout Run and two others
further south were swept completely
away and about two miles of track
gone between Decorah and Nordness
The dump washed from two to TWEEN
ty feet in some places. The ice house
which stood near the Rock Island
round house was completely swept
away with about 400 tons Of ice.
The Milwaukee officials have mer
at work now, and about $50 wOrkmer
are fixing up the track between De
corah and Conover and the possibil
ity is that trains will be running int
Decorah over this line within weel
or ten days. The Rock Island hal
started the reconstruction of theil
tracks and will detour work trains VI
to Ossian on the Milwaukee and vii