Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-17
RIVER AT CREST
|. FLOODS CELLARS
Easements in First and Second Ave.
nue. Buildings, Near Eighteenth
Street Filled With Water.
BRIDGE WORKS FORCED TO CLOSE
Iron Plant on Mill Street Is Shut Down
Because of Water in the Factory
and the Office.

Fifteen Easements in buildings on
First avenue are flooded, and many in
/ buildings on Second avenue have wa
/ ter in the cellars, as a result of the
high stage OF the Mississippi river to-
lieved, was reached at noon when the
gauge shovel that the stream was
14.5 feet above low water
From Second avenue the river ap-
pears as though it is over the rail-
DAD tracks on First avenue Few
times in the past has the stream reach
ed the present mark. When the ferry
reaches the foot of Eighteenth street,
because of the high stage of the water,
the boat seems to be landing directly
on First avenue. The water is with
in few inches of the floor of the ap-
proaches leading to the dock.
All of the buildings which have sew
ers connecting with the Eighteenth
street main have water in the base
ments and the sewer system is plug
ged up from baCkwater which seeps
through into the sewer from the river
The principal building affected is Ho-
tel Harms. Water has backed up in
the sewer and the Mushroom in the
basement has been closed The bowl
Ing alleys have not been affected
The west end residence section is
not bothered The Fifth avenue sewer
pump is ably removing the deposits.
In the Mill street district, further west
there is several feet of water. The
Rock Island Bridge and Iron company
plant was not in operation today be
cause of water In the office of the
works there was an inch of water, but
| the blue print room is high and dry.
The Standard Oilcloth works was not
forced to stop operation. 1t is on a
higher point than the bridge works.
| Saturday the mississippi river re-
corded IA feet above low water. Last
night it was 144 feet This morning
it was 14.45 and at noon it reached
las.
Readings at various points on the
river near here today are:
Clinton, 1874 flood stage, IS feet.)
lie Claire, II flood stage. 10 feet.)
Rock Island, 145 flood stage, Is
feet
Muscatine, 161 flood stage, 16 feet.)
Looks for Early Fall.
j. NJ Sherier, local weather fore
caster, said today that he did not be-
lieve that the river would go much
over 14.5 feet, as its rise has been
very slow the last few days and there
has been a fall in the river at Dubuque
beginning Saturday. He said that he
believed that the river would not fiuc-
tuate from the present stage for an
other SO hours, but that after time a
continual fall may be looked for.
The statement is made by the fore
caster on conditions which will eX-
list providing there are no heavy rains.
Showers are predicted for tomorrow.
Mr.. Sherier said that heavy rains
would cause rise but light showers
would not greatly affect the stage of
the stream.
Dam is Removed.
Somebody in the west end of Rock
Island is getting funny with municipal
authorities, possibly with a purpose
not known to officials. Twice has the
city been forced to dam the culvert
under the First street road. near what
would be Sixteenth avenue if cut
through. Twice has the dam been re-
moved, allowing the waters of Lily
pond to rush through the culyert and
inundate the section east of the road.
The mayor today had the following to
say of the occurrence:
AT the Culvert where CITY authori-
ties had the water damned back so
that it would not back into Lily pond
the city is now compelled to keep a
Waterman day and night to prevent
people who live west of the railroad
tracks from tampering with the OBJ
struction. They have no protection
against high water.
I'VE would not suppose that anyone
could be so ignorant as to think that
stopping water from drowning out the
west end residence section would help
those living in the territory outside OF
the dam.
Intend to Prosecute.