The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-01-27
TOWNS ARE FLOODED
PROPERTY LOSS AT JOLIET, ILL.,,
is ESTIMATED AT
100000.
MANY DRIVEN FROM HOMES
Heavy Rain and January Thaw Causes
Millions Of Dollars Damage at CHI
eaao and suburbs-Part Of Fox
River Valley Inundated-Peorla Hit.

Joliet, ILL.,, Jan. 24.-With six feet
of water standing in the streets In
the residential district Of Joliet, and
several hundred families driven from
their homes, this city is paralyzed BY
the flood waters of the Desplaines riV'
er and Hickory creek. Property dam
age is estimated at more than Sl,OOO'-
900.
All electric lights were extinguished
and street cars were stalled. Only q
few lines in the western part OF the
city could be operated.
Railroad traffic also was tied up by
the inundation of the yards. Hundreds
Of freight cars on the Elgin, Joliet &
Eastern railroad were held up when
the yards were flooded. The yards
cover almost twenty-five acres and
were flooded to a depth of four feet.
More than 1000 persons were driven
from their homes and sought refuge
in police stations and hospitals. Fac
tories employing more than 5000 men
were compelled to close when the wa
ter flooded the engine rooms.
Chicago, Jan. 24.-Hundreds Of per-
sons were driven from their homes,
hundreds of Easements flooded, and
southwest section Of the city is under
a flood which swept Chicago and Its
suburbs as the result of the January
thaw and heavy rain.
Property damage will run into the
millions, according to police estl-
mates.
Fire companies in all parts of the
city responded to calls for help.
Many families living in basement
apartments sat on tables and boxes
as the chairs and other furnishings
fioated about the homes.
Water six feet deep was reported in
several parts Of the city.
Aurora, ILL.,, Jan. 24.-The Fox river
overfowed it's banks here as the re-
suit of an all-night downpour. The
| northeast section of the city is under
water. Several thousand persons live
| In the district.
The water rose eight feet in the
night and is still rising. Sewers could
not carry the water off forty-five miles
of paved streets, and thousands of
Easements were flooded by water,
which backed up in drain pipes.
At Mooseheart, seven miles north
Of Aurora, where are the national Of
fees, home for orphan children and in
dustrial school of the Loyal Order of
Moose, a squad Of men worked des.
! perately to prevent from giving way
a dam which holds in check an artiti
cial lake a mile long
The lake is above the school, but
the buildings are protected in meas
ure by an intervening deep and wide
ravine, which points toward the river
half mile away.
Peoria, ILL.,, Jan. 22.-Rail, telegraph
and telephone service in and out oi
Peoria is badly crippled, the result ot
a storm which swept this section
Thirty-six head of cattle on the vii
son farm and twenty-five head of cat
tie on the Strauss farm in the Kicka
poo bottoms were drowned before they
could be moved. The T. P. & W. rail
road bridge over the Illinois river a
Peoria dropped over a foot. A %
passenger train has been marooned al
day at Edwards, 20 miles from here
M. & st. L. trains are unable to ge
out of Peoria. Miles of track hav
been washed out on other railroad
and scores of bridges along highway
destroyed by ice.
The principal danger spot in Jolie
= was in the district known as Brooklyn
In that section the water rose to
height of six feet and swift exodus Q
inhabitants began at daybreak.