The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-01-27
MANY ILLINOIS
TOWNS FLOODED
Property Loss at Joliet Estimat-
ed at ST, 900, 600.
MANY DRIVEN FROM HOMES
Heavy Rain and January Thaw Causes
Millions Of Dollars Damage at
Chicago and Suburbs-Part of
Fox River Valley Inundated.

Joliet, H., Jan. 22.-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 food waters of the Desplaines riv.
er and Hickory creek. Property dam
age Is estimated at more than 1,000,-
900.
ALI 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 driv-
en- from their homes and sought ref
uge in police stations and hospitals.
Factories employing more than 5000
men were compelled to close when
the water flooded the engine rooms.
Big Damage at Chicago.
Chicago, Jan. 22.-Hundreds of per-
sons we're driven from their homes.
hundreds of Easements flooded, and
northeast section of the city is under
food 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 esti'
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
floated about che homes.
Water six feet deep was reported in
several parts of the city.
Fox River on Rampage.
Aurora, ILL.,, Jan. 22.-The Fox river
overlooked 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. 3d..
The water rose eight feet in the
night and is still rising. Sewers could
not carry the water off forty-ive 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
dam which holds in check an artifi
cial lake mile long.
The lake Is above the school, but
the buildings are protected in a meas
ure by an intervening deep and wide
ravine, which points toward the river
half a mile away.
Flood Hits Peoria.
Peoria, ILL.,, Jan. 22.-Rail, telegraph
and telephone service in and out O
Peoria Is badly crippled, the result O
a storm which swept this section
Thirty-six head of cattle on the viii
son farm and twenty-five head of cat
tie on the Strauss farm in the Kicka
poo bottoms were drowned before the!
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 havt
been washed out on other railroads
and scores Of bridges along highway
destroyed by ice.