The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-01-27
MANY ILLINOIS
TOWNS FLOODED
Property Loss at Joliet Estimat-
ed at 100000.
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, ILL.,, Jan. "a. "A 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 riy-
er and Hickory creek. Property dam
age Is estimated at more than $1,OO0,-
000
All electric lights were extinguished
and street cars were stalled. Only
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 Il
Eastern railroad were held up when
the yards were flooded. The yards
cover almost twenty-five acres and
were flooded to depth of four feet
More than 900 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
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 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 the homes.
Water six feet deep was reported In
several parts of the city.
Aurora. H., Jan. 24.-The Fox river
overlooked its banks here as the re-
suit of an all-night downpour. The
northeast section of the city Is under
water.
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 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
Peoria, H., Jan. 22.-Rail, telegraph
and telephone service in and out of
Peoria is badly crippled, the result Of
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 they
could be moved The T. p. G. w. rail-
road bridge over the Illinois river at
Peoria dropped over a foot. A. %
passenger train has been marooned all
day at Edwards. 20 miles from here.
M. & st. l.. trains are unable to get
out of Peoria. Miles OF track have
been washed out on other railroads
and scores of bridges along highways
destroyed by ice
The principal danger spot in Joliet
was in the district known as Brooklyn
In that section the water rose to a
height of six feet and a swift exodus Of
Inhabitants began at daybreak.