Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-20
CEDAR RAPIDS STREETS NUN.
DATED AND TRACKS
WASHED OUT.
BOY LOSES LIFE
IN SWOLLEN STREAM
Lightning Is Severe and Many Small
Fires Arc Started-Floods Rush
Thru City Causing Temporary Halt
in Business-Basennent Flooded and
Grain felled by Wind and Water.

Cedar Rapids, July 20.-Zack Young
aged 6 years, son of Mrs. j. j. Hen
bricks, was drowned late Wednesday
afternoon at McLeods run, while he
was attempting to push his dog into
the stream. Following the storm
banks of the stream were undermined
and the boys weight caused the
ground to give way. The body has not
been recovered
Prayers for rain, which have beer
numerous and ferve1t in Cedar Rapids
during the past ten days were album
dainty answered between 3:45 and
p. m. Wednesday when 4:36 inches OF
rain turned the streets to rivers and
most Of the Easements to cisterns. II
was the wettest day in Cedar Rapids
since Dec. 81, 1915.
Severe Electrical Storm.
The rain was accompanied by one
Of the most spectacular displays OF
electrical disturbance seen here in
years. Zigzag flashes Of lightning rent
the black clouds at every point of the
compass and the roar Of thunder was
so continuous that it merited the vivid
descriptions penned about the bonn
bardments Of Verdun and Dead Man
Hill. Fuses were blown by thousands
telephones cracked incandescent lights
were shattered, arc lights fell to street
pavements with a crash, power and
light circuits all over the city were
rt-circuited by the wicked blue
blaze that shot from the sky,
Many Fires Started
Fires started up here and there and
there were fire engine and truck races
thru the streets, where deep water was
driven in great waves by the whistliEs
wind. Chimneys acted like downspouts
from the roofs and window frames.
dried by the long parching heat let
the water thru like the roofs of cab
ms in the cane brakes Of Arkansas.
Janitors with trousers rolled high
above their knees, had the assistance
Of business men,. clerks and Sstenogra :
piers similarly attired I'm a vain effort
to stay the rush Of water coming over
thresholds ard window: stills. They
were as apowerless as Old King Canute
when his courtiers told him; that the
ocean tide, dare not pass his royal
chair. q
a a Storm Is Only Local.
e The storm was only local. Last
night the Rock Island reported that
there was no rain north Of Center
Point nor east Of Ely. But in this area
corn was flattened to the ground. tele-
phone and telegraph poles were broken
and blown down, trees were uprooted
and farm animals had to swim for
their lives The Cedar river rose three
feet and every little pulling brook be-
came madly rushing torrent.
Railroads Suffer Heavily.
When the rain ceased shortly after
5 o'clock reports Of damage began to
come over the wires still in commits
sion. The Rock Island had some track
washed out two miles north of Linn
where Otter Creek in the Toddville
region overlooked its banks and be-
came a rushing river. There was also
some damage on the main line near
Epley and UP towards Linn where the
water rushed down the hills with the
velocity of streams in the Rocky noun
tain canyons. But few hours hard
work. repaired this damage so that
trains were running on their, usual
schedules this morning.
All the railroads had similar dam
age. The main line Of the North