Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-07
HEAVY RAINS CAUSE CREEKS
AND RIVERS TO OVERFLOW
ADJACENT LANDS.
SEA OF MUD LEFT IN
LOWER COUNCIL BLUFFS
Needing Waters Leave City Streets
inpassabls-Many Bridges Washed
4 Out In Southwestern lowa-Autome-
miIss 'standins In Streets Carried
Away--RaiIread Lines Washed Out.

4 Council Bluffs, June Council Bluffs
Is digging herself out Of the mud which
covers blocks in the.area below Eighth
street to the Illinois Central tracks,
ravaged by the overflow waters Of In
dian creek during Tuesday nights
storm Gangs Of men and teams are at
work all over the submerged district,
cleaning the sidewalks and crossings
and slowly opening the streets to nor
NAL traffic. Broadway from Eighth
street west to the railroad tracks. is
a veritable sea Of mud which is piled
up over the sidewalks like drifted snow
Many side streets, over which the creek
water poured when Old Lousy went out
OF it's banks. are equally buried in mud
and water. Street car service to Oma-
ha is running as usual, but the cars
plow thru the shiny ooze with the
wheels almost buried in mud. Stores
which lay in the path Of the waters
were being cleaned out Wednesday
morning, but many were still complete
Is isolated by the mud.
osluge Of Rain.
Thousands Of dollars worth Of prop
erty damage was done in Council
Bluffs by the torrential downpour Of
rain which struck the city about s
o'clock. The storm assumed almost the
proportions Of cloudburst and within
half an hour streets all over the city
were curb full Of water and Indian
creek began to go out of its banks be-
low Eighth street. flooding adjoining
property for blocks. The rain continued
without interruption for several hours
and the flood waters from the creek be-.
gan to maroon residents in the district
lying west Of Eighth street and north
of Avenue A. The highest point OF the
flood was at Seventh street, where the
waters from the creek went over the
banks, flowing out onto Broadway and
down MINISTER street. Broadway was
sheet Of water from Seventh west to the
Illinois Central tracks and street, car
service on the Eighth street and Omaha
lines was demoralized most Of the night.
Automobiles were marooned in the wa
ter and the force of the current car
ried some Of them down the street
Bridges Go Out.
;. Indian creek went out of its banks
at Eighth street before z O'clock, and
the waters were pouring into nearby
Easements and rushing thru stores
which lay IN their path. As the rain
continued to fall the waters Of the
creek backed up still farther and soon
were breaking out at Seventh street. =
.veritabie torrent Of water was rushing
down the creek channel. carrying with
it all matter Of debris which was hurl-i
II I. L asvHoY krai
foundations, and at several points car
frying them out altogether. The bridge
ut Tenth street went out early in the
evening and the street railway bridge
at Thirteenth street was buckled so
that expensive repairs must be made
Guards were posted at all the bridges
as far up as Sixth street, where the
crek wa sout Of its banks, and no traf-
fic was allowed to go over them. Street
cars plowed thru the waters during the
early stages Of the flood, but about 1880
o'clock. traffic was suspended entirely.
Automobiles tried to plow thru the wa
tiers but were unable to get far. Some
drivers were wise enough to turn back,
but others were stranded in the midst
of the flood.
Carries Away Fords.
Two Ford automobiles, parked alons
the curbing near the fremont house on
Tenth street were swept out into
Broadway by the force Of the waters
pouring from the creek. The head car
was stopped by trolley wire pole and
the other nosed up behind It.
Storm sewers leading into the creek
backed up and buildings as far uptown
as the Nonpareil office had their base
ments flooded with water. The federal
building had two inches Of water in the
basement. Manho1es at Broadway and
Eighth street were spouting water in
to the air a foot. s@
Police received numerous calls during
the flood from families who were en-
dangcred by the rising flood waters
These came principally from the neigh
borhood of Thirteenth street and Ave-.
nues B. G. D, e and F, although many
other persons living beyond these points
were entirely isolated by water. All calls
were answered and families removed