Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-18
.0ElOCE CAUSES
Bis LAND SLIDE
Traffic IN RIVER CITIES
HALTED ~ HEAVY DOWN.
POUR.
TONS OF EARTH FOUR FEer
DEEP COVER TRACKS
Washouts, Floods. and LandsIides
Paralyxs Traffic and Cause Much
Damage Along the Mississippi-ln.
terurban Cars Suspend Operation
and Trains Are Forced to Dstour.

Davenport, March 1s.--Washing out
the bridge over Duck creek and cuttins
on Davenport from the north, except
by railroad, oendlng tons Of earth over
the interurban tracks west Of the city
putting the Muscatine division COM
pletely out OF business. flooding fields
and causing extensive property dam
age. the heavy rains OF the As hours
hit Davenport harder than has any
downpour for many months. In the
one storm 1898 inches OF rain fell.
The river stage shot up from six
feet Saturday morning to eight feet
four inches this morning with a .ur-
Their rise of a foot and n half predict
ed. Even at the forecasted stage, how
ever, the Mississippi will be far under
the danger mark.
Duck creek was a raging torrent
cutting of the country north of the
city from Mercy hospital east to the
Brady street road, tearing along its
course with swift current, flooding
the adjacent country, l,00o yards wide
sweeping away Its bridges, foodinG
cellars, carrying off sheds and out
buildings. People living on the north
and east banks of the creek had to
travel many miles to the west in order
to get to Davenport.
Bridge Washed Out.
Laden with trees, chicken coops and
boards betokening devastation Of a
serious nature further up its placid
course, Duck creek grew Saturday
night into a roaring. tearing, power
mad mass of muddy water.
At the Brady street crossing early
Sunday morning it picke6 up the
heavy iron bridge which had been set
aside, washed it down stream with ter
rifle force against the framework
which had been erected for the new
concrete arch, and washed the Whole
mass many yards west.
1t is estimated by city officials that
the contractor lost between $4,000 ana
$4,000 thru the storm.
As far as can be learned there was
no livestock lost in the immediate VI
cinity Of Davenport. Some plots OF
winter wheat were covered by layer
of mud and ruined, but the farmers,
from long experience. removed all
their livestock which they saw the
creek was rising.
Tons OF earth, loosened from the clay
banks along tho right of way by the
deluge of the AS hours, slid over the
interurban tracks four miles west OF
Davenport early Sunday morning, COW
erinx the rails to a depth of four fee'
and completely blocking traffic on the
Nuscatine division of the G. d. 4 NJ
up to press time today
Using everything from clam dredge
to pitchforks- the interurban officlais
have had a big force of men working
in the cut for over twenty -four hours
Blackhawk creek, in West Daven,
port, felt the impulse of the storm anu
gathered fury as the rain continued
Many homes are built close along us
banks. and chicken coops and smaii
sheds were washed away when the
little stream gathered fury.
Cellars in dozens of homes in the
vicinity were flooded by the creek ana
hundreds of complaints were today re-
ceived by the Davenport board of quo
lie works as to the devastation in the
vicinity.
The city has for some time been
working on plans for digging tun-
mel to take care of the rampaSes OF
this little stream but the plans were
recently dropped
Residents whose homes today are
made almost uninhabitable by the