Omaha daily bee., 1920-04-06
Weather Bureau States Crest
Of River Rise Was Re-
Last Night-Water Exp sss
To Recede Today.
FRESH ALARM CAUSED
BY BREAK IN Dixie
East Omaha Threatened When
Levee Above illinois Central
Structure Gives Way-No
Damage in Iowa.

East Omaha yesterday.
The crest OF the high waters was
expected to be reached late yester.
day, with gradual recession last
night or today. according to Fore.
caster l.. A. Welsh, in charge Of the
local weather bureau.
Conditions of the food in North
Omaha was reported unchanged last
night, with hundreds of acres oi
lands in undated and many families
driven from their homes.
East Omaha Threatened.
For the first time since its : con-
struction, the dixie one half mile
north of the Illinois Central bridge
broke yesterday, and the rush OF
water threatens the entire district
of East Omaha.
Swift currents were running
through Fourth street and the
county road in East Omaha, and a
gang of men, under the direction OF
George Scheschy, proprietor of a
road house i'll that vicinity, worked
to stop the rush of water through,
the dixie. .. 49,
Efforts of these men will be con-
fined to turning the water into Car
ter lake. which showed a depth OF
bur seven feet.
Scout Pool Threatened.
The $4,000 Boy Scout swimming
pool at Camp Clifford will be de.
stroyed if the river continues to
rise, scout officials said. last night
The mess hall and other building:
are anchored to concrete piles ane
would not be injured.
The concrete pool at Camp Gift
ford is one of the largest outdoor
swimming pools IN the middle west
Pure spring water circulates in il
constantly.
Money for improvements at Csmr
Clifford was raised by popular sub.
s,ription last June when Rotar,
club members canvassed Omaha to
get the necessary funds.
No Damage in Iowa.
No material damage was reported
from the east side of the river, al
though many acres of land west o!
Big lake are under water Big lake
has not yet >overrun its banks, ane
south of the Illinois Central bridge
to the Union Pacific bridge. the
Dodge boulevard Is reported hold.
ing firm.
At the Thirty-seventh stree
pumping station in Council Bluffs
the gauge registered the height Of
the water at 2035 feet. which near:
the record reached during the Aooe
of 1918. when the same gauge regis.
tered 20.8 feet.
= At the Illinois Central bridge. the
water was reported within three
| feet of the girders, which is at Z
dangerous stage. The current ot
the water at this point was nine
miles an hour, threatening for sucf
volume of water.
Docks Are Submerged.
Docks at Lake Manawa are com.
pletely submerged by the overflow
but no material damage is reported
The water has not yet covered the
golf links which is low ground or
the north bank of the lake.
!. From Pierce street to Woolworth
avenue water overhowed the banks
flooding outhouses and yards. Ir
the large foreign colony there, how
ever, no families had been forced to
abandon their homes. Considerable
stock had to be rescued from the
rushing waters, however.
Lower Burlington switch tracks
at low points were threatened with
submersion, as the water continued
to rise. r.
Ice Tears Down Fence.
Large blocks of ice, travelling in
the river at high rate of speed
battered down the fence of the
American Smelling & Refining COM
pany north OF the Douglas street
bridge, late yesterday morning. fo,
tht first time since 1918.
Heavy snowstorms or continued
rainfall are not blamed for this un
usual rise of the river by Weather
Forecaster Welsh. but the formation
Of ice gorges north of Sioux City
and near Yanktou. S. D. Report:
from these cities indicate the river
IS falling.
These gorges, he believes, impedee
the progress of the river until they
began to 60 out Saturday and Sun
| cay, permitting the pent-up water.
20 sweep down to Omaha. The ris,
is also attributed TO the driving fore.
OF stiff northwest wind.
Most serious effects OF the sudder
rise Of the river were felt in NORTH
and East Omaha.
Vacate Their Homes.
Truck gardeners and dairymer
we're forced to vacate their home.
and seek shelter of neighbors liv
ing on higher ground. Many barn:
were flooded, besides the homes o
these people. ... :
Joseph Kurtz, l02 Redick avenue
whose barn and home were flooded
refused to be driven out by the higl
waters. He loaded his cows on huge
RATS and continued yesterday witt
lis work as dairynan, milking hi,
cows aboard the rats.
Continues His Dairy.
He met with difficulty. however
when time came for delivery. Pete
Jensen, Ninth Street and Redicl
avenue. also continued to operate
his dairy. but North Omaha is ye
Threatened with milk shortage be
CONTINUED on Pase ruo,, Column One.