The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-04-10
1i|URY AREA IS
HOODED WHEN
LEvEE BREAKS
x.-t,,.sd from Page one.)

~rrnK everything before H. .ne
rocketed itself against what
.1rn ss the "toll road" lead
= =. from the Illinois side OF the
,.'...ssiDm almost directly to Msu-
~. an embankment Of approx
.t.i, 20 feet in height. and which
~ vay To the iowa high bridge
.s,s,ses two culverts Of about so
~ "a feet in width. respectively.
sss.on,h these two outlets the wa
=. ronred. with the shore emplace-
=. vs.nts Of the two bridges weaken
~ rapidly. Yesterday afternoon
M ( o'clock the smaller OF the
- vaye way, and all traffic be-
.-ssn Muscatine and the Illinois
.,as n the river was suspended.
s,nS;cstions were that the second
s.;dee would also give way and a
~.sh;ne away Of considerable
nortion Of the toll road was con-
ddered imminent.
Tho water which rushed through
-. cans in the toll road formed a
s,s,ntic lake, Is feet in depth.
Snnded on the lower side by the
,sv4es Of Copperas creek. some
s,s miles distant, on the north
side BY the Mississippi river and on
n. south side by the high bluffs
sd,oiniug the drainage district. 1t
outlet excent over the Con-
n.ras dikes, upon which hun
sreds Of farmers were toiling with
timbers and sandbags in a des-
nera,e effort to hold the water until
ihe food tide was reached.
Haul Bags OF Sand.
Motor boats and, barges piled
hack and forth in Copperas creek
With loads Of sandbags, which were
unloaded at the weak spots and
secured into place by piling. All
through the night the toll con-
timed. with the water rising grad
uallv until within a few inches of
the top of the wall. At late hour
last night farmers despaired OF
saving the dixie, for although the
river stage at northern points was
reported to be lowering. the fall
would not reach Muscatine and
vicinity before noon today. with a
steady rise to be expected in the
interim. At $40 this morning,
leyee workers gave the alarm,
which was carried by courier on
horseback to the farms and homes
Of the menaced district. The dixie
had begun to go, and in few min
utes the waters were released fol
further onrush west, whence l.
miles away they were halted by the
levees of the New Boston bay drain.
age district. in which lie about Isl
homes and 10000 acres of the mos
fertile farmlands of Mercer county
Whether these levees will hold il
face Of the additional terrific strair
is uncertain.
Draining of the districts now in.
undated by the food waters con
sumed period of FIVE years and
was only effected by the use OF
pumps and net work of bitches
back Of the high levee that was
thrown M. 1t was task consid
cred by engineers one of the mos
difacult levee problems in this sec.
ton Of the state, and was only &C
complished at an expenditure o.
hundreds Of thousands of dollars
When it had been completed land.
and marshes annually submerged
at high water stages of the Missis
slppi and which consequently solt
for from $40 to $40 an acre, in
Decreased in value from 5000 to s25'
an acre and were considered th'
most fertile and productive of al
arm lands in Rock Island ant
Mercer counties.
In the flooded areas all is desola
ZION. Deserted farmhouses with tn,
water tapping the sills of the sec
ond story windows, barns will
gables awash, floating CHECKER
crates, timber, wooden implement
and debris of all descriptions car
rleo on in the rushing water
made up the scene. Rabbits an
parroWing animals, driven to higl
PAGES by the water, can be seel
along the bluffs and on the Ieve
which still holds. Drowned liy
s,ock is to be found at interval
sions the shore, washed there b
ae hood. The roads along tn
ou1 on the high ground are file
xNn loaded wagons, househol
GOODS and implements. Women
,olk OF the menaced area were con
,.sed to safety days ago. the me
os'as the last to leave the inunda,
ed districts.
Mutation UNCHANGED.
me situation in Rock Island re
,aalas unchanged. The crest of tn
r ro was reached, as forecaste,
ssss.'srday at Ill of a foot. ]. \
sellef, local meteorologist. toda
, ,ted drop Of 2 of a foot sine
iis.erday morning. The same slo'
AVA AVA viii continue, he says, toda
s sau tomorrow a very marked dro
,. a, oegln. Cities above here a
~ it drop yesterday and Muscs
S Will experience it today.
c,,r ~Iofles in the west end of ii
do report considerable damas
.u ne oy high water, not only r
eon.; ns rom the necessity to di
I'M. Ie production and shipmen
NJ NJ stso to the plants themselve
fS,.. new angles Of the dang
na'ening Rock Island from Il
ys,nties Of local rains have d
thopeo' but the danger point fro
y. ' possibility will not be pass,