Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-05
High Water
Many Lives
Firemen Called to Rescue Cit.
zens From Flooded Homes
In Many Parts of City
Pump Station Flooded.
Pavement Buried in Mud

Lives OF many persons were i'm
periled and untold damage done tc
, property from flood waters by Z
cloud burst which deluged the cit,
Sunday night at 1880.
Helpless residents had to be car.
ried from their homes to escape the
rising water in many parts of the
city. One woman, waist deep in wa.
ter, was rescued from the basemen,
OF her house by neighbors.
Fire departments were kept busy
answering calls to take persons from
their residences or to pump water
from rapidly filling Easements. Pc
destrains and autoists stranded in the
streets were carried to safety into
the fire station at Sixteenth and
Nicholas streets.
The severe electrical storm, accom-
panying the cloudburst, played havoc
with electric light and power lines,
throwing parts of the city in dark,
ness and adding confusion.
Districts affected most by the flood
waters were in the neighborhoods
of Clark street. Twentieth to Twen-
ty-second; Sixteenth and Nicholas
streets; Twenty-fourth and Patrick
avenue; Eleventh and Pacific; Thirty
fourth and P streets, South Side,
South Side. Seventeenth and How
ard and other lowlying sections.
Woman Taken From Basement.
The fire department at Twenty
ninth and Dorcas streets responded
TO cali that Mrs. Matte Micklen-
burg. 1l07 South Twenty-seventh
street, was drowning in her home.
When they arrived at the house the
| firemen found that George E. Davis,
neighbor, had rescued the woman
from nearly four feet Of water in the
basement. The water was rising
rapidly.
Policeman Nelson carried Mrs. H.
Carlson. 1l0o South Twenty-seventh
street, from her flooded home.
Mr.. and Mrs. G. A. Kelly and
their two children were rescued from
tteir residence at 20lo Clark street
by hremen from the Twenty-frst
and Lake street station, after water
had flooded the street to a depth of
six feet. Mr.. and Mrs. B. Weiner
also were rescued from their gro
cery store at 2C25 Clark street, as
were other residents living IN the vi |
cinity. The main floor of the gro
cery store was inundated, and base
ments cf many homes on the stree.
several feet of water. |
Sewers Flooded. I
A layer of mud from six inches to
a foot deep was washed into the
street by the water which flood
sewers were unable to carry away
as it fell
Firemen at the Sixteenth and Nj
cholas streets station were kept busy
tailing water out of the basement.
Between times they carried into the
building. pedestrians who were
caught on the streets in the cloud
burst and were in danger of being
washed away by the water which
formed veritable river several feet
deep.
Water covered the main floor of
he station to a depth of six inches.
Numerous automobiles attempting
@ navigate the flood at Eighteenth
md Nicholas streets were stalled
when water reached the engines and
hortcircuited the ignition systems.
Women occupants were carried into
he Nicholas garage and the High
and apartments, the Easements and
main floors of which were flooded.
Downtown buildings were an easy |
mark for the high waters.
Flatiron Hotel Flooded.
Three hours after the cloudburst ;
broke, firemen from station No. 3 +.
we're pumping water from the base
nent of the Flatiron hotel, Seven
eenth and Howard streets. Muddy .
water covered the lobby to a depth .
# three feet at the peak of the flood !
I'D the basement was filled to with
n six inches of the main floor at ..
ate hour. Pumps gained little head :
way, as water flowed into the build
ng as fast as it was forced out.
Clare Van Bark, proprietor of the !.
'latiron hatshop and beauty par !
or, annouced that her loss would
xceed $4,000. Hats stored in the e
asement were ruined. Sewing
machines, tables and chairs we.e also
adly damaged. Il
The night manager of the Flatiron 9
otel after the rain rushed frantically 9
3 the fire station at Nineteenth and !
iarney streets and appealed for a Il
adder. My guests can't get in the
,bby," he asserted. Il have to have Il
ladder so they can climb up to the e
re escape" A ladder was furnished n
nd the guests entered the hotel via 6
second story window. o
Eighteenth street between Harnev il
I'D Howard was covered with six
lches of mud. I
Easements of the NJ. E. Smith
O., Brandeis Stores and w. o. w.
lildings were among those to re-
,ive more than their quota of aqua Ct
On pura. A foot of water covered Of
le floor in the barber shop and W
lfeteria of the w. o. w. building. ia
The Metropolitan Water district I
ibwater pumping station at Twen- ey
eth and Pierce streets was flooded, g
lutting off the relay of water to the nc
outh Side. The Walnut Hill sta 10
on was Immediately switched on nc
the relay work and kept the sup
V, preventing danger from fires. ID
Basement Flooded.
The water entered the station from
e rear and quickly flooded the K,
.sement. Engineer Newman was "a,
evented from shutting off the cleo %,
c motors on the floor, but removed s,r
e fuses in time to save the ma wi,
ines from burning out. The COM crz
essed air pipes are thought to be exl