The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-19

terday afternoon. Though per.
sons in that vicinity reported ths
track was being washed out, Off.
Gals of the road denied that the
track was as yet impossible or ey.
en- in serious danger OF damage.
A high on shore wind added to
the water danger along the Illinois
shore this morning and beat the
water into threatening waves. The
ferry was forced to suspend SER
vice early in the morning. These
waves and the high water attract
ed hundreds of sightseers along
the shore and furnished main topic
of talk in the city.
Strengthen Banks.
Sandbags were being applied at
points along the Peoria branch.
Rock Island lines embankment Just
before noon today, particularly at
Twelfth street. The city sewer
pump at Fifth avenue was in op-
Grafton, and the point where the
big storm drain energies. at Six
teenth avenue, was constantly be-
ing reinforced. The wind dashed
waves up at these points.
Water seeping through the rail-
road embankment is slowly filling
I'D the ponds in the Fifteenth to
Eighteenth avenue district along
the Rock Island Lines bank, from
the flooded slough west of the
tracks. The back yards of several
homes on Mill street west of the
tracks are inundated and spring
gardens are under water.
Mill street itself is dry, though
foot or so of water would flood
the roadway and come up to the
railway embankment at that point
Constant watch is being kept by
city workmen and railroad section
gangs here.
WATERFOWL Suffers.
Conditions in WATERFOWL are
worse today than yesterday, due in
measure to the extremely strong
wind which is forcing the water
farther into the streets and yards
west of Thirteenth street
Measurements taken under the
bridge Of the Milwaukee railroad
this morning showed a rise of 10
inches since 10 o'clock yesterday
morning. The water is within 20
inches of the road-bed. During the
night the water rose above the
curb on Thirteenth street for the
distance of a block The water is
rushing over the east curb, and
has flooded an acre or more on the
east side of the street.
A number of families have al
Ixr nj nf 70
preparing to do so. Rev. W. NJ.
Bates, a retired preacher of the At
rican Methodist church, had just
about made up his mind to move
from his little ramshackle build
ing, lest the building and its con-
tents be lost in the flood, when
the roof caught fire and forced the
parson to vacate. with water at
my feet and fire at my head" said
Rev Bates, II had no alternative.
just was forced out"
The fire occurred at o'clock this
morning. It was caused, Rev. Bates
declared, by sparks from the Chin
ley of building next door. Unable
to extinguish the fire with. chemi-
calls, the East Moline firemen, aid
cd by volunteers, scooped water
from the streets, bucketful at Il
time, and put out the blaze. The
loss was small. Rev. Bates con-
Quoted a shoe repair shop in the
building.
THE water was just beginning to
trickle in on the floor" said Mr..
Bates, when the fire occurred and
forced me out a little ahead of my
schedule"
The Tri-City Railway company
bridge across the Mississippi
, slough from Watertown and Camp
BELLS Island is being dashed by the
water, and expectations are that the
street car tracks will be sub
berged before morning.
Negro Folks Calm.
Residents of the negro commun-
ity, the only portion of town affected
by the high water so far, are view
ing the situation philosophically
indeed, the young folks are having
gay time of it, splashing around
IN their boats The youngsters
We're equipping their fiat boat with
sail this morning, SO they might
get around in the wind without the
VI oANeAI CIi ChSLA
An old tick was used for the pur-
pose, and they were intent on doing
a good job. The boat had been
even thick coating of white lead
since yesterday.
No Iowa Trackage.
Trouble caused by the high wa
Ter on the Burlington tracks he
tween Davenport and Clinton has
forced another change in the train
schedule on the Burlington lines.
Train No. 81, running from Peo-
,la through Rock Island by way of
davenport and Clinton. to St. Paul,
las had to detour going by way of
Arie and Denrock on the Illinois
Sae to Clinton, then following its
regular course to st. Paul. This
ualn leaves at 11:10 o'clock in the
! Morning and will make the same
eme. The evening train. which is |
aue out of here at o'clock in the |
ssening, will follow the same |
me change was made effective !
luis morning Whrp tho train fnund :