Imperial Valley press., 1927-05-19

AGAIN HIT
BY storm
Heavy Property Damage
Reported in Illinois and
Indiana.
FIFTEEN ARE KILLED
Wyoming Town Wiped
Out BY Flood as Big
Dam Gives Away.

Rain and wind storms through
Indiana and Illinois last night and
early today caused number OF
deaths, tremendous property dam
age and acute suffering.
Reports today indicated at least
Is persons had been killed. The
property damage will be upwards OF
$5,000,000.
The district centering about PEI
oria, Ill, was drenched in driving
downpour which flooded streets, i'm
naired electric service and stopped
big manufacturing plants.
In East Peoria, H., more than 200
people were marooned on the roofs
of their homes as the torrent caused
Farm creek to overflow and send
flood into the city. They were res
cued and are being cared for by re-
lief agencies. =
Railroads operating into Peoria
were on delayed schedule. Dam
age to Peoria is estimated at more
than $4,000, 900.
Cyclones tore path through In
diana and struck at the heart of the
business district of Indianapolis.
Trees were uprooted, communica-
tions destroyed and in Indianapolis
many buildings were damaged. Tho
high winds struck the Indiana me-
tropolis just as the theaters were
closing for the night and hundreds
OF people were on the streets. 1t
is estimated more than leo were in.
jured.
Reports from rural sections of IN.
diana say considerable damage wa.
done and there have been reports OF
several fatalities.
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo., May 10
With eight known dead, many
persons missing and the town OF
Kelly, Wyo., virtually swept away
in flood torrent released by tbs
breaking of the Gros Ventre dam in
the Jackson hole country, relief
work was being organized today for
refugees in the stricken valley.
Wilson, Wyo., at the edge of thu
flood s path, was under water and
its residents together with survivors
at Kelly have fled to the hills for
safety.
\ wall of water 90 feet high and
4 mile and half wide swept with
roar upon Kelly late yesterday
| Many Of the 80 inhabitants heard
the roaring water in time to get
to the foot hills before the crest
reached the town. Others were
caught in the flood S path.
The only buildings left standing
in Kelly are the st. Johns Catholic
! church and the school house.
The waters, fed by a huge lake,
have completely inundated the Gros
Nentre valley and are sweeping
! down the south fork of the Snake
! river. Residents along the river az
far as Idaho Falls, Idaho, have been
warned to take refuge in the hills.
| The crest of the flood was expected
to reach Idaho Falls by noon today.
The lake being drained by the
! break in the dam is three miles long
! and in some places mile wide. The
dam was formed in 1925 when a
mountain of rock in the Teton
range toppled into the Gros Ventre
river.
INDIANAPOLIS, May l9-Storm
damage estimated at 100000 fac
ed Indiana today following night
of rain and windstorms which swept
in from the west on a rs mile an
hour gale.
At least three persons were kill.
ed and approximately so injured as
a result of the storms. The known
dead are three railroad men who
met their deaths when freight
train plowed. into a swollen creek
after bridge had washed away.
! PEORIA, ILL.,, May l9.- Several
persons were reported drowned and
property damage was estimated at
more than $500,000 here today from
Ia cloudburst yesterday afternoon.
NT ICCIEn NOD