Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-14
FLOOD HAVOC HITS
4WESTERN STATES
Spring ThaW Causes Inunda.
ton of Farms and DAM
age in Many Towns.

BY the Associated Press ..-,
CHICAGO, March 1.-two days of
Spring has created flood havoc in Il
linois, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska
today.
Many hundred acres of farm land
were flooded, streets and buildings in
some places were filled with water, rail
and highway traffic was disrupted and
bridges were torn away.
Rain and rising temperatures melt
ing the Winters last SHOWS and break
ing up the ice had turned the Mis-
sissippi's tributaries into ice-glutted tor
rents. The Mississippi itself was rising
but gave no immediate cause for alarm.
Hundreds of men worked on bikes.
while others watched ice movements.
prepared to use dynamite wherever
bridges were threatened.
. Virtually all streams in Northwest
Missouri and Southern Iowa were out
OF their banks today. Several towns
were partially isolated and many thou
sands o. dollars damage had been done.
Menace In Nebraska.
Eastern Nebraska faced a serious
menace with rivers overfiowing in sew
eral places and ice jams battering
bridges. The Platte River was on q
rampage, rising for time at the rate
of three. feet an hour and threatening
to change its channel.
The Galena River in Illinois had risen
early today to its highest point in
history and had flooded the town of
Galena. Most of the business section
could be reached only by boat Only
one of the three railroads entering
Galena could get through last night
and that one found 1t necessary to test
the tracks ahead of each train.
Government officers at Memphis said
that the addition of heavy Spring rains
could bring about a perilous condition
on the Mississippi River, but that the
danger from the present Spring freshets
alone was slight.
A squadron of bombing planes was
ordered from Fort Riley. Kans., to tour
the Missouri River, which was also
gorged with ice and threatening to
overflow
Valley, Nebr., residents were prepared
early today for the second time within
"a hours to abandon their homes as a
huge ice gorge was forming s miles
water to break through dixie near the
village Tuesday night and threatened
the city was blasted away yesterday.
Two Linemen Marooned.
Two telephone linemen were marooned
for more than six hours on an island
in the Platte River, west of Valley, after
their boat capSized with three boys In
It, The boys swan ashore after cling
ing to tree for three hours.
Near Lowell, Nebr. the Platte was
eating into the land at the rate OF one
foot an hour and threatening to change
its course. If it does, a new highway
bridge will be left high and dry. Thou
sands of acres of farm land are in the
path of the food waters.
Damage to bridges between Schuyler
and Yutan. Nebr., a distance Of IS miles,
was estimated at $4,000. Train service
between Ashland and Schuyler was
suspended when the Burltngton's road
bed was washed out.
GaIena Prepared for Flood.
The flood at Galena, H., had been
expected and the town was prepared
for it. Boats which had been kept
handy for several days we're pressed
into service on many Of the streets
Most of the stores closed yesterday The
post office was surrounded by water
for block on all sides.
Several hours after all Galena city
hall employees had left the building il
was remembered that IL warrants who
had spent the night In jail were still
locked up. They were released before
the water reached them. The city was
still partly under water early today
but the flood appeared to be receding.