The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-03-16
Flotsam and Jetsam
from Buttons Flood Sunday

Sundays flood lacked about one foot
of being as deep as the 1913 inunda-
tion that is rendered by many Bluff
ton residents. In 1913 approximately
two feet of water stood i'm the Scott
and Ewing Plant, adjacent to Big
Riley creek. This year depth of the
water was only about one foot. AL
bert Benroth also pointed out that
during the 1913 flood, water was run
ming freely between the old George
Benroth property, now occupied by
Gid Locher, and the Mabel Jones
property. Last Sunday water came
up only as far as the alley between
the Locher residence and the Harry
Tripplehorn property, one lot nearer
the Cherry street bridge.
Along Marsh run at the edge of
town, the flood came nearer approach
ing the 1913 level. Charles Matthey
who lives on the Allen Hancock county
line near Marsh Run said he made a
mark near his home when the 1913
inundation was at its crest, and that
this years flood lacked only four inch
es of being as high.
Flood damage was not nearly as
great as might have been expected,
due probably to the sudden rise and
fall of flood stage. Big and Little
Riley creeks left their banks about 5
a. m. Sunday, the flood was at its
peak at IL a. m. and it was subsid-
ing noticeably at noon. BY Monday
morning both creeks were again with
in their usual courses. A few small
er outbuildings on properties border
ing the Big Riley were washed away,
but in the manufacturing and indus
trial establishments where water
stood, the principal expense will be
involved in cleaning up the mud and
silt deposits that were left.
At the property of the Blufftor
Stone Co., the Big Riley overfowed
its banks and completely filled the
quarry which had been kept dry al
winter to permit an early start OF
work this spring. Raymond Conrad
manager, said it will require about
three weeks to pump out the quarry
He reported, however that there was
no damage to equipment altho the
water was within one inch of enter
ing the office of the concern.
%**
Water from the Big Riley had tn,
Triplett Electrical Instrument com
pany's lot on Harmon road entirel!
submerged, and water was coming il
the basement of the electric light ant
water works plant. City water pumps
and the municipal heating plant ar
located in the basement, and employ
es were kept hard at work in an effor
to pump out the water. The waite
was not deep enough to interfere wit
the water supply, but the heating
plant could not operate at peak eff
ficiency because of the cold waite
flowing around the outgoing hea
lines and thereby cutting the temper
ature of the outgoing steam.
Altho damage was confined prici
pally to the paint and plating depart
ments at the Readrite Meter Works
the plant did not operate Monday t
permit a cleanup of the premise:
!, More than a foot of water stood i
the departments, leaving the usus
deposit of mud. At the crest of tn
flood, water lacked about two inche
of getting into the main assembl
room.
, Harmon field, under five feet (
water Sunday at the height of til
flood, presented a dismal appearans
: Monday morning. Driftwood, stra
, and other debris were scattered owe
! the broad expanse of the recreatio
center and most of the fences ha
been torn down at the north boundar
of the field. Across the street ii
, municipal tennis courts were bad
damaged, the clay surface havin
been washed out in many places. 4
! the peak of the flood water was up |
! the lower edge of the switch boxes {
Continued on page 81