Evening star., 1947-06-26
ETwo-BIock Hole Torn
I'm Leyee Lets Flood
Pour Into Des Moines
BY the A,seeioied Press


DES MONIES, June 26.-The
Des Moines River tore a gaping
hole in. a mile-long levee pro-
tecting a 25-block residential
section today and flood waters
swirled through it without him
drance. s..,
The break came little more than
an hour before a twin f1ood-crest
from two surging rivers came to-
gether at the streams confluence
near the heart of the city.
The Weather Bureau said a rec
ord food crest of 2o.92 feet was
reached at the Scott street junction
at 7:15 am. tCST) and would pass
downstream toward Red Rock,
Eddyville, Ottumwa and Keosauqua
each of which has been flooded
out twice this month and now face
third onslaught.
Recrod Mark Broken.
The 20.92 reading broke the for
mer all-time high of 1877 estab-
lished 13 days ago. The Weather
Bureau said it became apparent
that the crest was reached after
both the Des Moines and the Rae
coon Rivers held steady for several
hours and then slowly started fall
ing.
"A hole two blocks long was broken
in the leyee protecting section
known as the franklin area.
With 1900 persons driven from
their homes by high water, only two
men were reported unaceounted for.
James Armstrong. So, and his SON.
in-law, Clare McNeal, 90, were miss
ing after being swept of the road
when they set out to rescue their
flood -marooned wives. -..
Fire Chief Charles Slade said
water was pouring through the levee
in an "absolute torrent" He added
that it was impossible to get trucks
into the area and it was necessary
for workmen to go afoot with sand
bags and try to stem the flooding.
Residents Warned.
This was not successful and the
workmen abandoned the project
when the water measured 8 feet
deep and continued rising. Coast
Guardsmen in outboard motorboats
toured the section in quest of any
one still there.
Residents in the area, from Forest
avenue to College avenue, had been
warned earlier to leave their homes.
There are about 1876 residences and
a number of small businesses In the
area.
David Liddle, Red Cross disaster
director, said an estimated 1900
persons had been evacuated from a
half dozen danger spots in this capi-
tai city of 10000. the affected
area included SO square blocks.
Most of the area already was under
water.
Mr.. Liddle said the Forest-Col-
Iege avenue levee break could result
in "a very serious situation" He
said the area might be covered with
to feet of water as far away as
Second avenue, seven blocks from
The river. The main Des Moines
business area is not endangered.
Meanwhile, along Iowa's western
border. the rampaging Missouri
River burst through levee after levee
and pushed its crest downstream to
Missouri, where around-the-clock
efforts we're being made to stave Of
another disastrous flood.
The Missouri River on the Iowa
Nebraska border continued to rise,
the food crest moving downstream
into Missouri. Only 54 of $50 levees
between Rulo, in Southeast Ne
araska, and st. Louis, Mo. remained
intact last night. In the Glasgow
(Mo.) area only 2 of 40 levees were
holding.
Col. w. E. Potter, chief of Army
engineers at Kansas City, said 1000
men were working DAY and night to
save barriers at Marshall and
Mo. A 28.5-foot crest was
forecast for Kansas City by Sunday.
Continued rises also are expected
along the Elkhorn River in Ne
braska for several days.
Ottumwa in Southeastern Iowa,
which already has suffered second
food on the heels of an earlier, food
this month, was preparing for
crest late, Saturday or Sunday. The
Weather Bureau forecast. however,
that the coming crest would be sew
eral feet lower than the previous
two.