The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1947-06-12
Half of Towns Easements Are
Flooded Following Friday
Night Downpour
27-Acre Quarry of BIuffton
Stone Co. Is Filled by
Rampaging Waters

Buttons worst flood since 1918
wreaked widespread damage here
last Friday night and Saturday as
rampaging water spilled over the
banks of Big and Little Riley creeks
for nearly a 24-hour period.
A torrential downpour of rain
shortly before dusk Friday set the
stage for the flood, although there
was no indication when the storm
began that it was anything more
than the usual rains which have
been falling almost daily here.
With the earth already soaked by
this springs unusually wet weather,
the water in creeks came up faster
than at any time in years, and
flooded conditions were here before
anyone had time to realize the dam
ger.
WATER IN EASEMENTS
BY 9 p. m. it was estimated that
roughly half the Easements in Bluff
ton had water in them, as over
loaded storm sewers were unable
to handle the inundation.
With Easements flooded to depth
of as much as four feet, numerous
instances were reported where power
washing machines in basement laun-
dry rooms were covered with water,
Electric motors were damaged gen.
orally on the washing machines, and
on automatic coal stokers and motor
powered oil burning systems. In
some instances the water rose SO
fast it covered motors while house
holders were hunting tools to re-
move them.
FLOOD SPREADS
Before midnight, Big and Riley
Riley creeks were out of their banks,
reaching a flood crest about 7 a. m.
the following morning, but there was
little recession in the height of the
flood stage until late Saturday
night. =
The Little Riley flooded the low
lands along its entire route from
the Mrs. S. s. Matter farm down
creek to its junction with Big Riley
The college baseball diamond was
knee-deep in water, and the foot ot
Riley street was impossible because
of high water at the junction of Big
and Little Riley creeks.
Most of the Big Riley flood dam.
age was centered at Harmon field
where the water came up to the
ticket windows in the stadium. Rush.
ing across College avenue, the flood
closed the street until late Satur.
day, broke down the Harmon field
fence adjoining College avenue, ano
gouged out huge gulleys in the Har.
mon tennis courts across the street
Bluffton tennis club courts also
were under water, and one block
further downstream Cherry street
was blocked by water which flooded
business places in the creek area.
QUARRY Is FLOODED
The Bluffton Stone Company's
seven-acre quarry was two-thirds
full of water, with a shovel in the
bottom of the pit completely sub,
merged.
Raymond Conrad, manager, said il
will take about two weeks to pump
the water from the 27-foot deer
quarry. The company has enough
stone on hand to take care of orders
he said.
Many gardens in lowlands along
the creeks were washed out by the
flood, and on higher ground gulley:
were washed in some gardens by
the heavy downpour.
In rural areas, livestock stooc
body-deep in water in many fields
rural roads were blocked, including
the College road, and what crops
farmers have in fields suffered from
flood damage where parts of farms
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