Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1908 — RAGING RIVER RISES RAPIDLY [ARTICLE]

RAGING RIVER RISES RAPIDLY

Heavy Rain and Warm Wind Whicn Melted Snow Canse Great Rise in the Iroquois. The Iroquois is on the rampage, the heavy rain of Thursday and the ensuing warm winds have melted all the snow and ice and the river approaches the highest mark it has ever reached. In Rensselaer the condition is somewhat different from what it ever was before, owing to the fact that the river bed 'has been dredged and the upper stream is confined tq a narrower channel than ever befbre, and it emerges from this just above the Washington street bridge in a raging torrent The banks at the creamery bridge are overflowed and the residences on Austin avenue are surrounded with water and at 3 o’clock this Friday afternoon the water was still rising and fears were entertained that the lower bridge might be washed out. During the night Contractor B. J. Moore’s drilling barge which was up by the Thompson crossing, broke loose from its moorings and clashing down stream struck the Washington street bridge and tore a large hole in it. The engine boiler and tool chest which were on the barge broke loose at the first bridge and the barge finally passed under the bridge and soon hit the lower bridge full tilt. With great difficulty It was forced under the bridge and with large ropes was moored to the trees on the Dr. Washburn property.

The river continued to rise all day and in the afternoon a section of the big ice chute to Cooney Kellner’s ice house was wrenched loose and also struck the lower bridge with great force, and the water had reached the floor of the bridge and men under the direction of Mayor Ellis and Fire Chief'Montgomery are trying to save the bridge. A great amount of drift wood and limbs of trees are constantly i floating down stream, and all lodge on the lower bridge. In the northeast section of the city the water is backed up owing to the inadequacy of the Makemself sewer and the water is finding an outlet overland, Inundating streets and sidewalks. Many houses in that section are also surrounded by water. Up north the Burks bridge was overflowed its full length and was in danger of being swept loose, and the old and new bridges at the Pullin crossing were also submerged. The Lamson bridge, southwest of town, is also impassable. The water covers the grade on the north side ~foß--~a considerable distance, and the tenemant house on the Jay Lamson farm is surrounded by water. Mr. Lamson says the water has been higher at that point at least twice in 25 years, one of these occasions being the June flood five years ago. He expects the river to continue to rise there until Sunday even if we have no more ralne.