WORST FLOOD IN HISTORY OF ERIE, OLD TIMERS DECLARE
Most Of 25 Families Forced To Evacuate, Return To Homes
Overflow Of Lake Erie Adds To Terror Of Rock River Conditions In This Vicinity.
By Mrs. Frank Schaible
After last week’s issue of The Erie Independent, the flood conditions grew steadily worse reaching the crest Friday when the waters from the lake had submerged the large area to the west and northwest. The water then began to recede, continuing until Monday when it started to rise again.
Nearly all the farmers returned over the weekend to their evacuated homes except those along the river dike road southwest of town, and whose homes are on the bank of the river. The dike road along the river will not be passable until it can be repaired. This will also be necessary for the dike road at the head of the lake before it is opened to travel.
25 Families Evacuate Homes
Although the townspeople were greatly inconvenienced on account of the water, their experiences were nothing compared to those living on farms within a radius of six miles of the town. Many of these moved their livestock to safety, and stayed in their homes. Twenty-five families evacuated their homes, coming to town with relatives and friends after finding a safe place for their livestock if at all possible. A few families had to leave their stock in the barn. At one place the cattle and horses were compelled to stand in two and one-half feet of water in the barn for three days and nights. By Tuesday two head of cattle had died from exposure and it was feared that two more would have a similar fate.
When rescuers reached the Irving Goodell home on the south side of the river near the Erie bridge, they found the members of the family had climbed to the top of the car in order to keep out of the water. Clarence Brooker rowed three-quarters of a mile through floating ice to reach them. Among others who went to the rescue of marooned families were the following: Rev. Melvin Fiscus, William Luning, Orren Burns, Wayne Byam, Frank Shepherd, Charles Withrow, Charles Drury, Richard Scott, L. W. Osborne, Ted Dobers, Leslie Seger, Clarence Pickham and Harry Redell
The climax for Erie was reached Friday when water barred all egress from the town on all highways except on Route 2 to the southwest. Earlier in the week all the farm homes in the East Sandridge district north of town and several homes in the Dewey district northwest of town were hemmed in by water. Thursday it was feared that it would be impossible for the freight and work trains to travel over the track northeast of town, when the rails, weakened by the water and ice, spread and caused the caboose of a work train to be derailed about a half mile northeast of town. The tracks were submerged for some distance from this point.
The work train and its crew did valiant work in taking boats and rescuers to those in the section between Denrock and Erie who were compelled to leave their homes, because of the inability o use their furnaces, when the basements filled with water. This train and crew also took groceries to other marooned families in this district who ordered them over the telephone. Luckily the telephone lines withstood the ravages of the ice and water and the stricken families were able in nearly all instances to use their telephones.
A great deal of credit is due Kirk Thompson, manager of the Crescent telephone exchange at Erie and his telephone operators for the excellent work they did even when the local and long distance calls exceeded more than twice their usual number and for more than 24 hours of that time due to the lack of electricity in the town which was also caused by the flood, they were compelled to do all their ringing by hand.
The lack of electricity was also responsible for the closing of the Erie Community high school on Wednesday, as the stoker could not operate with it. For this reason, the post office and other rooms in the Mrs. Bernice Sieben building were insufficiently heated during the period the electricity was off. Due to so many pupils of the Erie Community high school being unable to reach school on account of the water blocked roads and also the high water interfering with the sewerage system, classes were not resumed until Tuesday morning. During the period when the town was without electricity the humble kerosene lamp again came into its own. Attics were ransacked for this prized article and the small supply kept by the local stores was soon exhausted.
Rural schools that were closed on account of being surrounded by water were the Rock River, Kempsterville and Dewey. The East Sandridge and Coburn schools were closed because the teachers, Miss Harriet Morgan and Mrs. Matilda Sallaz were members of families marooned northeast. Classes were resumed at the Coburn school on Monday and at the East Sandridge, Tuesday. The teachers are boarding in the district.
The situation northeast of town was slightly relieved after Wednesday when the flood waters started to run over the dike road at the head of Lake Erie filling it to overflowing and inundating the area to the west and northwest crossing the Albany-Erie road near Erie and making it impassable Wednesday afternoon. D.A. Feltus, of Amana, Ia., who is in charge of the erection of the locker building here, crossed this road when it was perfectly dry while enroute to Morrison Wednesday afternoon and upon his return around 5 o’clock drove into water that nearly reached the top of the car. He was unable to have it removed until late the next day and then only after a great deal of effort.
The water poured over the dike road at the head of the lake until a large hole was washed out. The dike road southwest of town was covered with water for about a mile and no effort was made to clear the ice from this road as there were holes in this, too, and it would not be fit to travel. Four county snow plows were used in removing the ice from the pavement on Route 2 between Denrock and Erie making it passable Saturday afternoon, also on the Spring Hill-Erie road where traffic resumed Monday.
Mail carriers, Gazette carriers, the Denrock depot agent and one of the operators who resides in Erie and others traveled a great many miles to carry on their work, the six mile stretch causing a detour of around 50 miles, as after the water crossed the Erie-Garden Plain and Erie-Cordova roads it was necessary to go around by Fenton, Albany, Port Byron and Hillsdale in order to reach Erie from the northeast.
Approximately 40 men were busy Wednesday and Thursday building a dike near the E.H. Waite home to prevent the lake water from entering the town through a swale that leads across Albany street. In the June freshet of 1892, the water flowed through this part of town when there were not nearly so many homes there as at present. Although the water did not bother from this source this year, it came into the south part of town covering the west end of Fifth street for nearly two blocks.
Although there was a great deal of suffering and loss of livestock in the flooded area and their owners and the people of the town experienced a great deal of inconvenience, the greatest concern was felt for an aged lady, Mrs. Ellen Crandall, who had been ill nearly all winter at the home of her son Lafe Crandall about a mile south of Erie, between the river dike road to the southwest and the road leading southeast to the river bridge. As there was no telephone in the home it was impossible to obtain any information concerning her condition until three men, Clarence Peckham, Leslie Seger, and Harry Redell, managed to reach the home during the middle of the week by pushing a boat ahead of them on the ice and jumping into it whenever the ice cracked. They found the water up nearly to the top of the first floor windows, but the family were quite comfortable upstairs with plenty of fuel and provisions. The aged lady was too ill to risk moving to town. Later reports were received that she was a little better.
A relative of Mr. Crandall, Lewis Crandall, was the first settler of what later became Erie township, locating a short distance from where Mr. Crandall now resides, and Mr. Crandall was born and reared near the old Crandall homestead. He and his mother have seen the high water around their home for so many years that it has no terror for them.
There are many other interesting stories that could be told concerning this flood which, according to the oldest residents, is the worst that ever visited the town. It came up so quickly in the night that people in the northeast section were unable to move their livestock to safety.
Jan 27, 1938
Flood conditions are improved all along the Rock river valley, and a decided drop in the flooded areas around Lyndon, Prophetstown, Denrock and Erie is expected before night. Both the Lawrence park island and Jack Williams’ island west of Avenue G were up out of the water this morning. A drop of about five feet from the high stage is recorded on the islands.
A drop of one and four-tenths feet was recorded at the upper hydro plant at Broadway between midnight Wednesday night and 10 a.m. this morning. The stream flow at midnight was 28,700 and at 10 a.m. had dropped to 16,000. At Dixon during the same hours a drop of one and three-tenths feet was recorded. The stream flow there at midnight was 13,380 and at 10 a.m. was 7,900. At Oregon the drop was four-tenths of a foot. At midnight the stream flow was 12,970 and 10,300 at 10 a.m.
The Illinois Northern Utilities company performed a real feat in restoring electric service to Morrison, Fulton, and the various other cities and communities which had been without electricity since 9:28 Tuesday night, when a temporary line was completed and the current was turned on at 10:12 p.m. on Wednesday. It was a gigantic task and was only accomplished after a crew numbering around 150 men had worked without rest from daylight until the above hour in placing three miles of poles and stringing several miles of wire. It was an emergency in which the well-trained employees of the company give everything they have in their efforts to furnish service. It was a nice piece of work and company and employees deserve credit for the job. As soon as the current was turned on, it made it possible for residents of the several cities to start their oil burners and stokers, and also furnished power for all motors and for lights. Few persons realized the convenience of electricity until this condition existed. Service stations were unable to use electrically operated pumps and tires had to be inflated with hand pumps.
Chief Connel Nicol; Officer Ed Ohda, Dick Nicol, Homer Ferguson, Joseph Geiger, Bob Puckett, Jack Roark and Chris Dingler of this city were called to Prophetstown Wednesday afternoon to assist in the rescue of Mr. and Mrs. T.H. Cornelius and son, who were marooned in their home on Route 78 between Lyndon and Prophetstown. At Prophetstown the local men were met by Fire Chief Lysle Solliday, John Wildman, and Roy Peterson and the part went in cars as far as possible and then placing the boat in the water they worked their way through the open water and in several places had to pull the boat over the ice. There was a foot of water in the Cornelius home when they arrived. The family was removed to Prophetstown and was then taken to the home of relatives in Lyndon.
A drop of five and one-half inches was reported at the pumping station at Prophetstown this morning. Chlorinating equipment from Springfield is being used at Prophetstown. The Ralph Johnson and Warren Knox families were rescued late Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Johnson reported the loss of 79 head of fat hogs, 18 broad sows, two cows and three calves. Twenty-one head of fat steers were all right. Three horses, two cows and a bull in the barn were in bad shape and were standing in water up to their sides. Mr. Johnson fell into water up to his hips as he stepped from the boat onto ice which broke beneath his weight.
The water had dropped six inches at the Edmund Vervaecke farm at the Ox Bow. His cattle, horses and hogs were moved into the haymow and nothing was lost. August Anderson, Axel Anderson, Herman Brinkman, and Arlie Olson went to the August Beucher farm on Carstensen island Wednesday. They threw down straw for the hogs, cattle and horses to stand on. They will return there today. Mr. Beucher had 50 head of hogs, 24 head of cattle, a herd of sheep and two horses and when the men first arrived they were standing in water.
Six horses owned by Reni De Witte, residing six miles west of Prophetstown, broke out of the yard and ran into a corn field Tuesday evening. Members of the family tried to drive them back, but were unable to do so, and Wednesday the horses were standing in water up to their knees in the field, about a mile and a half from the house.
The water at the Clyde Arnold farm, eight miles northeast of Prophetstown, had dropped about a foot this morning. His stock is okay. Wednesday afternoon, George Aylesworth, Edward Arians, LeRoy Gibson, Everett Oetzel and Richard Brinkman of Prophetstown and Everett Hoover of Morrison went to the William Backer farm on the lower Lyndon road and helped Mr. Backer with his stock. The hogs were moved to a straw stack. LeRoy Gibson attempted to catch a hog near a corn shock and got hold of a skunk. The animal was very cold and no damage was done to Mr. Gibson.
Ernest Frerichs of Nelson tried to drive to the Lawrence Bollman farm northeast of Prophetstown Wednesday evening and his car got stalled in the deep water and ice on the road leading to the Bollman farm. Frerichs sounded his horn. Persons in the Thomas Hauman farm house heard him and notified neighbors nearer to him. Carl Hintz waded to the car in hip boots and rescued Frerichs. The Sterling Gazette wrecker was called and pulled the car out of the water. Frerichs said he did not know of the water at that place.
During the flood period the operators at the Prophetstown telephone office have been kept busy night and day. During normal times two operators are on duty but during the past three days there have been three and four operators on the job. Frank L. Dudley, manager of the telephone company, served the operators with coffee and sandwiches during the rush hours Wednesday afternoon and night. It is reported that part of the shoulders along the Route 78 paving between Lyndon and Prophetstown have been washed out and there is some danger of the paving being undermined.
At 4:30 Wednesday afternoon Lake Erie, northwest of Erie, began to overflow, covering the Erie-Albany road for one-eight of a mile at the edge of town. The water was estimated as four feet deep in some spots along the road. Last year when this lake overflowed its banks the north part of the town was flooded in sections. A big crew of men has been working since yesterday evening, building a sand bag dike, which so far has been successful in holding the water back so that it did not get to the houses. The water was still rising at 2 o’clock Thursday.
While the water is lowering at Prophetstown at noon today, at Erie it is rising. The Erie high school will remain closed the rest of the week at least, because many of the pupils are not able to get there. Yesterday it was closed because the stoker could not operate, due to the lack of electric power in the town. Among the other public buildings which did not have heat Wednesday for the same reason was the Erie post office.
Three families east of Erie were rescued Wednesday by Rev. Melving Fiscus, Oren Burns and Bill Linning. They were Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Duncan and son Robert, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Morgan and daughter Harriett and Mr. and Mrs. Lewellyn Morgan.
The rescue party and their boats were taken to the closest place to these farms and the boats launched. The families were then taken to Erie by the train. The train crew also delivered groceries to families along the track between Erie and Denrock.
The dike road southwest of Erie is submerged with water for a distance of one mile. This is between the Will Brown and Emmitt farms. The gorge at the Erie bridge has not yet broken. However some water is getting through as the water south and west of there is rising.
Arthur Scuffham, tenant of the Aubrey Sturtevant farm, left home Monday to take a load of stock to Chicago returning Wednesday night. He was unable to get to the home last night and this morning walked part way but could not reach the house. Mrs. Scuffham and sister and a young man are in the place. The phone is out of commission there.
Mr. and Mrs. John Besse and three children were taken off their place this morning. Their place is inundated from the waters of Lake Erie. They were taken to the home of her parents Mr. and Mrs. Harry Snyder near Fenton.
The railroad back of the Ralph James place, a mile east of Erie is under water. Freight crews are taking two cars at a time over this spot.
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Miner of Rock Falls drove to Erie by way of Fenton Wednesday so as to be with her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Ami Ballard. Mr. Miner walked ahead and Mrs. Miner went out later on the train.
Almost as far as the eye can reach over an area approximating 20 square miles along highway no 86 through Erie and Hillsdale farm lands today are under water and ice.
Swollen from its banks after heaving rains the fore part of the week Rock river has grown from a stream 150 feet wide to a width of a mile or more in places along a 14-mile stretch.
The L. Crandall family and Peter Rose family, farmers south of Erie, are reported marooned in their homes. They have no telephones and no word has been received from them. Efforts to reach them have been futile because the ice is not thick enough to walk on. Mr. Crandall’s mother is reported ill.
Clarance Brooker yesterday rowed a boat through three-quarters of an inch of floating ice to rescue the Irving Goodell family from the barn at their farm home near the Erie bridge. He found them sitting on top of their automobile. They were brought to Sterling.
William Baker, living two miles southeast of Erie, reported today that only five acres of his 150-acre farm are free from water.
Residents of cottages along Rock river in the Moline area are reported to be moving out, as the crest of the flood which has caused considerable damage and hardship in western Illinois reached Prophetstown. Due to the cold weather there has been no flood damage in the Moline vicinity, but the crest is expected to be reached there tomorrow or Saturday.
Ice gorges around Erie and Prophetstown were reported holding today, although the crest reached at Prophetstown yesterday was 30 inches above the highest previous level on record. Contractors today started repairing the cofferdam at the site of dam No. 17 under construction in the Mississippi river near New Boston, Ill.
The construction site was flooded by high water and a section of river wall of the lock was dislodged. Damage to the machinery in the cofferdam was estimated at several thousand dollars.
Lt. Col E.E. Gesler, Rock Island (article continues but don’t have the rest)
E.H. Tobey, Marooned On Farm Near Erie, Walks Eight Miles To Safety
Undated but in the middle of the 1938 flood articles
By E.H. Tobey
Flood conditions are so terrible in the Erie territory that they beggar description, much worse than was ever known in the memory of the old residents. Rock river and Rock creek have overflowed all the farms for miles around. The water has frozen and all Tuesday afternoon and night a fierce blizzard raged, with snow, sleet and high wind from the north. Hundreds of hogs and cattle and horses have been lost and great damage has been done to property of all kinds. From Hamilton corners down Route 2 the pavement of Route 2 is under water. The shoulders are not visible and the ice has frozen thick. The water is over the tops of the fence posts, and water encroached on the C.B. and Q tracks so greatly that all of Tuesday afternoon and night and all day Wednesday section motor cars loaded with men patrolled the tracks. Theese were followed by short pilot trains consisting of engine, several flat cars, loaded with san bags and cinders, and the way cars filled with track maintenance men. So far as could be learned Wednesday afternoon, no persons had lost their lives, though many suffered from the cold and hands or feet frozen.
On motoring to Erie from Sterling Tuesday morning Route 2 was clear of water and ice until about 20 rods east of Rock creek bridge. At that point water and floating ice covered the highway so that very slow speed was necessary. By 2 o’clock the waters had risen considerably, there was snow and sharp sleet and the bottoms of automobiles scraped on the ice. There was very little traffic by 2 p.m.. At that hour the reported for The Gazette felt his engine going dead, and pulled over to the shoulder in front of the Ward Thompson home, about three miles east from Erie. There he got out and went to the house. Mrs. Thompson was alone and greatly distressed. Her husband and son Russell were across the railroad track, about one-eighth of a mile away trying to rescue the stock. Mrs. Russell Thompson and five children were in the big two story home. The reporter telephoned from Rock River school to Sterling requesting help, and Chief Connell Nicol and men soon were on the way, but by the time they reached Denrock, from the slope of the bluffs, the pavement was deep under water and ice and the exact location of the home was not understood.
In the meantime about 4 p.m. Oliver Osborn and John Ahrens of Lyndon, who had just rescued a marooned family came to their next point of relief, the home of the Thompsons. They left the grade crossing of the C.B. and Q. and using the top wire of a fence along the lane to the Russell Thompson home, towed their bateau to that place and after an hour or more of toilsome work brought the entire family of MR. and Mrs. Russell Thompson and five children safely to the Ward Thompson home, where the parents of Russell Thompson live. By that time it was almost dark and their rescuers walked back to their homes in Lyndon. All evening and night the blizzard raged fiercely. Telephone and electric service were out, and the icy waters closed in more and more into the homes. It was a fearful night.
During Tuesday forenoon, Ward and Russell Thompson had worked to get the stock out, but 45 head of fine marketable hogs were drowned in the big concrete piggery on the farm. IN the bar were five farm horses and 19 head of cattle and a goat. Russell got out with four horses and placed them in safety, while his father tried to get the hogs out. One lone sow got out and made her way to the stockyard but before drowning she was slaughtered. The barn doors were closed and the cattle and one horse were inside. Early Wednesday morning the wind had died down and the sun began to shine brightly. Temperatures rose. About 10 o’clock Rev. M. Fiscus, Oren Burns and Bill Luning of Erie came walking down the tracks from Erie wearing wading boots. They waded through icy water to the Thompson home and the Thompson men came out. The group took the big bateau and slid it along the railroad rails to the Duncan home and got the family out to the pavement, where Erie people met and took them there. They were going to rescue the Siperly family, father and two small children, but they had been succored. On the way in a boat, it overturned and the Siperlys were in the icy water. Their screams attracted rescuers and they were brought to safety.
Ward Thompson walked one-half mile over icy fields, some of the time the ice breaking. He finally reached the barn, entered and found all of the cattle and brood mare alive. Alone he mounted the loft and threw down hay to make a platform for the stock to stand on, water in the barn being three feet deep. Soon the others of his party arrived with the bateau. All worked for two hours, and made such a high bedding of straw all the stock was saved except one young calf. A beautiful shepherd dog had been pitched atop the piggery the day before and Wednesday morning he was down on the ice racing around the barn trying to get to the cattle he herded. Later he was brought safely to the home.
Various farmers in the vicinity are reported to have lost much stock. George Peters lost 45 hogs, Ralph Johnson, about 100 hogs. Some of the farms lived back in the timber and accounts of their losses were not learned. The water made a game drive, as rabbits sought sanctuary on the porches of homes and even polecats sought harbor on farms and along the railroad tracks.
No one living in the cities or towns can imagine the anxiety of farm families for their neighbors. As long as there was telephone service it was kept busy with inquiries as to how the folks were and the stage of the water. One of the most diligent of these was Allen Pratt, an octogenarian, who despite his years and his loneliness, visited his nearest neighbors by boat and otherwise to inquire and offered any assistance he could. The work of Messrs. Osborn and Ahrens was outstanding; for two days and nights these men were busy with their boat going to the most difficult places and rescuing marooned people. The same is true of Mr. Fiscus and his party.
By noon Wednesday the water was noted to be receding a little and by 4 p.m. it had gone down at least three inches. The sun shone brightly and melted the ice to a certain extent.
All the way from Rock creek bridge on Route 2 to the bluffs at Denrock water is to the tops of the fence posts and in a few places water lapped the C.B. and Q. tracks and froze. The reporter finally got aboard the safety bateau when it was returned to the Ward Thompson place and was ferried through the icy water for 50 yards or more to the railroad tracks, then walked eight miles on the track to Lyndon, from where he was brought to Sterling by a friend.
It will be several days before the flood subsides sufficiently for motor traffic from Denrock to the lower end of the line in all probability. The flood last year was bad, but it was a mere side show compared with this one. Old residents say that never before has there been such an inundation. They attribute it to the fact that so many drainage ditches have been dug, ponds and lakes drained, and other water pockets formed, and after heavy rains the flood waters rush down unrestricted and overwhelm the country. The cutting of so many trees is cited as another cause of the floods, as the trees naturally hold rush water back and are windbreaks.
Suburban Line Goes Down Tuesday Evening When Ice Crashes Against Poles – Many People Are Homeless
With the stage of the water in the Rock river dropping and the stream flow less, it is expected that the terrible flood conditions in the vicinity of Lyndon, Prophetstown, and Erie will soon be much improved. Much depends however on how much water is able to get through the 12 miles of various gorges between Rock Island and Lyndon. Many farm homes in the low lands are under water and the number of hogs, cattle and horses lost as a result of the flood cannot be estimated at this time, but will doubtless be high. Morrison, Fulton, Lyndon, Erie and various other cities are without electricity but the Illinois Northern Utilities company has a crew of over 100 men working to erect temporary line in order to supply the various places. This service will be resumed by late afternoon or early evening. Telephone service is also hampered. Prophetstown had the highest water in history.
The stage of water at Oregon at 8:30am this morning was a foot and one-tenth lower than it was at midnight. At Dixon it was eight-tenths of a foot lower and at the upper hydro it was four-tenths of a foot lower. The stream flow at 8:30 am was down to 42,000 which is about 3,000 cubic feet per second less than on Tuesday.
Efforts will be made this afternoon to get Victor Erickson off of Watermelon Island where he has been marooned. The water around his cabin had dropped some this morning. He has placed his stove on top of the icebox and was able to walk out on the ice around his cabin for a short distance this morning. He found a rabbit marooned in his boat, which is tied near the cabin. By this time the rabbit is probably “marooned” within Mr. Erickson. Chief Connel Nicol and his crew called across the river to Mr. Erickson this morning and said they would try and get him this afternoon if possible.
Tuesday afternoon word was received here that Ward Thompson and six other men were evidently marooned in the flood waters in the vicinity of the Thompson home between Denrock and Erie. Chief Connel Nicol, A.E. Byam, Alson Remington, Chief Curtis G. Bucher, Officer Ed Ohda, and Chris Dingler answered the call, and taking the local rescue boat, they rushed to Denrock. They drove through water on the paving until they could get not further and their cars almost became ice bogged. Water ran into the doors of the cars. They were unable to learn anything regarding the whereabouts of the men at that time and returned to Hamilton Corners. It was then learned the men had returned home.
E.H. Tobey, Gazette reporter, is marooned at the Ward Thompson home between Erie and Hillsdale. Mr. Tobey was reporting the flood and was caught before he could get back. In all probability it will be several days before he will be able to get out. The water is between 18 inches and two feet deep at all points between Denrock and Erie.
The water is running over the paving on Route 78 between Lyndon and Prophetstown and Tuesday night the water rushed across the paving with such force that large cakes of ice in the water cut off poles carrying the 33,000 volt lines which feed Lyndon, Erie, Morrison, Fulton, Fenton, Garden Plain, Union Grove, Malvern and other smaller communities and intervening points. Home and stores where oil burners or stokers are operated by electricity were left cold and bleak and many families had to go to the homes of neighbors. This occurred in all of the above named places. Farmers who have electric power for milking and pumping were forced to do this work by hand or revert to gasoline engines in places where they had not been removed.
The line for a distance of about a half mile went down at 9:28 p.m. Tuesday night and the utilities company had a force of over 100 men on the job shortly afterwards with materials ready to make the necessary repairs. However it was impossible to get within a mile of the place where the wires are down. At day break this morning it was decided that the best thing would be to build a temporary line of about three miles from Avenue G west on Third Street and on down to Como to connect with the new feeder line under construction at that place. A special pole hole digging machine and more than 100 men are working at top speed and hope to have the poles in and the line constructed by late afternoon or early evening. It will then be possible to furnish light and power to the various places now without it.
With the shut off of power Tuesday night, many public buildings including the court house, bank, Farm Bureau as well as homes in Morrison faced a shortage of heat. The court room was cut off Wednesday morning to conserve heat and it may be necessary to cut off the office rooms in order to have heat for the prisoners in the jail. Efforts are being made with a motor to operate the stoker which is in use for the county buildings but up to noon today they had very little success and the fire consisted mostly of kindling wood and this was practically used up.
Many homes in Morrison using oil heat which could not be converted to coal had to be abandoned while some others used gas heaters. The Whiteside County Sportmen’s club secured a 110 volt engine which was used at the Ustick centennial last summer, which they plan to connect with the lights at the municipal building in order to have light for the county banquet to be held Wednesday evening.
The Whiteside Sentinel was forced to suspend publication Wednesday and announced by a bulletin that the next issue would be Friday.
The Utility company is sparing no money or effort in getting the line up and service resumed. Had the line been completed before, it would have been possible to resume service within a minute or two. The line is being built for just such an emergency as arose at this time. There was formerly a hookup with Clinton but this has been discontinued on account of an inter-state commerce ruling and there are no other feeders available. The condition is one that never before has arisen
River Frozen Over
The river was frozen over at Lyndon this morning and is within four feet of the floor of the bridge. The ice flowed continuously for 24 hours up until 2:30 pm Tuesday and stopped until about 5 p.m. when it started again, and during the night it gorged. Rivermen say that it was the longest period of flowing ice in the history of the river.
At the O.J. Chamberlain farm, east of Lyndon, the water is the highest within the remembrance of anyone. The road between the Chamberlain and George Imel farms is inundated. The Chamberlain family moved from their farm Tuesday night after removing their stock. Lawrence Shepard, who lives south of the river and east of the Lyndon bridge, moved out with his stock on Monday night.
A Special meeting of the Prophetstown city council was held this morning and a warning was issued that all city water be boiled at least 10 minutes before using. Chlorine is being placed in the water and will be kept in the water until all danger is past. Citizens are urged to conserve on the water supply and use pumps wherever possible. A representative of the state health department at Springfield arrived in Prophetstown Tuesday afternoon and attended the meeting of the city council this morning.
The water had reached the foundation of the city pump house in the park on Tuesday night and sandbags were placed in front of the pump house to prevent it from going into the pumping station. A force of men worked all night in pumping seepage water out of the station.
Water backed up in the sewer at the high school building, covering the basement floor for an inch or two. There was about a foot of water in the ramp on the north side of the building. Men worked all night in pumping the water out of the basement. No school was held today.
A stage of water 30 inches higher than ever known is reported at Prophetstown. A new stage was established during the floods last season. Mayor George S. Brydia got into communication with Colonel Guessner, chief engineer at Rock Island arsenal and asked that the government dynamite the gorges which extend for a distance of 14 1/2 miles. He was informed that the government did not dynamite gorges but that men would be sent equipped with a steel boat to Prophetstown this morning. H. O. Norstrum, a government engineer, and two men with life preserves and necessary equipment arrived at Prophetstown early this morning.
August Beucher, who resides on the Carstenson farm on an island west of Prophetstown, was the first rescued. He was removed to the Harold Fisk farm west of Prophetstown and just across the river from his farm. Mrs. Beucher had been there since Monday night. Mr. Beucher was ill from sewer gas backing up into his home and had to be placed in bed and a physician called. He had been unable to get to his stock since Tuesday at 1 pm and reports the animals in bad condition.
Ralph Johnson reported that the government men, assisted by Clarence “Scotty” Goddard and Forest Pritchard of Prophetstown had gotten past his place near Portland about noon and will rescue the Warren Knox family. The Knox family are employed as tenants by Mr. Johnson and will be brought to the Johnson home and after a warm meal will be removed to Prophetstown. The Johnson family will also accept a ride to town. The Knox family was forced to the second floor of the home.
Mr. Johnson reports that the water rose eight or nine inches during the night but appeared to be dropping a bit this morning. Water was covering the floor of the Roy Morse farm home in Portland for an inch or more and his family will also be removed.
Eight inches of water is reported in the barn at the William Obendorf farm northeast of Prophetstown on the old Lyndon road. His stock is okay, however. The river rose about a foot over night near his place from midnight to 3 a.m. and then dropped four inches between that time and noon today.
About nine inches of water was reported at the John Hansen house on the Lyndon road. Herbert (???ing) moved into the second story of his home when water reached the first floor. A stove was moved upstairs and some of the stock was moved and some was placed in the haymow. William Backer, of the same road, reported that his (?) was knee deep in water this morning and the water was within 12 inches of the house.
Clarence Olinger, resident (?) miles northeast of Prophetstown, moved part of his cattle and (?) to higher ground on Monday. At 4:30 this morning water was coming into the hog house. He and his man moved 115 head (?) into the haymow. The water on the Ox Bow farm, tenanted to Edmund Varvaecke, had reached the rear porch this morning. It has not come into the house. Water appeared at a standstill but the water came into the horse barn, and he horses were moved into the hog barn and the hogs were taken to the haymow. Water is in the (?) of Wirth Andrews, just north of the Prophetstown bridge, just across from the Vervaecke farm. He got his (?) in the haymow, but lost some chickens. The water covering Route 78 paving between Lyndon and Prophetstown is reported between three and four feet in places.
William Taber, Perry Richards, Harry Meier, and “Red” Vervaecke of Prophetstown did a fine rescue work Tuesday afternoon when they rescued Elmer Maxfield from the flood waters of Route (?). Mr. Maxfield started from (?) on the Ox Bow farm in a (?) but was unable to reach shore. Mr. Taber and Mr. Richards started walking out to him in the ice (?). They almost reached him but became so chilled they were forced to turn back. Harry Meier and Vervaecke put out in (?) and brought Mr. Maxfield to the Edmund Vervaecke farm. Mr. Maxfield was exhausted and was sent to bed and attended by (?). He recovered quickly and it is not believed he will suffer any (?) effects. All four men deserve much credit for their work.
William Francis of Prophetstown who was rescued Tuesday by his nephew Kermit Peterson after he had battled his (?) the river in a boat from a mile upstream, incurred some frozen fingertips. He was nearly exhausted when his nephew reached him. Kermit Peterson deserves much credit.
At Erie the water started running over the dike road along the river southwest of the city in three places. Large crews of men were at work using logs, straw and anything available in an effort to preserve the dike road. It was impossible to get sand on account of the frozen condition. The water this afternoon at Erie was about at a standstill with some water running over the dike between the Brown and Crandall farms.
Water has been running slowly into Lake Erie. The A.A. Duncan family has been calling for help since early this morning and were rescued early this afternoon. No trouble has been reported at Hillsdale or downstream.
Robert Cocking has moved to the home of his son Kenneth in Erie. Clayton Seger has moved to the Melvin James farm west of Erie. Leslie Seger has moved to town. They were not in water as they are on the north side of the dike, but were fearful that the water might come up to their places.
The Erie school, East Sandridge and Coburn schools were closed today. Also the Rock River school. Mrs. Matilda Sellaz, teacher at the Coburn school, and Miss Harriet Morgan of the East Sandridge school were unable to get to their schools. Water covers the Route 2 paving for a distance of several miles from a mile east of Erie to Denrock and there is some water on the paving between Denrock and Hamilton Grove corners. In places it is two and one-half feet in depth.
Frank Morgan, who lives near the mouth of Rock Creek, reports a big gorge at the creek and the water is backing up at that point. Leon Hazard, one of the operators at the Burlington Depot at Denrock, has water up to the top of the foundation of his home. Frank Hubbard, who resides near the approach to the Erie bridge, reported the water slightly higher this morning. Water came up in the barn yard at the Perry Medhurst farm three miles from Erie on the Portland road. Cliff Naftzger and family left Lathe’s island.
The A.C. Sturtevant office in Prophetstown has been made the headquarters for all emergency calls for aid. Water is reported up near the depot floor at Denrock. Extra maintenance crews are working to keep the line open. In some places the water was lapping over the tracks. A crew is stationed at the railroad bridge at Prophetstown. The ice is almost up to the bridge. No freight trains were run over the line Tuesday, but one is expected today. Passenger trains have been running at slow speed.
The Roy Morse family near Prophetstown will be removed this afternoon. L. P. Shearer, Taylor Curry, and James Reiley of Prophetstown took Frank Dudley’s boat and rescued John Hansen. Hansen reported that his horses were standing in water up to their bodies.
At 2 o’clock this afternoon the drop in the stage of water at Oregon was reported four and eight-tenths feet lower than at midnight. During the same hours the drop at Dixon was a foot and eight-tenths and at Sterling it was seven-tenths of a foot. The drop here should be much greater before night. At midnight the stream flow was 44,160 cubic feet per second, and at 2 this afternoon it had dropped to 38,570.
While it is still necessary to use every precaution in the lowlands on account of the ice gorges in the river between Lyndon and Rock Island, it is believed that the greatest danger is past. At 2 o’clock this afternoon renewed efforts were being made to get Victor Erickson off Watermelon island west of this city. He is not in any immediate danger however.
Stage Of Water Rises As Tremendous Gorges Break Upstream – Federal Engineers Estimate $1,000,000 Damage In Valley
With practically every community in this part of the state out of gas as a result of a gigantic ice gorge, which backed the river up and inundated the entire Sterling factory district Tuesday afternoon and evening, the river rose at this point, the crest, the second in two weeks, being the worse of the two, practically isolating Erie from the surrounding country. Some highways were closed and families in the bottom lands were forced to abandon their homes. The water system at Prophetstown has been disrupted.
The worse may yet come. Above Sterling is a tremendous gorge extending from beyond the Nelson bridge a distance of several miles. When this gorge breaks, trouble is likely to ensue. On the other hand, the ice may melt away gradually and no damage ensue.
At the present time the flood damage, as a result of the ice gorge and high water is estimated by the government engineers over $1,000,000.
The 300 foot sandbag and dirt embankment built along the Riverside dike road from Erie to Hillsdale Monday was swept away Tuesday when the crest of the waters poured over it after the crest was reached. On Wednesday the waters dropped again.
The Dutch bottoms, south of Hillsdale are under water again, but no homes have been evacuated, although water has swept over the floors of a number of places. Live stock has largely been gotten to safety.
A shift in the ice at Sterling caused the sudden rise. At noon Tuesday ice commenced flowing down to the south channel of the river near Lawrence park. Shortly after noon the channel became clogged and the river commenced to rise. At 3 o’clock the ice shifted in the north channel, traveling several hundred feet, and again becoming wedged against and east of the Avenue G bridge. Trees were smashed like tenpins.
As the river cut a new channel along the south side, it caused the water to back up and flow across the Prophetstown road near the Martin Tyne farm between Sterling and Prophetstown. Wednesday morning the road was inundated a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile. The water has again dropped, although for how long is problematical.
Route 2 was closed to traffic north of Denrock Tuesday and is still under water. However, late Wednesday afternoon this water commenced to recede. Water rose slightly during Tuesday night near the Garden Plain road west of Erie, but reached a standstill Wednesday afternoon. With Route 2 the only road to and from Erie this city was left practically an island.
An ice jam formed at Thompson’s island three miles southwest of Erie Tuesday night and had not broken Wednesday night.
The river rose rapidly at Sterling and the giving way of the gorge in places brought about the high water down the river. The first rise was one foot in less than 15 minutes in the Sterling factory district. The Utilities company, worst hit of all institutions, rushed every available man to its gas plant in an effort to maintain service. All trucks that could be secured were put into use hauling sandbags. These bags were used in rip-rapping all strategic points around the plant.
The current was terrific. It finally became necessary to stretch ropes from building to building and to cling to these as boats, filled with sandbags, went from place to place. In spite of the rip-rapping, the water gradually swept into the plant. Pumps were put to work keeping as much of the flood away from boilers as possible in order to maintain the gas supply.
The big gas works of the company at Sterling supplies all of the surrounding territory with gas. As the flood continued, Rock Falls, Morrison, Dixon, Oregon, Polo, Mt. Morrison, and Sterling, east of Broadway, were without gas. As soon as the water receded Wednesday, the equipment were gotten into operation again and the gas plant resumed the manufacture of gas. Service has not been restored, however, and it has difficult to say just when it will be restored. The high pressure mains from the plant have been closed.
From the Utilities company comes the statement that service cannot be fully restored until the flood waters reach a more normal stage, but that every effort is being made to resume service at the earliest possible moment. Additional men are being engaged and men of experience have been shipped into Sterling from every available part of the state to assist in fighting the sullen waters. Fearful yet of another rise, the task of sandbagging all strategic points is being carried on while a house-to-house notification of occupants is to be made before gas service is resumed.
At Prophetstown the water dropped nine inches from 6 o’clock Tuesday morning to Wednesday noon. The state highway maintenance truck used in sandbagging shoulders between Lyndon and Prophetstown was called to Route 92 near the junction of Route 82 in an effort to save a small bridge at a point 10 miles south of Erie. The bridge is reported to have gone out.
The river at this point was still going strong through the open channel on the south side of the river Wednesday evening. This indicates that at least a port of the gorge near the Erie bridge has commenced to break. All day Wednesday the water here was at a standstill and is still 14 inches lower than it was a week ago.
The water is said to be dropped at Denrock.
The gorge which started from Erie Wednesday morning passed Hillsdale shortly after noon and was continuing down stream.
A 10 inch drop was reported at Prophetstown late Wednesday afternoon.
The grade school tournament for lightweights, scheduled to start Wednesday evening at Prophetstown, has been indefinitely postponed on account of the waters.
Sterling suffered its worst damage of the flood Tuesday night. During the entire night the angry waters rushed through the rod mill of the Northwestern Barb Wire company, the gas plant, Chapman Bros. coal yards, Sterling Food Products company down Miller street and on across the north approach of the Avenue G bridge. A part of the Charter Gas Engine company’s plant was flooded and the water rose to within an inch or two of the floor of the Wolf grocery on Avenue G.
The basements of all homes on Miller street were filled with water, as were those of the homes of the lower end of Avenue G, Gleason and Green Street. The Kleinschmidt cleaning works was also put out of commission temporarily.
Because of the flood conditions, both sections of the Avenue G bridge at Sterling were closed, as the ice piled against the abutments and the water rose to within a few inches of the bottom of the bridge. Residents of the vicinity largely stuck to their homes in spite of the high water, although heat except where cook stoves were used was lacking.
The First avenue subway at Sterling was also shut off for a considerable time Tuesday and Tuesday night owing to the high water, which filled it to a depth of several feet. It was reopened as the waters receded.
Meanwhile the basement of the Lawrence plant, the International, the R.B. & W. factory and others on both sides of the river were flooded. Considerable damage was done to machinery.
Because of the flood conditions, hundreds of men are out of work. In many factories only the workmen who reported in rubber boots were allowed to go to work.
Along the North Western railroad tracks west of Sterling the water rose to within a foot of the rails and in some places splashed the ties. Sand bags were rushed to Sterling in flat cars and stacked at all low points in order to protect the railroad right of way.
One Of the North Western switch tracks leading to the gas plant was washed out, but was repaired Wednesday.
The steadily rising waters started innumerable reports regarding the flood conditions and Tuesday after noon and evening the streets of Sterling leading the flooded district were packed with cars. The shutting off of the subway made it necessary to route all Rock Falls traffic by way of Avenue B, which further added to the congestion.
All of the metropolitan papers and press associations have representatives stationed at Sterling, as do the various motion picture companies. One organization even reported with a boat , ready to take to the water in search of news and pictures if necessary.
In 1936 the flood control act authorized the building of a levee from Penny Slough in Henry county to Benson’s slough in Whiteside county, a distance of about nine miles. An appropriation of $109,000 was made in 1937 for this work.
The area to be protected is known as Dutch Bottoms and comprises about 10,000 acres of land which is included within the boundaries of three drainage districts. The act of congress provides that the drainage districts must furnish the right of way needed for the levee and maintain the same, under direction of the secretary of war, after the levee is completed and pay all damages incurred.
The districts are now endeavoring to secure the necessary rights of way. Had this levee been completed, it is likely that the present flood damage in that vicinity would have been averted, the plans calling for the top of the levee to be three feet above the highest stage of water in Rock river of which any record can be found.
Not sure where this account came from - Dixon Evening Telegraph?
Flood conditions are so terrible in the Erie territory that they beggar
description, much worse than was ever known in the memory of the
old residents. Rock river and Rock creek have overflowed all the farms
for miles around. The water has
frozen and all Tuesday afternoon
and night a fierce blizzard
with snow, sleet and high wind from
the north. Hundreds of hogs,
cattle and horses have been lost and
great damage has been done to property of all kinds
From Hamilton corners down
Route 2 the pavement of Route 2
is under water. The shoulders are
not visible and the ice has frozen
thick. The water is over the tops
of the fence posts and water
encroached on the C. B. and Q tracks
so greatly that all of Tuesday
afternoon and night and all day Wednesday
section motor cars loaded with
men patrolled the tracks. These were
followed by short pilot trains consisting
of engine, several flat cars
loaded with sand bags and cinders and
the way cars filled with
maintenance men. So far as could be
learned Wednesday afternoon no
persons had lost their lives, though
many suffered from the cold and
had hands or feet frozen.
On motoring to Erie from Sterling
Tuesday morning Route 2 was clear
of water and ice until about 20 rods
east of Rock creek bridge. At that
point water and floating ice covered
the highway so that very slow speed
was necessary. By 2 o'clock the
waters had risen considerably, there
was snow and sharp sleet, and the
bottoms of automobiles scraped on
the ice. There was very little traffic by 2 p. m. At that hour the
reporter for The Gazette felt his engine going dead, and pulled over to
the shoulder in front of the Ward
Thompson home, about three miles
east from Erie. There he got out
and went to the house. Mrs. Thomson was alone and greatly distressed.
Her husband and son Russell,
were across the railroad track, about
one-eighth of a mile trying
to rescue the stock. Mrs. Russell
Thompson and five children were in
the big two story home. The reporter telephoned from Rock River
school to Sterling requesting help,
and Chief Connel Nicol and men
soon were on the way, but by the
time they reached Denrock, from
the slope of the blufffs, the pavement
was deep under water and ice, and
the exact location of the home was
not understood.
In the meantime about 4 p.m. Oliver Osborn and John Ahrens of Lyndon, who had just rescued a marooned family came to their next point of relief, the home of the Thompsons. They left the grade crossing of the C.B. & Q and using the top wire of a fence along the lane to the Russell Thompson home, towed their bateau to that place and after an hour or more of toilsome work brought the entire family of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Thompson and five children safely to the Ward Thompson home, where
the parents of Russell Thompson live. By that time it was almost dark and their rescuers walked back to their homes in Lyndon. All evening and night the blizzard raged fiercely. Telephone and electric service were out, and the icy waters closed in more and more into the homes. It was a fearful night.
During Tuesday forenoon Ward
and Russell Thompson had worked
to get the stock out, but 45 head of
fine marketable hogs were drowned
in the big concrete piggery on the
farm. In the barn were five farm
horses and 19 head of cattle and a
goat. Russell got out with four
horses and placed them in safety,
while his father tried to get the
hogs out. One lone sow got out and
made her way to the stockyard but
before drowning she was slaughtered.
The barn doors were closed and
cattle and one horse were inside.
Early Wednesday morning the
wind had died down and the sun
began to shine brightly. Temperatures rose. About 10 o'clock Rev.
M Fiscus, Oren Burns and Bill
Luning of Erie came walking down
the tracks from Erie wearing wading
boots. They waded through icy water to the Thompson home and the
Thompson men came out. The group
took the big bateau and slid it along
the railroad rails to the Duncan
home and got the family out to the
pavement, where Erie people met and
took them there. They were going
to rescue the Siperly family, father
and two small children, but they
had been succored. On the way in
a boat, it overturned and the Siperlys were in the icy waters. Their
screams attracted rescuers and they
were brought to safety.
Ward Thompson walked one-half
mile over icy fields, some of the time
the ice breaking. He finally reached
the barn, entered and found all of
the cattle and brood mare alive.
Alone he mounted the loft and
threw down hay to make a platform
for the stock to stand on, water in
the barn being three feet deep. Soon
the others of his party arrived with
the bateau. All worked for two
hours. and made such a high bedding of straw all the stock was saved
except one young calf. A beautiful shepherd dog had been pitched
atop the piggery the day before and
Wednesday morning he was down on
the ice racing around the barn trying to get to the cattle he herded.
Later he was brought safely to the
home.
Various farmers in the vicinity
are reported to have lost much
stock. George Peters lost 45 hogs.
Ralph Johnson, about 100 hogs.
Some of the farmers lived back in
the timber and accounts of the
losses were not learned. The water
made a game drive, as rabbits sought
sanctuary on porches of homes, and
even polecats sought harbor on
farms and along the railroad tract
No one living in the cities or town
can imagine the anxiety of farm
families for their neighbors. As long
as there was telephone service it
kept busy with inquiries as to how
the folks were and the stage of water. One of the most diligent of
these was Allen Pratt, an octgenarian, who despite his years and
his loneliness, visited his near
neighbors by boat and otherwise to
inquire and offered any assistance
he could. The work of Messrs.
Osborn and Ahrens was outstanding
for two days and nights these men
were busy with their boat going to
the most difficult places and rescuing marooned people. The same
is true of Mr. Fiscus and his party.
By noon Wednesday the water was
noted to be receding a little and
4 p. m. it had gone down at least
three inches. The sun shone brightly
and melted the ice to a certain
extent.
All the way from Rock creek
bridge on Route 2 to the bluffs at
Denrock water is to the tops of the
fence posts, and in a few places water
lapped the C. B. and Q. tracks
and froze. The reporter finally got
aboard the safety bateau when it
was returned to the Ward Thompson place, and was ferried through the
icy water for 50 yards or more to the railroad track, then walked eight
miles on the track to Lyndon, from
where he was brought to Sterling
by a friend.
It will be several days before the
flood subsides sufficiently for motor
traffic from Denrock to the lower
end of the line, in all probability.
The flood last year was bad, but
was a mere side show compared with
this one. Old residents say that never
before has there been such
inundation. They attribute it to the fact that so many drainage ditches
have been dug, ponds and lakes
drained and other water pockets formed, that after heavy rains
flood waters rush down unrestricted
and overwhelm th country. The
cutting of so many trees is cited
another cause of the floods, as
trees naturally hold rush water back
and are windbreaks.
