RESERVIOR GIVES WAY

[ddurbin]

from THE MOLINE REVIEW,  July 7, 1899

RESERVIOR GIVES WAY

Stock Drowned and Crops Badly Damaged Along Wild Cat

Last Monday night between 12 and 1 o'clock the dam at the Santa Fe reservoir just west of town gave way, flooding the country for a mile below.

The exact loss of stock is not yet known.  Mr. Frank Webb was the heaviest loser, losing at least one steer and one hundred head of hogs.

The Hankinson sisters lost about forty pigs.  Mr. Chase lost about ten hogs.

The losses are only approximate as exact figures are not known.  Crops suffered badly, and much fence was swept away.

The dam is about 1000 ft. long about 35 ft. high and 14 ft. in  width 23 ft. high which was too small to carry off the heavy rains.

Under ordinary circumstances the overflow is equal to the requirements but this rain was even more than a state occasion. it was celebrating our nation's birthday and it was too much.  The concrete overflow stood its grounds in good shape, but about 4 ft. of dam 100 ft. wide and 9 ft. 75 wide went out.  The dam did not break away, but washed out.

Water came into Mr. John Stones house leaving several inches of sediment.

Ray and Fred Miller, Bert Redmond, Al Edwards, Harry Keifer and Shelby Mann were on the celebration grounds just below the dam freezing ice cream and making other preparations for the celebration.

Some were in tents asleep while others were working.  Had they all been asleep, perhaps not one would have escaped, it was no easy matter to do so as it was.

The account in the State Journal yesterday is greatly exaggerated.  The lake covers about twenty-six acres and is about twenty-four feet deep.  There still remains enough water to supply the railroad company four months.

It is not known just what position the railroad company will take regarding the damages done, but it is probable that they will not consider themselves responsible as it was the result of an extraordinary rainfall and not neglect on their part.  It will be rebuilt at once.