Flood Stories from Lawrence County Ohio
REPETITION OF
BIG FLOOD OCCURRED THURSDAY NIGHT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DAMAGES WILL
RESULT MINIATURE OF "JOHNSTOWN"
Semi-Weekly Irontonian 19 July 1907

A flood equal in proportion to that of Wednesday evening again
damaged the residents along Rachel creek and its vicinity last night.
The rain of last evening was not hard enough to cause the creek to
overflow unless there is something radically wrong with the bed and
culverts of the creek. The water last night lacked a few inches of
coming as high as that of Wednesday night, but it was equally as
destructive Great volumes of water poured into Rachel creek and within
a short time after the rain ceased, Sixth street between Oak and Neal
avenue, was a mammoth lake. The water spread to all the lots in that
vicinity, filling cellars and basements and in some instances getting
into the houses. Gardens and flower beds were ruined or badly damaged.
The water covered Walnut street and again filled all the cellars lying
along the creek, Dr. Marting had pumped water from Wednesday night’s
flood from his cellar only to have it filled again last night. The
deposit or sediment from this nasty water cannot help, but breed
disease as the water from Bone Yard Hollow which drains two slaughter
houses, finds an outlet in Rachel creek and is not an uncommon sight
to see putrefying hoofs and horns of hogs and cattle and at different
times after an overflow even the decaying and foul smelling heads of
animals are seen. After the waters recede this deposit is baked by the
hot sun and the odor that arises is fearful. This condition is
certainly a menace to life and health.
A number of cisterns of South Side residents were filled with the
filthy water and of course will have to be thoroughly cleaned before
they can be of serve. In the meantime, these unfortunate people, these
taxpayers, will be compelled to use the river water furnished by the
city which is fully as bad and unfit for use as the water carried in
Rachel creek.
The waterless night made a pond of Pine street and all the people in
the vicinity of Fifth and Pine were again damaged fully as much as on
Wednesday evening. Chestnut and Quincy streets were flooded, the water
covering the years of the residents.
Mrs. E. Miller telephoned the Irontonian office that her garden had
been practically ruined. The Webber Bros., the East End Hardware
company, Mr. Seiff, While Brothers, Gilbert Marting, all of whom
suffered heavily Wednesday night, were again damaged last night. A
strange feature in connection with these floods and one that tends to
show there is an obstruction in the creek somewhere is the fact that
there is not overflow of the creek from Center street down. Many South
Side residents are of the opinion that there is an obstruction of some
kink under the stables or in the culverts. This theory seems plausible
for last night at Center street there were not more than two three
feet of water in the creek, while at Vernon street, just two blocks
above, the water overflowed the banks of the creek and the adjacent
lots. A careful examination of the creek should be made and that
immediately, for the creek will overflow now with every rain.
The Board of Public Service should take steps today to see that the
bed of Rachel creek is freed from every obstruction, great and small.
This will at least help. The basement at Monnig’s livery stable had
four feet of water in it last night.
At Webber Bros. green house, five thousand carnation planted, two
thousand ferns and may other platens were ruined. Mr. Weber had great
difficulty in rescuing his horse from the stable which is just in the
rear of the green houses. When he got up to the stable the water was
half way up to the horse’s back.
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