636 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



June over the headwaters of both the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. 

 The cause in 1920 is probably indicated by the following paragraph from 

 the National Snow and Ice Bulletin, Minnesota report, March 23, 1920: 

 "Latter part of week abnormally warm and snow disappearing rapidly." 

 Warm weather, the disappearance of snow in northern Minnesota, and 

 the appearance of the flood at St. Paul were almost simultaneous. From 

 Pr. du Chien to La Crosse the flood peak in 1880 was much higher than 

 in 1920, but at Dubuque it was only 0.7 of a foot higher. The following 

 table illustrates the difference: 



La Crosse, Lansing, Pr. du Chien, Dubuque 



Peak, June, 1880 16.2 .... 2L5 21.7 



Peak, Mar.-Apr., 1920 14.2 17.2 19.6 21.0 



Difference 2.0 .... 1.9 0.7 



Warnings — On Monday, March 29, nine days before the peak of the 

 flood reached Dubuque, flood warnings were issued for the entire district 

 from the vicinity of Dubuque, to immediately below La Crosse. On this 

 date stage of water was 11.5 feet at Dubuque, 10.8 feet at Pr. du Chien, and 

 11.3 feet at Lansing. Warnings were generally heeded, and movable prop- 

 erty, such as cord wood in large quantities, live stock, farm machinery, 

 etc., was removed from the islands and lowlands of the Mississippi 

 throughout the section. 



Later in the week when it became certain that a flood of great magni- 

 tude was approaching whatever could be done to prevent damage was done. 

 Upon advice from this office some of the factories raised machinery to 

 higher levels and a number of firms within the wholesale district of Du- 

 buque removed their stocks from cellars and basements. 



This office was able to render valuable service over more than a 10-day 

 period. Information was given daily over the telephone to several hun- 

 dred people. On Sunday, April 4, the office was open from 6 a. m. until 

 10 p. m. and the telephone was in use every moment of the time. We 

 were able to advise many families not to move and many business houses 

 not to move stocks or machinery after ascertaining how many inches more 

 of a rise they could stand. On this date a northeasterly gale added to 

 the difficulties of the railroads on the west bank of the Mississippi. After 

 that date winds were generally more favorable. 



The Flood Arouxd Dubuque — The Seippel Lumber Company's plant at 

 the extreme south end of the city, was badly flooded and lumber was saved 

 only with difficulty. The Standard Oil plant in the same section also 

 suffered some damage. The Jackson Vinegar Company, Schroeder-Kleine 

 Company, Western Grocery Company, Ernsdorf Iron Company, Interna- 

 tional Harvester Company, Becker-Hazelton Company, and other firms in 

 the lower end of town experienced flooded basements, necessitating the 

 removal of stocks of merchandise. 



For over a week the railroads fought the flood, and scores of carloads 

 of material were used in building temporary dikes to keep the water 

 from undermining the tracks. The same was true of the ice companies 

 along the river bank, whose ice houses were threatened. While serious 

 delays resulted, railroad traffic was not completely suspended, as trains 

 ran through the water or detoured. 



