The Ordeal Ends . . . on a glorious note of triumph, and thousands of displaced families return to their undamaged homes. This mother and son find a personal message of greeting awaiting their return.
History Revisited: From out of the past come these scenes of the epic struggle that saved Council Bluffs from the rampaging Missour River 10 years ago this spring. Typical of those stirring times was this bit of drama on the levee near Playland Park.…
Watching River Water . . . spew from a conduit box near the Narrows Pumping Station is electrician Dave Ives. River level was above conduit box, forcing water through the conduit from the intake station.
Mighty Defender . . . mans the ramparts on the levee. This giant diesel-powered earth mover was one of 10 on the job. Each was capable of hauling 30 cubic yards of dirt per load to form emergency levees.
Cots fill the gymnasium at Abraham Lincoln High School, the main evacuation center set up by the Red Cross. More than 250 evacuees took refuge in this center as the Missouri river threatened their homes.
Plank roadway was being laid by volunteers on the levee near Big Lake on Monday. Later, trucks will haul dirt and sand for two miles along this stretch of levee to "beef up" against "wash waves."
Silent Vigils . . . were kept round the clock to watch the river along the flashboard, backed with dirt and walled with rows of sandbags. Miles of wire were strung to allow night-and-day work on the hurriedly built defenses. Council Bluffs went…