PRIMARILY the cause of our excessive flood on March 25th to 27th was an unprecedented fall of rain, totaling in the watershed of the Sandusky River basin 7.2 inches during the four days of March 23rd to 27th, inclusive. In the entire county of Sandusky, and the northwest half of Seneca County, the fall was above 7 inches, and in the southeast half of Seneca County and the north halves of Wyandot and Crawford Counties, comprising the head waters of Sandusky River, the precipitation exceeded 8 inches.

The secondary cause seems to be the results of civilization and cultivation. Under the first, consider that Sandusky Bay, formerly open to the Lake, is now very effectively dammed by the filling in of the trestle of the L. S. & M. S. R. R., virtually the only outlet is the passage through the draw, amounting in fact to open flood gates. Just north of State Street we find the L. E. & W. Ry. Bridge, and an embankment on the west and across the island, with abutments and piers; State Street Bridge also encroaches very materially on the normal width of the river. Next we find the W. & L. E. bridge and its embankments at each end, so that what water is not held back by the L. S. & M. S. bridge and approaching fills, is most effectively diverted into Bidwell Avenue. Follow a line beginning at the foot of fair grounds hill, coming south irregularly through the L. E. & W. embankment to the Failing property, to Arch Street, through the L. S. & M. S. embankment to South Park Avenue, and thence west along South Street, and note the vast extent of river bottom that was provided by nature to accommodate surplus water; this is only on the west side. A similar observation of the east side, now closely built up with residences and factory sites, reveals another large area. The larger portion of both of these sections has been raised from 10 to 15 feet above the original river bed, thereby constricting the channel very materially.

Under the head of cultivation, the clearing of large areas of timber adds its quota to flood dangers; although statistics show that it has not as much of an effect as is usually thought. Tiling of fields and ditching of sections give all our water fall a direct route to the river bed, thereby causing a rapid and destructive rise. Under these conditions we have a large amount of water to be taken care of in a short space of time, with smaller capacity to do it.

The recent flood exceeded by 6.8 feet any of which we have authentic record. South of the L. S. & M. S. it was in excess of above figures. The river gauge was installed in the fall of 1906. The maximum official readings are as follows:

February 24, 1909…………………………….11.1 feet
January 22, 1910……………………………...12.3 feet
March 1 and 2, 1911………………………….14.0 feet
March 16, 1912……………………………….12.6 feet
February 26, 1910…………………………….14.7 feet
February 27, 1912…………………………….14.6 feet
March 26 and 27, 1913……………………….21.5 feet

With the exception of the recent flood and that of March, 1910, the stage of water was largely due to ice gorges at the L. E. & W. bridge. Though we have no authentic records, business men of Front Street all agree that the water was from three to four feet deeper in their stores than in 1883, which up to the date of this disaster was the highest flood known to the Sandusky.

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