Newport, WA Dike Collapse, May 1928

DIKE COLLAPSE FLOOD'S 3,000 ACRES BELOW

Newport, Wash., May 26.--(AP)--Collapse of a dike flood gate Friday night had submerged beneath the waters of the Pend Oreille river Saturday 3,000 acres of rich seeded farm land at Cusick, 18 miles down the river from here.

Water was rushing through the gap at the rate of 500,000 gallons an hour and unless repairs can be made by Saturday night it was declared that the entire 10,000 acres of land in the diking district would be flooded to a depth of one to 10 feet by Sunday morning, involving damage estimated at $75,000 to $100,000.

Fifty employes[sic] of the Diamond Match company and neighboring farmers are working to replace the gate, built to prevent the Pend Oreille river at flood stage from backing up into the Calibel River valley.

Billings Gazette, Billings, MT 27 May 1928

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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!