The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-14
CAIRO AFTER 7aE FEooD.
tcore-b'nderSe q me s. LOUIS Aspusre.a.i

teorestsndenbe Of the s.. Louis Republican,
cAmo, July s, 1858
The water not yet out Of the town, although the
sewers are opened, and il il recedng very slowly. The
ground shows itself in several places but il bo
said to be either high dy for although It is possible
In places TO walk dry shod il is generally hardly
navigabe for anything but hogs and other water craft
The Taylor House is not out Of water yet although
the river has dropped below the floor The basement is
still inundated and the hotel business has yet been
revived the only from the levee by Of
ferrage, fence from below has moved up in front of
this hotel and the plank work, which led thence TO
the eveo has entirely disappeared being either hoated
of sunk. -efa
Very few fences around houses and yards have escaped
destruction most of them having been lifted bodily from
the ground lacy miscelaneousy distributed over
the town plat and not easily recognizable by the
owners Small outbudings and the like have generally
shared the same fate, and have mostly sought ooa
Tons and recumbent positions large quantity OF Drift
wood, consisting of trees logs lumber, and general
sortmen of all kinds timber he's taken possession of
the place Much of it has been towed out through the
ceyases but much he's also entered and that which
formerly unnotced in the suburbs, has made itself very
very conspicuous in the streets Looking south from the
corner OF Commercial avenue and Seventh street it looks
as II young hurricane had been carrying devastated
forest IN aPouthery direction but had grown weary
when it reached Cairo and dropped its load AT the
er of Sixth street there very large
bent one of them fully four feet in diameter at the butt
just above the old Cross Levee and scattered for CON
siderable distance along the Ohio Ievee the quantity of
very aiBt IN 10 tnc usual AepOrt-
ment Of logs and, trees couple Of small log houses,
which had hoated down from the woods have located
themselves in very uncomfortable attitudes.
The antics which of the shanties and smaller
buildings about town have cut in seeming efforts to bet
ter their condition, really amusing. A tenement
known the Cairo Meat Market formerly situated on
Commercial avenue took southerly track, and settled
in the OF brick building below its former location
quarterng its face to the southwark At the spot
heavy wagon, except the top, lot OF ploughs
eral ouhouses and mass OF lumber and other truck
have settled including several ''segments of plank
walk The frame of small house. built somewhere in
the upper part Of town. took journey TO the South for
its health, lit looked consumptyc, and found healthy
and high ground in the middle of Washington avenue,
near Seventh street AT the corner alongside of
the remnant of plank walk, lis pair of outside house
stairs, which do not lead anywhere in particular pres
emit and have probably forgotten to whose house they
belongeu The mayor grounds have suffered consdcra
bly, his neat yard and garden being entirely ruined and
in the OF his house there has collected quantity Of
small outhouses pieces of fence remnants of roofs &C.,
from all points of the compass and very general in char
acter. Near. the Ohio Levec, Eighth street, is
small white house, which probably didn't like the shape
of its lot, and sought situation in which it thought
it could get better breeze and finer view. But
it was tied with bed cord, reaching from the Chin
ney to another house. and only succeeded in achiey
ing unpleasant position. The jaila heavy struc-
ture, built sodly of sycamore logs, with up
per story-took fancy to change its location, and
moved about mile in norhwesterly course, looking
for the proposed Est Marys Park " but probably not
liking the loneliness of that neck of woods 1t returned
and settled near its former residence showing its
by selecting higher ground Some of the smaller houses
have attempted to float either business pleasure
trips, but, although they have slightly moved from
where they live now, they have only catacornered,
up-ended or twisted themselves about, not improving
their condition at all tenement called the "Old Hick-
ory used whiskey shop, took swim to the north
ward but concluded to return it had previously been
settled under large elm and doubtless liked the shade
carpenters shop somewhere about where Twelfth
street ought to be- after having been getatable only by
trestlework for several weeks got tired of the wood
butcherng business and foaed towards lawyers resi-
dence for professional advice but atery it has located
on its own street, on the side opposite to its former
position and has very properly turned itself round,
that its front doors may be accessible and sign visible
from the street stable just above proved itself very
STABLE and oumeyed towards the evec doubtless for
the purpose of accommodating the starving and house
stock house 1.-TWO story in the upper part of the town
has performed queer feat Inc water mark upon it is
diagonal reaching from the second story in the front to
the lower floor in the rear showing that the house must
have stood oated with two edges elevated
Such is rough record of the condition of Cairo after
the overflow. 1t should be remembered however that
houses have been moved from their foundations
except small and unsubstanal tencments and but
paravely few of those The damage to the inside of the
submerged buildings has been pretty heavy.
-