The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-06-19
Flood In the American Bottom and ,t
other Points on the Mississippi.
From the St Lous.QtprbIran ,1,b

1
&, other Points on the Mississippi.
From the St. LouissRepubican, I2th.
f The river rose more rapidly yesterda
than at at any ttnGHfor the last three weeks
. All the upper rivers seem 10 have combine,
to send forth their largest bodies of water
, and at sundown last evening the whole o
our broad Levce was covered with water
} and the cellars Oft the houses on Front street
, fpwere flled TO the first floor. Horses war
onq9nd drays were constantly employed il
the water in conveying freight to the few
ssean0oats leaving port, and many Of The
cross streets leading from the river were
ticd with produce OF various kinds 3 oydy
Island is nearly deserted by the inhabitanls
while the last Of the citizens of lilinoistowf
were busily employed yesterday in remov-
ing themselves ana their effects to this CITY.
On'y iay Of the houses in Iinoistown are
out Of water, and some frame houses were
upset by the violence Of the current, a Gre
vase having been made in the reighbcr-
hood Of Brooklyn.
The rear Of liinoistonn forms a great
lake. The town of Cahoka is submerged.
The steamer Polar Star went down to Ca
hokia yesterday TO hpcrate some of the in
habitants OF that ancient city from their per
iloUs position. They had been driven by
their houses. About twenty five Of the cit.
iEcns came up in the " Star" and were land
ed in the city. The scene at the,vi.laye beg
gars dcscfi Ption. Tue currenrAh the river
was growing stronger and stIceger and
threatening to carry away the douscs from
the foundations.
From The Upper Mississippi, VIC hear that
. Alexandra, Marvin City, Lagrange, Canton,
and other places on both sides of the river
arc completely surrounded with water, and
great destruction Of property must follow
, y lake in the vicinity OF Muscatine was so
completely filed with water 10y the heavy
rains, that il burst aSuuricr the artificial EN-
banhmeutS, and the water went rushing
through the streets, filing the cellars, and
doing much damage to the sugar and other
articles contained in them. At Ste Gene
we've, the - Bi, Ei-id' j. by this time pref
t. well covered " th water. and the cr0p Of
ccrn vii be DESTROYED
\ vast amount Of Yrprerty viii be lost
/ by tbs flood. Tia; in the American Bot
toms and he low'aud along the several II.
ycrs VII be gery g'ea'; bu', unless the
rain ceases now, ana an oppo tunfrv Is az
iOrdcd for corn planting tie crops every
wAeIe Wi. becuJ short. The wheat Is al
ready suffering. aud unless fair weather
comes soon, and the graiu j. allowed to ma
ture, this crop. instead Of beng 4 profile
o=e, viii be exceedingly Indifferent beth in
quality and quantity. HE meadow fields
are oyerrnn WITH the army worm, in some
urighborh0ajS. and j. likely 10 sustain
great iujHav. Altogether the procpect is
very dismal and ui,couraginC.
Last evening the water was scarcely eight
feet below the extreme height which it at
tanned in 1914, The rise bow coming out
ut the Missouri l,artnat - 49, than noun >I1
to eight feet, and very little, il any. Of this
great swe. has yet reached here. Rain has
fallen almost necessarily mp the Missouri ri
ver SO far as heard from. for over one woek
The rise is not So great in the Upper Miss
issjppi, a. yet, but that river is swelling
from ST. Paul down. 1t is rising above the
Falls Of St. ANTHONY, -. Peters or Mime
sofa river Is booming XII h, and, in fact, all
the tributaries Oft the Mississippi, from the
head of nav CATION to tins port, are pouring
out floods, and sill rising.
From the Alton Dernccra: OF Friday evening.
At Alton the river is rising flst-iS now
overt the levee and into Second street Du-
ring last night it rose - inches inches in
twelve hours, and a. we write is-eaiuing at
the rate Of half an inch m hour. II viii soon
b up to the mark OF -, ana il the rainy
weather weather hciG- above, viii equal the
food Of II
The people across the river are leaving
their horSes and it is mournful to see skiii-
loads oifurnture, " omen and children CT ocs-
Ing over to our bluff shore
\ farmer up from the American Bottom.
states that the people down there are swim
ming out therr stock this morning as fast as
possible. They are all up and doing. belle
wing that a great flood is upon them Sher-
III Jobs farms are mostly under water-hi.
renter lose all their crops ard some stock.
Chism'S farm is nearly covered; also, Mrs. f.
Stalling's. The people are very busy rails
ing their goods, grain, e., 10 the upper sto- +
rics Of their houses and barns. 1t is dis. /.
heartcning to hear of.
The water pourS in at the break, from the
river, a great rate; broad, swift chan
url. our informant states and the water ri
Ses over the bottom farms faster than in the
river. The result of this matter S fear fully
speculative to the inhabitants. The stock
is swan out to spot near Mr.. Yaughn's
farm--the nearest spot to dry land-a dis
tance Of halfa mile. and constantly widening.