Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-01
DOMESTIC NEWS.
Damaging Break in d Leyc

Damaging Break in d Levce.
QUINCY (Iil.l June S0th.-Three hundred
feet of the levee below this city has given
away, and the water has inundated from
80 900 to 100000 acres of the best farming
lands in Illinois. The damage to hay and
corn is incalculable. The wheat was largely
secured.
IMMENSE LOSS.
HANNIBAL tMo.l, June 30th-What is
known as the Suy levee, an embankment
which protects the Illinois bottom for many
miles north and south of Quincy from the
overhowing of the Mississippi river, broke at
8 o'clock this morning near Cincinnati Land
ing, about eight miles below here. The break
is about half mile wide, and the water is
rushing through and backing up with great
rapidity. The loss in the Illinois bottom
will be immense, and many of the farmers
will be ruined. Wheat which was cut and
stacked foated off, and the corn crop will be
destroyed. Another break near the above
named junction is feared. The river is now
about stationary, and a decline will probably
take place at once but this will not save
many thousand acres of highly cultivated
land from being overhowed.
THE AREA OVERLOOKED.
QUINCY, June 30th.-The water is now
spreading rapidly, and an area several miles
in extent is already oyerfowed. 1t is impos-
sible to compute the immense amount of
damage that will result from this food, but
it will aggregate several hundred thousand
dollars. A slight idea of the damage may be
gained from the fact that an extent of coun-
try forty miles long and from four to ten
miles wide was protected by the embank-
ment. This is probably the richest farming
land in the State. and as consequence the
yield of grain this year would have been
enormous.
The news of the break at midnight spread
like wild6re, but it scarcely preceded the
rushing of the terrible food of water, and the
excitement during the night was intense
Families were compelled to leave their homes
in many cases with scarcely any clothing on
and flee fon their lives. As the river at the
cutoff where the crevasse occurred is forty
feet deep, the water poured through in vast
volume and with overwhelming force
AN ENTIRE FAMILY DROWNED.
An entire family-believed to be Mr..
Treemer, his wife and all his children-were
drowned. Nothing can be found of them.
Mr.. Treemer was a farmer who had consid-
cradle means, and was man who was very
highly respected.
So rapidly did the water rise that men,
women and children rushed upon the embank-
ment to save themselves, and they did not
have sufficient time to get to the high ground
east of the river.
The break had been anticipated for several
days, and hundreds of men have been at work
strengthening and watching the embankment
The greatest danger was believed to be at
Cincinnati Landing, and last evening large
party of men left Louisiana for the landing
being summoned by report that q break was
imminent at that point, and responding to an
alarm sounded by the ringing Of bells.
HURRIED HARVESTING.
The farmers were warned some time ago to
get their wheat threshed, harvested and off
and the wheat harvest was begun about three
Wednesday, and every team and every ma
chine that could be secured has been in ser.
vice night and day for ten days past includ-
ing Sunday but many have hoped that the
disaster would be averted. and have delayed
moving to places of safety. Mile after mile
of fine corn fields are ruined, and thousands
of acres of wheat in the shock and still un-
shocked have been submerged.
The food has not yet reached the railroad
embankment, but the track will be flooded
by tomorrow morning, and the damage to
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy line to
Louisiana will be considerable. Section
hands have been hard at work for several
days past strengthening the road bed, but the
water will undoubtedly cover the track. The
water is spreading very rapidly, and to-day
could be seen from New Canton, which is
seven miles east of Cincinnati Landing.
BY the break in the Warsaw levee, which
occurred yesterday morning, over 10000
acres of farm lands are submerged and the
crops ruined The break is increasing, and
the levee, which cost S2S, 900 will be seriously
damaged. The new leyee in process of con-
struction from Quincy north is almost ruined,
and the rich farming lands are under water.
The loss in this county will be heavy.
ANOTHER BREAK.
HANNIBAL (Mo.), June 30th. - Another
break has occurred in the levee near the first,
and the water is pouring through with great
velocity. 1t is now said back-water will not
wash away the wheat which is shocked and
stacked. That the levee would break has
been apprehended for several days, and the
farmers had driven their live stock to the
bluffs, several miles east also up the levee
to this city, and to other places of safety.
The river is now falling, and if a rapid de-
cline follows nearly all the corn and much of
the cut wheat can be saved; but if the over
flow lasts more than three days the loss will
be total. The break is long, and embraces
fully quarter of a million acres Of highly
cultivated and the most fertile bottom land
in the State, more than half of which was in
wheat. Many large farms over there are
owned by citizens of this city, and should
the overflow continue their losses will be very
heavy.
THE SITUATION AT HANNIBAL.
HANNIBAL, June 3oth.-It was reported
this evening that another crevasse had
opened near the east end of the bridge which
crossed the river here, but the report proved
to have been based upon the fact that water
was trickling through the embankment.
Should break occur at this point. the water
would rush through with such force that
not only would tie whole bottom be inun-