Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-01

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, June 3O.-Pr ivate dis
patches states2 the suy carte levee on the
Mississippi broke at 5 A. NJ. to-day at Clncin-
natl a point twelve miles below Hannibal.
MANY thousands of acres of rich land in Pike
county will be flooded by this break. 1t is esti-
mated that not less than half a million bushels
of wheat will be destroyed and corn and oats
will suffer incalcullable damage.
TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION.
QUINCY, ILL.,. June 30.-The Suy levee, which
begins at point between Quincy and Hannl-
bal I'd ends near Alton, broke at o'clock this
morning at what is known as the Cutoff. just
above Cincinnati Landing, some fifteen miles
below Hannibal. At noon to-day the crevasse
is zoo feet wide and is constantly increasing In
size, There are several other dangerous
places in the embankment which will
doubtless give way during the day and at
this time it seems impossible to prevent the
flooding of a vast area of fine farming land,
protected by the levee. The water is now
spreading rapidly and an area of several miles
in extent is already overhowed. 1t Is lmpossl-
ble to compute the immense amount OF oam-
ace 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 country forty
miles long and from four to ten miles wide,
was protected by the embankment. This Is
probably the richest farming land in the State,
and the yield of grain this year would be
at midnight spread like wildfre.
but it scarcely proceeded the rushing Of the
terrible flood of water, and the excitement dur
ing the night was intense. Families were COM
PEELED to leave their homes in many cases with
scarcely any clothing on and flee for their lives,
as the river at the cutoff where the crevasse oc-
Cured is forty feet deep and the water passed
through in vast volume ana oVer"neimlns
force.
FAMILY DROWNED.
An entire family, Mr.. freeman, his wife and
children, were drowned. No trace can be
found of them or their house. They lived but
few rods below where the break occurred.
freeman was wealthy farmer who was very
highly respected. So rapidly did the water
rise that men, women and children rushed
upon the embankment to save
themselves, as they did not have sufficient
time to go to the high ground east of the river:
The break he'd been anticipated for several
days, and hundreds of men had been at work
STRENGTHENING the embankment AS the alarm
was sounded as soon as the disaster occurred
it is hoped all others reached places of safety.
The loss of stock will be great. Yesterday
farmers were paying ten cents oushel to get
their wheat threshed. Harvesting of the wheat
in crop was begun about two weeks ago,
and threshing commenced last "Wednesday.
Every team were ON machines that could be
used for service night and day for ten days
past, including Sunday, but many who hoped
the disaster would be averted, have delayed
moving to places of eafety Mile after
mile of fine corn fields are
ruined, and thousands of acres of wheat
in shock and still unshosked have been turned
af1oat. The flood has not yet reached the rail-
road embankment, but that Will be flooded by
! to. morrow morning, and the damage to the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy line to Louisiana
will be large. The water is spreading very
rapidly, and to-day could be seen from New
Canton. which is seven miles from Cincinnati
| landing.
By the break in the Warsaw levee which oc-
CURED Yesterday forenoon over 20,0 600 acres of
| farm lands are submerged and crops ruined.
The break is increasing. This levee which cost
| $79, 900 will be seriously damaged. The new
| leyee in process of construction from Quincy
north is almost ruined, and rich farming lands
| are under water. The loss in this county will
be heavy.
ANOTHER BREAK.
Another break has occurred in the levee near
the first, and the water is pouring through with
great velocity. 1t is now said the backwater
will not wash away the wheat when it is shocked
and stacked. That the levee
| would break has been apprehended
several days, and farmers have driven
their live stock to the bluffs several miles; also
up the levee to this city, and to other places Of
safety The river is now falling. and if a
| rapid decline follows, nearly all of the corn
and much of the cut wheat can be saved, but
If the overflow lasts more than three days, the
loss will be total. Should the river rise again
some of the damage which will result may
be imagined when it is sal |. this levee is abo ut
fifty miles long and embraces within it fully a
quarter of million acres of highly cultivated
and most fertile bottom land in the State, more
| than half of which was in wheat.
The Hannibal & st. JOS freight depot is al
| most surrounded, and skiffs are plying on some
of the streets. The st. Louis Il Keokuk rail-
road track, between here and Quincy, is sub
merged, and trains abandoned. 1t was reported
this evening that another crevasse had
opened near the east end of the bridge
which crossed the river here, but the report
| proves to have been false, Should break oc-
cur the back water would rush through with
| such force that not only would the whole bot
tom be inundated but..crops and everything else
H. v~l