The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-05-04
The Flood at st. Louis.

ST. LOUIS. May 2-The washOut in the
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad dyke or en-
bankmentin in East St. Louis, which connects
the island with the mainland, reported last
might, isabOut fifty feet wide. The dyke is
600 feet long and runs parallel with and
{300 fest north. of what is known as Bowman's
dyke. The effect of the break was simply to
I'LL the space between the two dykes with
water. The Bowman dyke has been
strengthened in its weak spots,
its low places raised. and it is
believed will now be capable of withstand
ing the pressure upon it, but should the
AriTer rise much more the water will over
flow the.dyke, in which case the result will
be disastrous, as this embazkment is the
k;niy barrier now between the river and
CahOkia' Greek, and should itbreak or over
I How, the greater part, if nOt.all of East St.
Louis would be inundated The river is
still rising, and a general inundation is i'm
Dinent- All Railroad Companies and the
city authorities of st. Louis are fully alive
70 the impeding danger, and are doing
evrything possible to avert the threatened
calamity.
The river has risen about seven inches
. to-day and still rising quite fast Most of the
wharf above the bridge is submerged,
and in some places the water is standing
in the first floors of buildings, necessi-
tati0g the removal of goods to second
stories. South of the bridge the wharf is
so narrow in some places that wagons can
Only pass by gazing into the water, and all
cellars alOng the river front are nearly full
of water In the southern portion of
1.-THE city below Chateau avenue and
Between the Iron Mountain Railroad
fem mbankment and the river the land is all
submerged. and business operations of
various establishments are suspended. In
two or three places water has appeared OH
lhe west side of the railroad track, and has
eneroacbed upon Ehe works of the Missouri
Car Con- pany to such an extent that
portion Of them shut down to-day, throw
ing about 800 men out of employment.
The Harris Wooden Handle Factory in this
vicinity WAS also oblsged to stop operations,
kand 2DO men are OutQf work. In the north
rn part of the city more than dozen facto-
Yries, planning mills, eleQators, and other in
3dustrial establishments have been obliged
p stop work by the advancing water, and
III the river continues to rise all similar
works viii have to cease0Perationg No prop
erty has 6eenAetually carried off yet or de-
/strOyed, bat great damage is being done by
the flooding ID the buildings and suspen-
sion of business
In East St Louis the situation groxs more
critical. The Bowman Dyke still
holds firm, bat an embankment
prxnning at right angles with IL, and which
has so far prevented the river from pouring
insO Cohokia Creek and flooding a large
portion Of the city, is very weak in places
and can stand but little more pressure.
Great apprehension is felt that this barrier
will give way or overflow, and every
thing possible under the circumstances
ping done to prevent the dreaded catastro-
4 At points near Venice and Brooklyn the
water still finds its wey out on 10 the bottom
lands and the broad extent Of country in