The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-07-05
THE GREAT FLOOD.
The Mississippi Falling Slowly and Conf I
dence Being RestOred-The Worst /
Thought to be Over.

The Mississippi Falling Slowly and Conf
dence Being RestOred-The Worst
Thought to be Over.
ST. Louis, Mo-, June 27.
After rising for twenty-six days, and
reaching the highest stage Of water known
since 1853, the Mississippi, to the gratifca-
tion of all, is subsiding slowly. At six
O'Clock yesterday evening it had fallen one
inch, when the Government gauge at the
foot of Market street registered thirty-four
feet nine inches. The decline will proba-
bly, not be rapid, but will be sufficient to
greatly lessen the danger of the situation
when the anticipated t'June rise" comes.
The kilograms from Upper Missouri River
points bring information that the rise from
the mountains has begun, but over week
must pass before the effect will be felt in
the neighborhood of st. Louis. 1t is the
opinion of many of the river men that the
worst of the flood of 1888 has been seen.
In East st. Louis the news that the river
had commenced falling caused universal
rejoicing. The situation yesterday was
considered more favorable. and it is gen
orally believed that the worst is over. NJ
further danger is feared unless there should
be a heavy rise. Every dangerous point
about the town is well protected againsi
any possible influx of water, and work
goes on constantly. While elated over the
change, citizens and railroad officials are
as vigilant as ever, and prepared for any
emergency. At Bowman's dixie yesterday
everything appeared safe. The water ip
the slough had gone down three inches
since Monday morning, and the fall was
perceptible. The new ridge on the dixie j.
considerably above the sweeping water,
and it viii require a heavy rise to cause any
CN,T--
however, caused by the influx of water
from the breaks at Venice and Brooklyn.
The current was quite swift, and for the
first time in four days running in its nat
ura1 direction down stream.
In the region known as the 4" Willows"
and at different points on Bloody Island
the inundation is extensive, and many
houses, nearly 400, are still in deep water.
Some families have been obliged to leave
their homes and take quarters in box cars
on the railroad tracks.
The leak at Jarrett's Station has been
stopped and no danger is feared for East
st. Louis in case of the embankment being
cut. In the old railroad yards, midway
between the Relay Depot and the junction,
there is water over all the tracks. A dixie
about two feet and half high was built
between the two west tracks and those east
Of them. On the east side of this dixie
there were four inches of water, and on the
west side about twice as much. The water
was rising steadily last night, but having
very nearly found a level, there was no
perceptible motion to it. The principal
danger along the line of the Alton Road is
from the ground moles, which, driven from
their usual haunts by the water, have made
their way to the rOad-bed, the only dry
ground they can reach. They are in count
less numbers, and are continually burrow-
ing and loosening the track below its sur
face, so as to concentrate in springs the
water seeping through. Probably from
the result Of these borrowings an alarming,
though not serious, break below the water
line occurred yesterday afternoon, about a
mile above the junction. An extra force
of men and liberal supply of sand-bags
stopped the flow and restored confidence.
Later reports from the flooded farming
region to the north and south of East st.
Louis show that hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of ripening crops have been
destroyed and hundreds of farmers ruined.
A great number of families have been left
absolutely homeless.
Immense Loss Above Chester.
EAST CARONDELET, Ill, June 20.
The river at this point came to a stand
last night, since when it has fallen three
inches, fact hailed with great joy by our
people, who, for the last ten days have lived
in painful suspense, hedged in ON every
side by the threatening waters. 1t is now
confidently felt by ali that the crisis
is past. Further south, in the vicinity
of Fish Lake, the ruin wrought by the
waters simply beggurs description. At tho
eastern end of the dixie, which crosses the
lake, is a narrow strip of land connecting
two ridges across which the farmers of the
neighborhood had constructed temporary
levee, which up to twelve o'clock yesterday
held the water back from about 1000 acres
Of corn, potatoes and wheat. For seven
days and nights the farmers have battled
in the hope that just this little spot at least
might possibly be saved, but all their ef
forts proved fruitless. The water steadily
crept up the crumbling banks, and at noon
the workers threw down their shovels, as
the waters burst through, laying waste the
last of the crops.
In the vicinity of Smiths Landing, Har-
risonvi1Ie, Chester and Grand Tower, the
situation was but duplicate of that pre-
sented IN the Fish Lake country. The
entire bottoms from East st. Louis to
Chester on the Illinois side and from St.
Mary's to Bailey's Landing on the Missouri
side being inundated, save an occasional
knoll here and there.
In an interview with Mr.. Welsh, ex-
Sheriff of Randolph County, it was learned
y
broke night before last, loosening the waters
of the Mississippi upon 2O0, 600 acres of wheat
that was ready for the reaper, and accord
ing to the opinions of those competent to
judge, would have yielded thirty bushels
to the acre. The town of St. Mary's IS
partly submerged, and is still further
threatened unless the water should subside.
From Chester to Grand Tower, a dis
tance Of twenty-five miles, the situation is
even worse than in the st. Mary's Bottom.
The bottoms between these points repre-
sent an average width of ten miles; hence
in this locality alone an area of go square
miles is said TO be fully three-fourths under
water, while the influx continues to spread
out, swallowing up the rich fields.
In the neighborhood of Kaskaskia the
same doleful aspect presents itself. Inc
town is to be utterly abandoned to the ris-
ing waters, the inhabitants having already
telegraphed to Chester for a boat to convey
them to the latter place. The breaking Of
Leyee No. 1, in the vicinity Of Smiths
Landing, which occurred at two O'Clock
yesterday evening, destroys the last hope OF
saving anything in that part Of the bottom
Sufferers Near Mitchell.
MITCHELL. Ill, June %.
At what time last night the waters began
to fall no one knows, but when the people
about Nameoki got up this morning they
found that during the night the great lake
in front of them had gone d 9wn seven
inches Visitors in from the country re-
ported that the water in Big Lake had gone
down foot, and that the backsvater from
Venice, which last night thTe atened TO en-
tfrely submerge Zimmerman ms farm, three
miles southeast of here, had fallen more
than > foot, consequently there was feel