The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-28
THE MISSISSIPPI FALLING
A Call for Aid from the Distressed
People at Venice, Ill.
An Idea of the Immense Losses of Crops
Heavy Rains in Pennsylvania Cause
Much damage.

ST. LOUIS, June 27--Word comes from
East st. Louis this morning that the river
continues to fall slowly, and in all that Sec
ton of country west of the Chicago & Alton
railroad track at Newport, Nameoki and
Mitchell the water has fallen nearly if not
quite a foot, but in the part of the bottom
east of the above-named road, into which a
steady stream is still pouring through the
crevasse near Newport, the water is rising
and will continue dntil the level is reached.
Cahokia creek also continues to run, and the
water has reached the tracks running north
from Relay depot and between that point
and Bridge junction. This can be RENE
died, however, by building a levee along the
eastern side of the tracks, which will no
doubt be done at once, as the tracks are I'M
portaDt for the passage of repair trains at
work still further north.
Work is progressing rapidly at the break
in the Chicago & Alton track near New
port, and Superintendent Bates still says he
will have the trestle ready for trains to cross
this evening.
A computation based on information de-
rived from well-informed sources makes the
number of acres OF farm land overfiowed in
three townships in Madison county, 1000
acres. This land is covered with wheat, corn,
oats and potatoes, which, reckoned at $50 per
acre, a rather low estimate, makes the
actual loss, on crops alone, $4,000. In that
section of st. Clair county east and south Of
East CarOndelet, so far as at present known,
5, 400 acres of wheat, corn and potatoes are
under water. These crops are innate 10
be worth $40 per acre, giving an aggregate OF
$216,000 These losses are in four townships,
and comprise only a small part of the damage
done in the American bottoms.
The river has fallen five inches TODAY. and
the government gauge now marks thirty-four
feet and four inches. The water in
East st. Louis is also declining quite sat
isfactorily, and the general feeling is that
all danger is over. 1t is not believed there
that the coming June rise will be heavy
enough to do any further damage, and no
fears are felt on that account. The water
held in check by the Bowman dik has fall
Ell nine inches since yesterday morning,
and work on the oike is discontinued. Ca
hokia creek is subsiding slowly, and the
water in the bottom north and east of the
city is also declining. The railroad tracks at
and north of the Relay depot, which were
Hooded to some extent last night and this
morning, are now free of water, and are in
full Use again out to Venice.
The Chicago & Alton trestle over the Gre
vase in that track, near Newport, was fin
ished this afternoon, and all trains due here
this evening from the north and from Kan
sas City, came across it safely. The Chicago
81 Alton, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, In
dianapolis e. St. Louis and Wabash trains for
the north and east passed over it tonight.
This fully restores passenger traffic on all the
roads from East St Louis in all directions,
aud everybody rejoices. The Wabash track,
which is much lower than the Chicago Il AL
ton and indianapolis & st. Louis. cannot be
used until the water subsidies several feet,
but it will have the full benefit of the c.. &
A.. trestle until that time comes. No other
tracks are now uDdar water md IL will hp
but a few days till the old-time ch~eerfulness
is resumed.
T. j. Richardson, agent of the Belt railway
at Venice, has been elected chairman of the
relief committee appointed to succor the des-
titute people on the American bottom north
and east Of that place. He says the situation
is growing worse daily, and that there are a
great number of people out in the country
who are surrounded by water and unable to
communicate their distress to any one. The
committee sent ont four skitfs TODAY, and
visited every house north and east of Venice,
and brought to that place all those in a des-
titute condition. Besides these" Mr..
Richardson says. there are plenty
of others who will not ask
for food or for any assistance.
These we must find out and help. To-day
people come in from eight and ten miles
above Venice asking for relief, and if we
can't get money any other way we will mort
| gage our houses and buy provisions with the
proceeds. One family" continued Mr.. Rich
ardson, "of people, including six small chill
dren, who had been living on raw potatoes for
four days, was found to-day aud relieved.
At BROOKLYN ninety families are known to
require assistance, and many more will no
doubt be found. Most of the su fferers saved
sufficient clothing for present wants, but
provisions and groceries, or money to buy
them, are sadly needed. The full committee
at a meeting at Venice to-day issued the fol-
lowing call:
VENICE, III, June 81.
The relief committee of tha town of Venice ap.
peals TO this, their home State of Illinois, for as
| sistance 10 relieve tine suffering occasioned ny
the overflow. Money or provisions can he sent
TO Henry Robinson. chairman of the relief cntn-
mittee. Our II eeds are pressing, and demand
F. ]. RICHARDSON, Secretary.
The upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
and also the lower Missouri, are falling. Old
! river men, and others ver>ed in such matters,
express the opinion that unless very heavy
rains fall within a radIus of from one to two
hundred miles, within forty-eight hours, of
which there is no present indication, it Is
safe TO say that the river has reached its high
est mark for this year. The levee on this
side of the river presents no new features. The
buildings from Cherry to Olive streets have
about sixteen inches of water on their lower
floors, but it is expected they will be clear of
the muddy fluid by Saturday. so that busi-
ness can be resumed. Elsewhere on this
side the situation is practically unchanged.
The fall has not been great enough yet to
alter the situation much, but everybody is
feeling relieved at the prospect of a speedy
subsistence of the hood and the restoration
of business. In the FISH lake region, south
of East Carondelet, the water has fallen
seven inches, and n considerable extent of
slightly-submerged land is again exposed to
light and air.
At n Stand mt Kansas Citv-