Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-25
MAD WATERS LET LOOSE.
MISSOURI LEVEEs SWEPT AWAY
By THE FRESHET.

Thousands of Acres of Fertile Farm
Lands Ruined FOrever-Crops Torn
Up and FlOated Away-Seventy Mil
non Feet of Lumber Surrounded by
the Flood
ST. LOUIS, June 23.-The Fish Lake
levee, which protected about Is square
miles of rich farming land on the Ameri-
can bottom on the Illinois side of the
river below East Carondelet, broke at IL
! O'Clock last night, and about ten thousand
acres of fine farms are now under water.
The damage to crops and other property
is estimated at $4,000. What is known
as Isabella bridge, on the Missouri
Pacific Railway, spanning creek about
10 miles this side of Jefferson City, was
carried away to-day.
The Madison dyke between here and
Alton, on the Illinois side of the river,
broke about s O'Clock this morning in two
places. One break was near Mitchell,
about twelve miles from East ST. Loais,
and the other further north, near the head
of the dyke, not far from Alton.
The crevasses are not very large,
but are growing rapidly, and the water
is rushing through them at fearful rate.
1t is expected that the entire bottom north
4
sixty square miles, will be flooded. Farm
ers are leaving their homes as rapidly as
possible, many of them going to Alton
| and others tO.different points ON the bluffs,
five or six miles back from the river. The
destruction of crops and the damage to
farm property will be very great.
An Alton, ILL.,, special says that the
panic among the people when the levee
| broke was very great and universal. They
fled towards the bluffs, carrying with
them whatever of live stock and house
hold goods they could save. Many head of
live stock were drowned.
There is fast rise coming down the
river, and this will, no doubt,
augment the flood until the wa
ter reaches the bluffs, seven miles
from the river. AS it is, all the country
between Mitchell and Venice is, or soon
will be OverflOwed, and the destruction to
crops Will cause loss of hundreds of
thousands of dollars. Not only are crops
ruined, but the force of the overflow has
torn the soil to pieces, and in many places
sand piles will take the place Of fertile
ground. The Kansas City Express on the
Chicago, and Alton Railroad did not reach
mere to-day, the track being overfiowed
south of Mitchell.
ST. LOUIS, June 24.-The river is still
rising at this point, but more slowly than
heretofore. The exact measurement can
not be given at this writing, the official
report not having been made yet. The
flooded district in the northern part
OF the city presents about the
same appearance as for several days
past. In the lumber district large gangs
of men are still working on the leYees and
dykes which protect the different yards,
and so far none of them have been flooded.
A rise OF another foot, however, will in
undate all of them and 70,000,000 feet
of lumber will be surrounded by
from two to eight feet of water. Should
this dreaded event occur it is expected
that fully one half of this lumber will
upset, i'll which case great quantity of
it no doubt would be fioated away and
lost.
In East st. Louis proper the situation is
about unchanged. The Boardman dyke
still protects the business section, but
outside OF the city there is a watery
waste.
Early to-day the water which broke
terday reached point just
above Venice and made fearful
crevice in the Chicago and Alton Rail-
road embankment. About 600 feet of
track sank and disappeared in an instant
and the gap has widened ever since.
Parallel with this embankment run the
indianapolis and st. Louis and Wabash
tracks, which also went down after the
Chicago and Alton and thus cut
off all direct rail connection
with the north. These breaks gave
the water an easy exit east, and all day
a rapid current has passed out toward
the bluff. The water is now spreading
over all the bottom land north of the
old OHIO and Mississippi embankment,
which crosses between East st. Louis
and Caseyville. Probably no attempt
VIII be made to repair the embankments
until the Water recedes. In the mean
time the Chicago and Alton, the Burling-
ton and Quincy and Indianapolis and st.
Louis Roads will convey passengers to
and from st. Louis and Alton by steamers,
and trains for the North and the East will
be made up at Alton.