Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-06-27
The Floods.

The Madison dixie, between Alton and East st.
Louis, broke in two places on the pa, flooding
a strip OF fifty square miles Of the richest land
In Illinois. The farmers made their way TO the
bluffs with such effects as they could transport
The wheat crop Of the region is a total loss
and railway commune ton with East ST. Louis
is cut off.
A st. Louis dispatch of the oath SAYS the
river is still rising, and should il rise another
foot will flow the dykes, and 10000, 00O
feet of lumber will be afloat at the yards near
that city. Early IN the forenoon Of that day
about 600 feet of the track of the Chicago
ard Alton Road disappeared, and the gap has
been widening ever since. The Indianapolis
and st. Louis and the Wabash tracks, which
are close by. are also down. thus cutting off all
direct railroad communication with the north.
The area of farm land submerged near East
st. Louis, is estimated at about Is, 900 acres.
and the damage to crops is placed at 5000 600,
At East arOndelet the situation is deplorable.
Three-fourths of the people of that place are
quartered IN the school houses and buildings
on the high ground, crops are nearly all de-
stTOyed, and the loss is estimated at over $780,
900. From that point back to the bluffs, a
distance of twelve miles, the bottoms are all
under water, and the damage and suffering is
almost incalculable- The little town of Caho-
XII, near Carondelet, is entirely under water,
and the inhabitants 90 about the streets in
boats, as their only means of locomotioD. The
losses to railroad ard farm property will foot
up into millions.
An Omaha dispatch of the 10Th says: Heavy
rains in southeastern Nebraska seriously dam
aged the crops in Cass, Otoe, Nemaha, John
son, Richardson and Pawnee counties, drowned
large numbers of cattle and washed away
bridges and railroad tracks. Cass County lost
fifty bridges. The destruction in Otoe County
will foot up 500, COO. The south part of Te-
cumseh is under water. The st. Joe and West
ern Railroad has lost thirteen bridges and all
trains from Nebraska City have been discon-
tlnued. The Missouri Pacific track near Au-
burn, Fails CITY and Hiawatha is gone and no
trains are running. The Nebraska Railroad
lost large number Of bridges and miles of
track. A son of James M. Woods was drowned
South Auburn, and an unknown man
succumbed to the waters at Dunbar. At Kan
s8s City the river rose eight inches IN ten
hours, and trains from tue east and north
were interrupted. In the vicinity of Liberty,
Mo, large bottom lands were under water.
People on the river front at st. Louis had to
vacate their houses, but will not lose much. At
Helena, Ark, the river rose at the rate of
seven inches day. A large strip of splendid
corn land in St. Charles County, Mo-, IS sub
merged and great destruction to crops will en-
sue. 1t is estimated that $4,000 acres are I'M
der water, and the damage will foot up IN the
neighborhOod of $780, 900. At Leaven worth,
Kansas, the river is still rising, and trains oA
the Rock Island road are abandoned. Reports
from Senec a, ILL.,, state that several lives have
been lost by reason of the high water in that
vicinity. The loss of propelt y has been great.
Two thousand feet Of the tracks of the Bur
lngton and Missouri and 1000 feet of the
Missouri Pacific have been washed out near
Atkinson, Kanz as, and no repairs can be made
till the water subsidies. At st. Joseph, Mo.
the river has passed Its best record, and more
than two miles wide outside the city. Mum
bers Of cattle and hogs have been drowned
and crops are entirely destroyed.