The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-14
THE GREAT FLOOD.
rHg cTscrsNAY4 DssAsTER-


] s&daa 5se nos attended msssa 60 gTaas loss Of
life a. reported The nass4er las been VERY
/ carefully Investigated and but for ahe
positive statement Of o1e man ii would be
difficult 10 ksy that anv laxes were lost.
/ Taat nnan~ is the baggage master. He
] says Nreas nmzAsser Ct people were o. TIE
platform II sas depot aad be thinks hat
at least tssa8F-z3Fe went 8own 81 the
waaer Thss kia4emens and opinion he
fepes4s- All other persons present say
that 1aaeE sam no one IA sssa water. and
believe tAat none were lost. bas al admit
sbege was great alarm and hurried fight.
Sc thai people n5ght have been engxalfsd
and net sect lsE t8sose fleeing. Coahnaan-
Inc cashier had warning enough 10 allow
him 80 secure g. 200 Ia the safe. With
abe exception Of the N em5eTE Of Coup
cancae, noshiug like definite statement
a. 10 ezY less las BEEN aSesg4efne3- No
eE0psoyesof tse railroad company are
faiseEng Tie 1omp4ny shows enough
confidence Ia the stability Of the remaining
portion Of TIE depot 70 use i. and trains
arrive and 1epsx4 regularly, but aoeess 10
the freight depot is cut of.
4 g1eam of hope cane 10 aEgha when
reports showed thai the river hat reached
lis A5gl3es& point al 5 p. IA, when the mark
sAowed saxty-faye feet and one and half
inch she next four hours the fact that the
worst seemed 80 oe over gave relief. The
tension has been strong OF the entire bust
ness portion Of the city, and the slight
rain falling 10 night gives nervous appre-
leaas5on ST more disaster 10 come The
situation Is alarming II would require
the publication Of The greater portion Of
the directory 70 name the business men
partscai4 larry il tobacco, produce, grains.
coulxniss on and al kinds Of manufacturing
Interests. whose business Is wholly sus-
pe aided, and maas Of whom lose ali their
goods- The manufacturers al lose heavily
ia the damage 70 machinery and STOCK,
aside from the loss Of time. More than
one thousand business firms and manufzc-
tarers are thas proSfrasea. yet the business
men are rot disbearsened and for two
DAYS have poareGsin tsae fund Tor the relief
Of the nassch greater class Of poor people
#7so are driven from their homes
LOUISVILLE. Feb I3-Busi0ess il sus-
pended On account Of the flood The
mayor i iiecraliF feeding the sufferers
The board # trade has given ss5ss1. and
promises more The German aood suf-
ferers' fand has been diverted Eo home use
The disaster Is the greatest that ever befeiE
the CITY sise crises came al midnight To
day nearly 4 square mile Of terTitoEr IS
submerged within the limits Of the city
From five thousand TO eight thousand PEG
de have been driven fEem their homes
There has been loss Of q. also: II Is i'm
possible 70 say hoH great.
This morning. the city, from Preston
street east 10 the cutoff and north Of the
ShortliBe fill, IS in the river. The residents
had plenty Of warning, having seen the
disaster coming since Yesterday morning
but Sere infatuated. Those OF the bottom
Of old Bear Grass Greek stayed at home
and most of them went 10 bed as usual
About ] i O'Clock last night break came
10 the cutoff dam which WAS overcome
by the terrific we1gnx Of water The dam
gave way instantly II may be imagined
with what fierce the waters came, when il
Is known that they had fall from fifteen
to eighteen feet 10 the low ground beneath
In less time than il takes 10 tell the yellow
tide was sweeping from all points and The
unfortunate people weTe surprised in their
houses with the mighty rush Of water that
swept from square TO square and rapidly
rising IN the houses seve1Dg m3Hy frsm
their foundations The scene was awful:
the roar of the waters could not drown the
screams of the terrified ones. who were es
Gaping from the doomed buildings skiffs
shot about from window TO window: men.
women and children waded through the ad-
y4DcIng waters. each with whatever house
hold goods he could lay hand on Has
thy built fires cleaned from the high
or ground, which the poor outcasts had
gained, and hundred of people shiFered in |
vet cfsthing about the smoky fire To |
the observer who stands 10 daY at the foot
Of Jackson, Shelby, or Clay streets it Is |
impossible TO understand why the loss Of /
lffeis not larger.
The people, blissfully sleeping i'm foolish |
confidence that the embanknent would /
shelter them, were radeiy aw akened by the |
food coming into their houses When the |
stroke came il was like lightning IN the |
darkness and cold. They fed from the /
v atery death, half-clofIed and carrying /
nothing with them save their children and /
the helpless ones. The panic was indies /
eTibable with the awful roar Of the water /
and the shrieks of the terror stricken PEG /
pie. who hurried To the higher ground, /
eaving their homes and posse ssions The /
city council has become relief committee, 1
with the mayor at its head. Everything /
possible is being done. The entire north
eastern corner Is a picture of utter des
struction. thirty-five squares being under |
water The whole point is submerged /
The country beyond the cut off comDris-
ng 100 houses, know as BowlisviIle IS i
aooded Half of Portland and all OF the i
shipping ports are in the waves
THE OUTLOOK rs APPALLING.
md thousands of spectators are viewing |
he scene The houses. mostly frail cot