The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-28
The Damage and Ruin at shawnee
town as Great as at Lawrenceburg. r
A Graphic Picture of the Scenes in the In
undated City-Notes and Incidents of
the Steamers Trip.
from stan corrsspondsnt of the Journal.

say closed at midnight at Mount Vernon,
where the Isabella laid up for the night. At
5:25 this morning we were again headed for
this place, reaching here at 9:45, when the
work of loading the remaining supplies at
once began.
Our trip down the river was one never to
be forgotten, and as thoroughly enjoyable as
possible under the circumstances. Those
who have not seen the present flood in the
Ohio can form no adequate conception of its
magnitude and the extent of the devastation
wrought Take a strip of territory from
Lake Michigan to the Ohio river, varying
from three to thirty miles in width, and
cover it with water from three to thirty feet
leep outside of the central channel, this del
nge being dotted with 10, 900 farm houses and
buildings of every description, and you will
have faint idea of the outlook along the
Ohio to-day. Examining these myriads of
deserted homes they will be found in every
stage of destruction, from being sim
ply flooded in the lower story to
being swept entirely away. Over
turned outbuildings of every description,
stables and barns shattered and scattered,
and corncribs bursting and pouring their
cententsinto the rushing waters-the picture
is one of ruin and desoiation. The river now
is no more like the Ohio than country
courthouse is like the National Capitol. 1t
wears a strange aspect even to river men who
have spent their lives in navigating this
stream In addition to numberless govern
ment lights that have been abandoned
thousands of familiar landmarks are oblit
Grated either wholly submerged or swept
away by the rising waters. As re-
suit navigation is very precarious and al
most at standstill so that river towns de-
pendent upon steamers for communication
with the outside world are cut off entirely in
some instances. Owing to the unprecedented
high stage of water landings in many in
stances are very dangerous, and if the wind
be unfavorable will not be undertaken.
Smaller boats, similar to the Isabella, ven
ture everywhere, and during the rise of the
river afforded invaluable assistance to
farmers in rescuing stock and trans
porting other valuables to safe points,
sometimes passing out of the regular
channel to ha!f-sunken houses five miles in
land. To-day we saw good-sized boat
half mile away through the woods, taking
on load of corn through holes chopped in
the roof of a barn whose caves were even
with the water. Moving down the Ohio is
like sailing over lake, except for the trees
and numberless houses scattered about. But
a death-like stiffness pervades it all. Moth
ing in sight but half-sunken trees and houses
in various stages OF submersion; all is de-
serted and given over to the relentless wa
tiers.
EVANSVILLE TO sHAwNEETowN.
Down through such scenes as these we
started yesterday morning, our objective
point being Shawneetown. ILL.,. about sew
enty-five miles below this city Our first
stop was at Henderson, KY, where we left a
weeks supplies for fifty persons. At West
Franklin, on the Indiana side, sixty-fve per-
sons were provided for. Made no stop at
Mount Vernon and passed Uniontown, KY,
without making landing, in order to reach
Shawneetown before dark We landed there
at 5, and at once took boats to explore the
place.
The scene of desolation along
the river had become monotonous,
and flooded farms and overturned houses no
longer attracted attention or evoked COM
ment. But we were not prepared for the
scene that me met at the Inflated city of
Shawneetown. Your correspondent was
taken into skiff by Mr.. D. F. Norton,
cashier of the private banking house of NJ
NJ Pool & Co, and he at once rowed us to
the second story of the First National Bank,
q handsome structure on Main street, near
She center of the town. Here the local relief
committee had its headquarters and keeps
its supplies of food for daily distribution.
On the bank floor were corded up several
hundred loaves of broad and small quantity
81 bacon which were being distributed only
as the daily necessities demanded. Our
arrival was the source of the greatest astonish-
ment and gratitude, not that the people
there are starving, but having thus far ap-
having had but the meagerest communica-
ton with the outside world, the arrival of
the first relief boat from the capital
city of neighboring State was
greeted with the heartiest expressions
OF gratitude, while the oItspoken condemna-
ton of the dilatory action of the Legislature
at Springfield was universal.
Stopping a few minutes to talk over the
situation with Mr.. Norton, Mr.. Thomas s..
2idgway, president of the First National
Bank, and others, DR.. Elder and myself were
again transferred to a skiff, which was hauled
directly up to the bank door, fifteen feet
above the street level. Passing over high
iron fence, somewhere buried under the
water that surrounded aud penetrated every
thing We pushed out into Main street,
through which fearful current sweeps.
THE DESTRUCTION IN MAIN STREET.
The scene along this street was peculiarly
intarestinr desnite the evident distinction