The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-27
The American Bottom, from Alton to CairD
All Under Water Thousands Driven
from Their Homes.
The Missouri River at Kansas City
Comes to a Stand.
The Damage to Property Incalculable-In.
mense Losses of Railroads in Kansas
and Nebraska.
IN THE AMERICAN BOTTOM.
Great Distress and Necessity for Assistance
Among the Farmers.

Great Distress and Necessity for Assistance
Among the Farmers.
ST. LOUIS June 26.-Advices from Chester,
Randolph county, Illinois, say that st.
Marys levee, opposite that point, in Mis-
souri,, broke on Sunday night, and ST. Mary's
bottom, large wheat raising region, is
nearly all flooded. It is said 10000 acres of
wheat are under water in this bottom alone.
From Chester to Grand Tower, southwark on
the Illinois side, a distance of twenty-five
miles, with an average width of ten miles,
embracing an area of $50 miles, is nearly all
submerged and the crops destroyed, entail
ing great loss. To the north of Chester
nearly all the way up to st. Louis, the bot
tom is said to be inundated, except here and
there a high ridge which is out of water
Information from all this region is of gem
eral, rather than specific character but it is
safe to say that ii all the bottoms are deluged,
as stated, thousands OF families are either
living in flooded houses or have fled 10 the
bluffs for safety, and that the loss of crops
and general farm property is almost incalcu-
liable
The American bottom extends from Alton
to Cairo, something over 200 miles. A large
part OF it is pretty thickly settled All this
great tract is subject to overflow in
freshets like the present and it can I've readi-
ly imagined that the loss Of property and
distress and misery brought upon the in
habitants must be immense. The town of
St. Mary's on the Missouri side, is partly
submerged, and Kaskaskia, on the Illinois
side, is to be abandoned the people there
carry them away.
A leyee three miles above Cape Girardeau.
Mo-, about fifty miles above Cairo and an
other at Prices Landing, twenty-five miles
further down the river, broke Sunday night
and let a large volume of water rush over
the bottom. Other points on both sides of
the river below here, particularly on the
Illinois side, are in about the same condi-
ton as above described, and it may be said
that pretty much all the bottom land be-
tween here and Cairo has more or less water
on it,
The best available information is that the
river is falling slowly in East ST. Louis, on
the river side of the Chicago & Alton track,
and still rising out on the bottom east OF that
embankment. The fall, if any, is small, but
it is enough to create strong hopeful feel
ing that the worst is past and that gradual
subsidence of the flood will now take place.
The situation at East st. Louis and on the
bottoms to the north present no notable
change. From Brooklyn and Venice on the
river bank northward to Newport Name
oki and Mitchell, on both sides of the
Chicago e Alton embankment, and from
along the Nandalia track eastward thence
north up the bottom for a dozen miles or
more, there is nothing but broad expanse
of water, and the scene is one
of desolation and ruin. Perhaps
there is not a farm in all this region, from
river to bluff, that is not submerged TO
greater or less depth, and only here and
there can a bit of land be seen where the top
OF knoll higher than the common level
shows above the watery waste. Some dis
tance north of Mitchell the bottom rises, and
as Alton is approached, where the bluff
touches the river some of the land has es-
capped inundation. Three-quarters of Brook
lyn is under water, and only one street in
Venice and a bit of high ground in the
north part of the town is above the flood
level.
CROP AND OTHER LOSSES.
In East st. Louis all the low land is mum
dated to q depth varying from ten to twenty
feet and hundreds of houses within the
o;t,, Int bovo thoir lo,,or eo,n.
oi'y i''"''' "''0 "'' NUNS
Hooded, and many ot them their
second stories. South of the city the entire
bottom for IN Indefinite distance inclpdine
'VI the VILLAGES zoe OF Of East Carondeiet Cahokia and
other small towns. is submerged and ali
farms for miles down the river are nnder
water. Crons are DESTROYED. and the FAM.
lies of the farmers who owned or rented
them are scattered along the RIDGES and blnlfs
seeking shelter wherever they can fnd it.
Many Of these moor neonle are in a destitnte