The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-26
FLOODED FARMS.
a Story Of Ruin ard nesolation
From the Great Rivers.
The Floods Continue to Encroacl
and More Disaster May Be
Looked For.
SITUATION Along the Line OF Danges
aud Hestructi0n---The People
Tade Destitute by the
Watery Calamity.

'I. iools, June So.-South of East st
Louis, the Fish Lake dixie has broken, turning
the Mississippi over 10000 acres of farm
lands, For ten hours preceding the final ca
tastrophe, hundreds of men hurled sanabaes
and coal by the carload on to the weak spot
while thousands of men and women gathered
from the surrounding country to watch the
f1ght against ruin. No sooner did the break
occur than the widest excitement prevailed
Farmers hastened to their homes to look after
Their household goods and families The
roar could be heard for a mile Strong men
faarly wept to see their fields of grain and all
they had in the world swiftly swept away.
The destruction is incalculable, and has no
precedent in this part of the country.
The night was spent in unremittinp labor
ON the Chicago & Alton embankment, but
early IN the morning the water which had
broken through the Madison dixie tore a fear
fui crevasse About 600 feet of track seemed
to sink and disappear in an instant. The gap
has been widening ever since Parallel with
this embankment ran the indianapolis &
st. Louis and the Wabash tracks which could
not withstand the terrific current, and thew,
too. went down in quick succession, cutting
aH all direct rail communication with the
north. These breaks gave the water a speedy
exit to the eastward, and all day steady.
rapid current passed out toward the bluff,
The water is now spreading over the bottom
land north OF the old Ohio & Mississippi rail
road embankment which crosses the bottom
between East st, Louis and Caseyville
Nearly all the eastern part of Venice IL
under water Many families have vacated
their houses and sought safety on higher
ground Considerable of the town west of
the Chicago d Alton track is also submerged,
The Venice and Enterprise elevators are
closed, and the transfer stock yards on the
river bank are no longer available The loss
will be not less than S200,O00
At East Carondelet, six miles below on
the Illinois side of the river, the situation is
leplorable Fully three-fourths of the famil-
les are quartered in the school houses and a
few residences on the ridge of high ground
along the st Louis & Cairo road. Most of
these people are in destitute condition, and
nnles they receive assistance thera
will be great suffering. From this
point to the bluffs, and for four miles
south, the entire country is entirely sub
merged, and presents a scene of the utmost
tesolation and ruin Had the flood held back
Two weeks longer the farmers could have
saved most of their wheat and potatoes As
they were nearly ready for harvesting Both
are now lost, and the farmers are almost
ruined
The little town of Cohokia, short distance
from Carondolet, is all under water, the Ono
logue levee having given away. The inhabit-
ants are moving about In skiffs Much of
corn, potatoes, and other crops are submerged
and the loss is at least $500, 600 The st. Louis
& Cairo, and the Belt road, part of which ex-
tends to East Carondelet have been damaged
fully $50, 900
In East st. Louis the situation is unchanged
The Bowman dixie is still intact and protects
the business part Of the city, but outside there
is nothing but watery waste co-extensive
with the surrounding country.
The flooded district in the northern mart of
the city presents about the same appearance
az for several days past, In the lumber dis
orict large gangs of men are still working on
he levees and dikes which protect the differ
mt yards and SO far none of them have been
iooded A rise of another foot, however, will
nundate all of them, and 10000, 900 fest Of
iawed lumber will be surrounded by from
two to eight feet of water
'in track of the Vandalia road, against
Which great body of water from the break
u the Chicago and Alton now lies, will be
i,oded This tract, is north of the Ohio &
Mississippi aud much lower than that road
The 0. & NJ. track is above the food line OF
t'44 which was several feet higher than the
present rise, and no apprehension is felt in
fegard to it.
Adyices and dispatches from different
noints on the Missouri river say that nearly
III bottom lands are inundated, and that hun
lFels of thousands of dollars worth of crops
aavA heen destroyed, and thousands upon
~ sands of acres Of splendid farms laid
lvaste. The same kind Of reports comes from
= es on the Mississippi between here All!
'airo The river at this point marks 81 feet
inches
The river at Kansas City is twenty three
feet two inches above low water-a rise Of
four inches More driftwood appeared In the
rlrrent than heretofore. All trains left last
sii9ht except on the Wabash, the Council
Bluffs, and the Burlington to Denver. Trains
IN these three have been abandoned for a
week or more The river had risen seven
inches at Leavenworth in twenty-four hours
and eight at st. Joseph.
fhe Chicago & Alton, Chicago, Burlington
T. Quincy, and Indianapolis & st. Louis
roads will convey passengers to and from st
Louis and Alton by steamer, and
trains for the north and east will be made
dp at Alton. The Wabash viii use the Van
laia and Illinois Central lines to
Decatur, whence they win use their own road.
Creve Ceur lake, twenty miles west 9f
here, which came into some prominence as a
rowing course last season, and which Is really
an old bayou of the Missouri, has swollen 80
much from high water from the river that it
has flooded its left bank. The immense iee
hohse belonging to the Creve Cgur Ice com
1any, was undermined and fell, entailng a
ioss of $40, 900, and the railroad depot, hotel,
md other property have sustained consider
able damage.
MILLIONS OF LOSS.
ALTON, Ill.,, June 25.-The river at noon
was still rising and encroachiug more and
more on bottom lands. Seventy square miles
If fertile farms in Madison county are under
water, and as much more in st Charles
county. Back Of East st. Louis the loss has
already reached several millions. All rail
road communication with ST. Louis is cut off
and the trains are transferring passengers to
,teamers About all the damage that can be
done has been done.
Dakota EpiscepaIIans.
n Tz1na