The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-06-30
STILL BOOMING.
The AmerTcen IsOttona Flooded nv the Ria
hng River,-The Loss Becoming some
thing Eaornious.


~ ST.. LouIs. Mo, June %
The rise Of the Mississippi continued un
I'll yesterday afternoon, the gau.,e as three
p. IN. showing an Increased depth OF three
inches within twenty-four hours. The meas.
urement gave thirty-four feet and ten
inches above low-watcr mark, the river
being one foot higher than in the food Of
1881, and seven feet two inches lower thau
in the great food OF 1894. Later i'm the dav
the depth seemed about stationary and the
general opinion among river men seemed
TO be that to-day would show slight sub
sidence Of the waters.
Attention was largely directed yesterday
60 the perilous situation OF affairs in East
st. Louis, general feeling OF alarm exist
ing among the people of that city, and but
partial faith existing in the work done to
preserve the town from inundation, though
effort in every direction was not abated,
and weak points in the dikes strengthened
ms far as practicable. We're the danger 70
East st. Louis confined 10 single weak
point there would be no difficulty in meet
ing the emergency, but the food threatens
from so many different directions, and the
pressure OF wat at noany localities is so
great, that it seemed yesterday largely a
matter of chance whether or not the fight
could be maintained successfully until the
slow subsistence of the Mississippi lessons
the strain upon the weakening embank
ments.
Later reports from the flooded farming
region to the north and south of East st.
Louis show that hundreds of thousands Of
dollars worth of ripening crops have been
destroyed and hundreds of farmers ruined.
A great number Of families have been left
absolutely homeless.
Nor further loss resulting from the food
is reported on the ST. Louis side of the
river, and rise OF several inches must still
come to affect seriously the well-protected
lumber-yards and manufactures in tho
northern part Of the city.
Immense Loss Above Chester.
EAST CARoNDELET ILL.,, June %.
The water at this point is still rising, and
it is now believed that in two or three days,
should the river continue TO rise, there will
not be dry spot between the river and the
bluff, except a ridge known as the "bench,"
lying parallel with the bluff, about two
miles from the river. Most of the farmers
have retreated to this tract with their stock
for safety. Further south, in the vicinity
of Fish Lake, the ruin wrought by the
waters simply beggars description. At thu
eastern end Of the dixie, which crosses the
lake, is a narrow strip of land connecting
two ridges across which the farmers of the
neighborhood had constructed n temporary
levee, which up to twelve O'Clock to-day
held the water back from about 1900 acres
of corn, potatoes and wheat. For seven
days and nights the farmers have battled
in the hope that just this little spot at least
might possibly be saved, but all their ef-
forts proved fruitless. The water steadily
crept up the Crumbling banks, and at noon
the workers threw down their shovels, as
the waters burst through, laying waste the
last of the crops.
In the vicinity of Smiths Landing, Har
risonville, Chester and Grand Tower, the
situation was but duplicate of that pre-
| scented in the Fish Lake country. The
| entire bottoms from East st. Louis to
Chester on the Illinois side and from St
Mary's TO Bailey's Landing on the Missouri
| side being inundated, save an occasional
| knoll here and there.
In an interview with Mr.. Welsh ex
| Sheriff of Randolph County, it was learned
! that the st. Mary's levee, opposite Chester,
broke last night, loosening the waters of
! the Mississippi upon 100000 acres Of wheat
| that was ready for the reaper, and accord
! ing to the opinions of those competent to
! judge, would have yielded thirty bushels
! to the acre. The town of ST. Mary's is
! partly submerged, and is still further
| threatened unless the water should subside.
| From Chester to Grand Tower, a dis
| tance of TWENTY-FIVE miles, the situation is
even worse than in the st. Mary's Bottom.
| The bottoms between these points repre-
! sent an average width of ten miles; hence
| in this locality alone an area Of 20O square
miles is said to be fully tmee-t ourths under
water, while the influx continues TO spread
out, swallowing up the rich fields. .-'-s
In the neighborhood Of Kaskaskia the
same doleful aspect presents itself. The
1 town is to be utterly abandoned to tho ris-
ing waters, the inhabitants having already
| telegraphed to Chester for a boat to convey
| them to the latter place. Tho brealHPg of
! Levee No. l, in the vicinity OF Smiths
! Landing, which occurred at two O'Clock
! this evening, destroys the last hope IF saw
ing anything in that part Of the bottoini
The Missouri at Atchison. -
ATCHIsON KAN. Juno o
Since Sunday forenoon the Missouri
River at this pointhas risen sixteen inches,
now making eighteen feet three iIiches
above. low-water mark, with. the volume
gradually increasing, having gained nearly
five inches to-day. All atIvicesfronl points
further north-Sioux City, Nebraska City
and Omaha--are to the effect that the river
is ON decline. Such streams asr the
Nemaha and Platte, which Pouredtnost
of the water into the mainriver, owingto eN-
ceSsive rains, are also subsldlng, as the
former has lowered four feet in the past
twenty-four hours. Old rivermen here in
cline to the opinion thabwhile the present
waters may recede two feet, still bifs June
freshet may catch the then high water and
cause disastrous results. This IS partially
confirmed by reports TO. the GoveTnment
/ EngiTleer that the y elloWstpne AND Viper
Missouri are rising How mpch or how
rapidly is not given, but II proves the
theory that high water may Yet be antici-
pated and that all danger is not passed.
The high water has at last affected the bot
toms and low lands opposite here IN mi
souri,, as it has cut through what - denoni-
mated the Sand-C Cut, near Rushviiie, mum
dating that section. aF D..
A Bad Break In the Leyee. #eT