The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-16
THE LOWER RIVER.
Much Suffe ring at shawneetOwn and Neigh
boring Villages.

boring Villages.
! SHAwNEETowN, Feb 15.-The river rose six
inches during twelve hours The telegraph office
was invaded and communication cut off for sew
eral hours The instruments were removed to
| the second story of neighboring building and
no trouble in the future is apprehended, unless
the poles are washed away and the wires break
! away from here and the high lands. One house
was carried away from its foundation this morn
ing and f1oated off. Several foundations have
given away and the houses likely to give
way at any moment. Should the wind rise,
great destruction in this direction is inevitable.
! 9 A. M.-There is increasing distress in the
hills back of the town, where many citizens
are encamped. The colony is well provisioned,
| but fuel is scarce and several cases of serious
sickness are reported No formal appeal for aid
| has yet been made but much assistance will be
needed. Several families who intended to re-
main during the flood preparing to leave.
Business, of course, is entirely suspended and
must remain so for several days About the
only boats running are the Evansville and Cairo
packets. The trip from Evansville here shows
vast of water.
Henderson and Mt. Vernon are the only towns
out of water Both are high and dry and in no
/
reach covers everything else.
! The situation at Uniontown grows more ser-
Gus hourly Many inhabitants have deserted
their houses and gone to places of safety.
Those who remain are living in second stories.
The fuel problem is presenting itself as an em-
barrassing incident Many neglected to provide
themselves, and the cold weather the last two
days has resulted in much suffering The river
there is steadily rising one-half inch an hour,
and at least two feet more of water is expected.
Aid will undoubtedly be needed. The same is
true of CaseyviHe, Weston, Cave-in-rock and
two or three points below here.
The situation at Shawneetown, at a glance is
quite as bad as represesented. The entire town
is submerged to an average depth of eight
feet and the river is rising steadily. The river
here is still about three feet and a half below
the highest point touched last year, and repe-
tition of that flood is not anticipated. Last year
the Mississippi river was higher, and the Wa
BASH Cumberland and Tennessee rivers at flood
height. This year the Upper Mississippi is low,
and falling during greater part of the time,
while the rising in the Ohio and Tennessee
rivers has not been high, and is now falling
The Cumberland river is above the danger line
but an average of eight feet lower than last year.
and the Wabash is falling. All these crcum-
stances are favorable to Shawneetown.
| The current from here down is very strong
From Paducah to Cairo it is like a mill-race so
strong indeed, that only the largest
steamboats, can stem it. Notwithstanding the
large volume coming therefore, the water is run
ming out SO fast that the rate of rise here is not
likely to increase
Shawneetown is place of 1000 people, not
one quarter of whom, it is estimated remain
Many have gone to Evansville, Henderson, and
Mt. Vernon, but majority to Bowlesville, three
and one-h half miles distant and other convenient
points in the higher neighboring country.
AT Bowlesville the coal mines shut down som
time ago, and the houses formerly occupied
by the miners are now used by Shawneetown
people In the same ncighborhood great
many are living in tents furnished by the Gov
ernor of Illinois. Among the latter there is
much suffering on account of cold weather. Two
or three cases of extreme distress are reported,
but as yet no deaths
An effort was made to reach John Boyds pork.
house, in which dozen or more families have
taken refuge, but 1t lies Just north of the north
levee, over which the current is swift that
the oarsmen were unable to stem its force The
pork house is strongly built, but its position is
perlous, and communication with the
outside is dangerous. While boat
was whrling around in the eddy below
the levee young woman puther head ont of tho
window, but when hailed and asked how the in
mates were faring, she failed to understand, and
quickly closed the blind, Passing over the roof
of a row of brick buildings, the site of which was
marked only by the chimney tops, the boat bore
down toward Church street. the principal
thoroughfare of the town On the way to
Church street the skiff passed McMurches flour
mill, to the northwest of the new schoolhouse
and to the south of Powens fvestory
hour min on the right McMurehe C
J Barrs mill is Just inside the leyee,