The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-22
WATERS W0EFUL WAKE.
FULLY 100000 ACRES FLOODED
IN ILLINOIS.

The Land the Richest for Farming IN
the State-Nothing Able to Resist
the Force OF the Rushing Torrent
Hundreds of People Left Destitute.
QUINCY, ILL, May 2l.-The great flood
in the Mississippi river, which will be re-
membered as without precedent in the
destruction and suffering created is slowly
abating, and it is thought that the worst
of the high water is passed, but the worst
that could happen has already occurred,
hundreds of families having beon rendered
homeless, and thousands of acres of growing
crops ruined, to say nothing of the loss
entailed by demolished dwellings, wrecked
fences and washouts. A trip through the
submerged regions shows that the stories of
loss and suffering already published have
not been exaggerated in the least.
10000 ACRES UNDER WATER.
From the northern end of Adams county
to the southern end of Pike county the land
on the Illinois side of the river was protected
by system of lovees, The region embraced
250, 900 acres, the soil being the richest in
the State All this region is now one vast
lake from to 10 feet in depth. Along the
bluffs on the eastern side of the submerged
district hundreds of families are camped,
living in tents, huts and in the open air.
Before the food most of these people were
well to do, prosperous farmers, but now
they have little or nothing. Much sickness
prevails among the unfortunates owing to
want and exposure, but prompt measures
have been taken to alleviate Their sufferings.
FULL OF DEsoLATIoN.
The inundated regions are full of desoa-
ton. Deserted homesteads, with water
tapping the caves, are a most frequent, as
well as a most pathetic sight. Here and
there is spark of life not yet exingushed
by the all-destroying waters. While the
vast majority of the inhabitants fled to the
higher land a few were not granted time to
get away or misJudged the character of the
freaks in the levte and determined to stay
with their homes, and are now living in the
garrets or on the roofs Every roof lsis
been turned into place Of refuge for live
stock, poultry, etc, but numberless houses
have been lifted from their foundations and
carried away with the irresistible current
or demolished entirely.
WORSE AND WORSE.
In the Sny levee districts, below this city,
the situation is infinitely worse than in the
regions to the north. The crevasse which
completed the inundation opened at the
upper end of the embankme 1t, and the
pent-up waters from the river poured over
a vast tract of rich farming land, sweeping
every thing before it, The torrent rushed
down in a great wave several feet high with
force which nothing could withstand
TOWNS ISOLATED.
The towns of Fall Creek, See Horn and
Hulls, are but mere islands, and hundreds
of refugees are huddled together in a limited
space. Four or five families are living in
each of the rooms in the few houses above
water, and are suffering intensely. The
damage to railroad property is enormous,
and it will be three weeks after the water
subsidies before trains can be running on
time.
This city Is cut off from railroad connec-
tion north, west and south. The Quincy and
Carthage track is under water for distance
of several miles. The Quincy, Alton and
st. Louis track is covered for miles, bridges
are gone and telegraph poles down.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and
Wabash tracks at East Hannibal were
washed out Saturday morning. On the
west side of the river no attempt is made TO
run trains on any of the roads.
Owing to the great confusion it Is inn
possible to obtain detailed list of the
losses. but the aggregate will reach fully
$1,000, 900 from crops alone. The damage to
levees, houses, and railroads will approx
mate $6OO,UOO.
LOSS OF LIFE.
Reports received to-day record the
drowning of Samuel Moore by the flood in
the Indian Grove levee district, and of two
children of William johnson in the Sny
district. Two families living in the Sny
district are unaccounted for and no trace
of them can be found 1t is
probable that many fatalities
will be recorded when all the facts
regarding the food are fully known. Much
sickness prevails among the destitute people
from the inundatei districts, but the relief
committees of Quincy are rendering every
possible assistance to those in distress The
river today is falling slowly, having de-
clined 0 inches from the highest point
reached Trains on western roads will be
resumed tomorrow, and the damage to all
the roads in this locality will be repaired as
snnadilY ns nosSihle