Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-23
LIVING IN COW SHEDS.
Great Suffering In the Flooded Valley
Farmers Homeless and Starving.

Great Suffering in the Flooded Valley
Farmers Homeless and Starving.
Quincy, H., May 18.-The food in
this district gives no sign Of abatement.
A decline of an inch and a half here I'D
to 6 O'Clock this morning was due solely
to relief afforded by the numerous
breaks IN the two levees which per-
mitted vast lakes Of water to overflow
the basins. Since that, however, the
river has been on stand, and a further
rise is certain. 1t is possible in the
judgment of experienced river men that
the high water mark of 1851 will be
passed before the climax is reached. The
situation among the people suffering from
this disaster, is practically unchanged
since Yesterday. Relief crews from
this city have been sent In all Girec-
tons and the people on the bluffs will
be cared for.
The immediate necessities of the peo-
pie are being supplied by boat-loads of
provisions, and citizens here are sub
scribing liberal sums OF money and
boxes of clothing to be forwarded as
soon as the location Of the distressed
refugees is determined. They are in
especial need of feed for their
stock, hundreds of which are huddled
together on the embankments and only
partially fed by the citizens among
whom the sufferers have taken refuge
It is probable the state will be called
upon to furnish tents for the people out
of houses, who are now quartered In the
barns, sheds and corn cribs of farmers
on the highlands.
The first loss of human life was re-
ported this morning. Before there had
been number of narrow escapes from
drowning in the efforts to rescue stock.
The river is now ten miles wide and
the flooded district is forty-five miles
able the levee will not be rebuilt I'M
less by the state or government.
A special from Alma, Ark, says the
hardest rains for many years have been
falling in Arkansas in the last two days
and the streams are all overlooked. I'M
mense cotton fields and corn bottoms
are overhowed and the country is
suffering a general inundation. So quick
was the rise from the Big Frog Clear
Creek that the people were forced from
their homes and some were compelled
to swim for their lives. Many
women and children are standing on
the tops of houses crying for help, with
the water ten feet deep around them
and still rising. 1t is feared that sew
eral lives have been lost.
A special from Keokuk says there was
very slight decline of water late yes
terday but the rain that set in yesterday
at O'Clock served to keep it almost still.
The measurements taken to-day show
the stage of water to be within
less than foot of the great rise In 1851.
The railroads are all blockaded and will
not be able to resume for week even
should the worst of the food be over.
No further damage is reported from
the Venetian village Of Alexandria.
From Fayetteville, Ark, comes a re-
port that it has rained necessarily there
for the last thirtv-six hours, and that
the White River, usually a peaceful
stream, is now a rushing tor
rent five miles wide. Severe light
ming has also prevailed, in one
or two instances, doing damage to prop
erty. No report has yet been received
from the lowlands away from the rail
ways and the exact damage cannot be
figured. A washout is reported on the
Frisco Railway near Winslow.