Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-05-24
Great Distress Of tho Hundreds
OF People Driven Out by
the
Mississippi FlOOds-Many of Them Es-
E cape With Insufficient Clothing
and No Food.
Appeals For Help to b Made-The Scena
of Desolation-The Wabash Bridge
Damaged.

now prevails along the Miss s5ippi river
has never been equaleI except In 1891. Ten
days ago tbs water re tched the danger
point and ON that time has been rising
steadily at the rate of from four to four
teen inche. daily The Government gauge
now marks nineteen feet nine inches, be-
ing seven inches higher than the great
flood OF 1881. Above and below Gu ncy
are over 100 miles Of levees for the protec-
ton OF fully 100000 acres of land, the most
productive farm ng lands in the vail y.
Sunday morning the great break occurred
in one of these, the Indian grove levee.
During the day two other crevasses
were made aud within few hours
thousands of acres OF winter wheat
that promised a yield of from forty to
sixty bushels to the acre were laid
waste. The farmers had been working on
the embankment night and day in the
hope of saving their homes, and when the
food came a majority of them had barely
timo to save their families, so sudden and
overwhelming was the onrush OF the tor
rents. Outside of the embankment was
the great river. sold body OF water TWEEN
ty feet deep, and as soon as creVaSSe was
made it poured through the opening with a
roar that could be heIrd long distance.
Every moment increased the width of the
crevasscs. Thirty homes were deserted
on the moments notice from riders who
were sent out to give warning of the dan
ger, in many cases the people being obliged
to leave every thing and fly to the bluffs or
seek safety in boats.
Monday the Sny Carte levee, an en-
bankment mmencing just below Quincy
and extending south u distance of fifty-four
miles, gave way between Hannibal and
Louisiana, and the scenes cnacted the day
previous were repeated and intensified.
Early in the week the Alexandria levee,
thirty miles above Quincy, gave way COM
pletely flo ding that thrifty city. Thurs
day crevasse was made In the Sny levee
at East Hannibal, followed soon after by
another break mile south, and last night
the destruction in all the levee districts
was complete Not an acre of ground in
this vast territory CAN escape the flood,
and the loss to the farming interests is
simply incalculable. Cattle and horses
fairly swarmed in many places and many
were drowned. The river above and below
the city is from ten to fifteen miles broad,
covering all the farms on both Sides and
extending from the bluffs on the Illinois
side to the high bluffs in Missouri.
The scene of desolation between Quincy
and Hannibal is simply piiiable. What
was few days ago fertile valley teem-
Ing with abundant crops is vast expanse
of water, deserted by every living thing.
The water is pouring over the top of the
levee, beside rushing through the breaks
y
force. On the dry places on the embank-
ment are hundreds of cattle. horses and
hogs without feed. Far across on the OPP
posite side of the bluffs are gathered hun
dreds of men, women and children in small
groups, destitute, suffering and despair
ing. They look upon the ruin wrought, on
farms laid waste, property destroyed,
homes almost completely under water and
furniture floating. Many Of them are ut
terly destitute, have not sufficient clothing
.snor shelter and some are suffering for
food, despite the bravery of their more
fortunate neighbors, who are making
every exertion to relieve their Immediate
wants. Steps have been taken to aid
them.
Railroad communication to the west
from this city is entirely cut off. every
rond being under water. In many locali-
ties ties and rails for Il distance of many
miles have been washed from the r. ADDED
by the flood, and are piled up along the
embankment and in the woods Bridges
and culverts have been carried out and the
rcadbeds seriously damaged
In this city factories and warehouses
along the river are seriously embarrassed,
and large buildings are being gradually
undermined by the rushing waters Uu-
less the flcod subsidies soon the loss vi
be much heavier than hithert to anticipatcd.
Last evening mass meeting was held tn
devise means for the immediate relief Of
the destitute sufferers of the flood, who
for the past two or three days have been
coming to the city in boats, a single row.
beat often containing an entire family with
such hous ehold effects could be quickly
gathered together. Money was freely sub
scrioed to provide provisions and clothing
to be delivered north and south of Quincy
in charge of citizens relief committees
RAILROADS IN BAD SHAPE.
HANNIBAL, Mo-, May lathe water from
the break in the Sny levee yesterday morn
ing caused the Wabash bridge. four miles
west of this city, to swung out of line and
TRIMS on that road have been temporarily
abandoned, thus cutting off the last means
OF communication by rail between Hanni-
bal AMI Chicago. Several brid yes on the
Hannibal q st. Joseph between Quincy and
Palmyra are also unsafe, and on this &C
count the mi in line trains on that road are
now run into this city, the passengers Le-
ing transferred betwee1 Quincy and Han
n'Hal on the steamer Henry w. Long
THE RIVER AT ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS, May lA-The Mississippi river
at this point has been steadily but SLOWLY
rising for number of days p; st, but is
still some SIX feet below the danger line.
Some OF the cellars along the levee arc
filing from water backing up the sewers,
! but steamboat men do not appreheud big
freshet, the breaking of the Sny levee in
the vicinity of Hannibal and Quincy hay
ing relieved the main enamel of much
water and unless the Missouri 81 ould pour
out Hood on the present rise there will
not be much damage done here.
New Railroad Company.
RIcuFIELD. Kan, May lS.-The organiza-
ton Of the Kansas City, Richtield q Trim
ldad railroad was completed here to-day
md Ol,o
S2,OO000O. Principal office, Richfield, Kan.
President B. c. MItchall; first vice-presi-