The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-06
THE WATERS .RECEDE.
Illinois Farmers Lose Nearly
Four Million Dollars.
Great Suffering Caused in the In
undated District.

The great food in the Mississippi, which
will be remembered as without precedent
in the destruction and suffering created, Is
slowly abating, says Quincy QL) dispatch
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 been rendered homeless, and
thousands Of acres Of growing crops ruined,
to cay nothing Of the loss entailed by demcl
ished dwellings, wrecked fences and wash.
outs
A trip through the submerged regions
shows that the stories Of loss and suffering
already Published have not been exaggerated
county to the southern end Of Pike county
the land ON the Illinois side Of the
river was protected by. a system q
levees, the region embracing $50 900 acres,
the soil being the richest in the State. All
the region was found to be one vast Lake from
six to ten feet in depth. Along the bluffs on
tho eastern edge OF the Submerged
district hundreds OF families were camPed,
living in tents, huts and the open air. Before
the flood most Of these people we're weH- -to-do,
prosperous farmers, but now they have little
or nothing. Much sickness prevailed among
tho unfortuuates, but prompt measures were
taken to alleviate their sufferings.
The inundated regions were full OF desciar
tion. Deserted homesteads, with the water
tapping theeaves were the:.most frequent; as
wen as the most pathetic SIGHT. While
the vast majority Of the inhabitants fled to
the higher land q few were not granted
time to get away or misjudged the character
of the breaks In the level and determined to
stay with their homes and were seen living in
the trees or on the roofs Every reef was
turned into place of refuge for livestock,
poultry, ETC., but numberless houses have
been drifted from their foundations and car
ried away with the irresistible current or de-
molished entirely. -.
In the Sny levee district below Quincy,
H., the situation was infinitely worse than
In the regions to the north. The creyasse,
which completed the inundation, opened at
the upper end Of the embankment and the
pent-up waters from the river. poured
over the vast tract Of rich farming land,
sweeping everything before taen. The tor.
rent rushed down in great wave several feet
high with force which nothing could with
stand. The towns Of Fall Creek, Seehorn
and Halls were mere islands and hundreds OF
refugees were huddled together in limited
space. -
enormous, and it will be three weeks after
the water subsidies before trains can be
running on time. Quincy was cat of from
south. The Quincy and Carthage track was
under water for distance Of several miles.
The Quincy, Alton and St Louis track Is
washed for miles, the bridges are gone and
telegraph poles down.
Owing to the great confusion 1t is impos.
sible to obtain detailed losses, but the aggre-
gate will reach fully IS, 1000, 0O0 from crops
alone. The damage to the levees, houses
and railroads will approximate $500, 600.
Reports received at Quincy, Ill, record
the drowning Of Samuel Moore by the floods
in the Indian Grave leyee district and Of two
children Of VIM. johnson in the Sny district.
Two families living in the Sny district were
unaocounted for and no trace of them could
be found 1t is probable that many fatalities
will be recorded when all the facts regarding
the food are fully known.