Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-14
AN INLAND SEA.
The Mississippi Spreading Out-A Mis-
souri, Town Submerged.


souri, Town Submerged.
ST. LOUIS, May 13th.-At 10 o'clock yes-
terday morning the levee situated south of
Alexandria, Mo-, broke in several places
and vast volume of water began pouring
into the town, which was completely inun-
dated. A spasmOdic attempt was made to
check the irresistible flow, but within a
few minutes the laborers quit and accepted
the inevitable. 1t required less than an
hour to inundate the entire town, which is
covered with water from two to six feet,
submerging almost every foot of ground
The water has reached half of the
houses. Their occupants sought refuge in
the upper stories of buildings, where they
will be imprisoned until the subsidence of
the flood. In the main streets the water is
fully three feet deep, circumscribing the
movements of the population and render
ing transportation from one point to an
other possible only by means of skiffs or
rudely constructed RATS. The sidewalks
are overtiowed, and skiffs are landed
IN the doorways of private residences
Business is entirely suspended There has
been no loss of life, nor great damage to
property within the town.
At this point the Mississippi is fully
seven miles wide, and within the range of
vision one vast expanse of water greets the
eye. The area of farming land in the
Missouri bottoms that is submerged is esti-
mated at 10000 acres, and the continuance
OF the flood will result in approximate loss
to the farming community of that region
of at least $300,0 900.
high wind is prevailing to-day, which
caused the waves to wash the openings in
the Warsaw levee, which affords protection
to some $1,000 acres of fertile Illinois land.
THE HIGHEST IN THIRTY-sEvES YEARS.
lcoPrigi, 1883, by the ljornia Associated Pressl
KEoKUK, May 13th.-The high.water
mark of 1881 was reached to-day, and to-
night the gauge registered 10 feet, or two
tenths of foot higher than during that
Hood. The water is now within about one
and half feet of the stage reached in
1901, that being the highest on record. The
loss TO the lumber and mercantile interests
of this city is heavy, owing to the suspen-
sion of railroad traffic.
The tracks of all lines on this side are
covered TO such an extent as 10 render the
operation of trains hazardous. In many
places the tracks and bridges are washed
away. To-day the railroad folks are busy
protecting their tracks, and construction
gangs and stone trains kept moving about.
IN THB LUMBER DISTRICT
The situation continues to grow more seri-
Gus. 1t is difficult to approximate the loss.
The roads leading from Illinois and Mis-
souri, are flooded to depth that prevents
people from coming to the city in vehicles.
In the lower part of the city the river
extends from bluff to bluff, making it
about two miles wide
THE SWOLLEN STREAMS HAVE SPREAD
Over thousands of acres. Farming lands
are submerged, and the town of Alexan-
dria TO depth of three feet. At that point
the river is estimated at from seven to ten
miles wide. 1t is not thought that the
highest point will be reached here until
Wednesday.
AT DUBUQUE.
DEBUoUE, May 13th.-The river is but
four inches below the high-water mark of
1881.