Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-24
DIRE DISTRESS.

80
Pftiahle Condition of the Farmers In the
Inundated Districts - More Breaks IN
the Sny Ievee Reported-Seyenty-EIvo
Thousand Acres of Farms buraed IN
der Six Feet of Water The Loss AImoss
Inestimable.
HANNIBAL, Mo-, May 19.-The high water
of 1883 marks another epoch in the history
of the Mississippi valley Ine great
ssFathcr Of Waters" from its very source
to where it empties into the GuiI OF MeA.
co, has been raging and leaping beyond
its confines and destroying all
within its pathway. No longer con-
tent to remain within It's en-
bankments it has burst them asunder anu
spreads its waters over vast terrlIorys
submerging villages, inundating neios oi
grains and destroying life and properly.
In many places its ravages have been very
destructive, entailing losses which Will
aggregate millions of dollars. but NJ
where in the whole valley OF tue MS
sissippi has the destructive force peen
more terribly exerted than In the ony
levee district. opposite this city. From
the heights above and below the city one
may stand and gaze toward the east anu
see a vast lake, covering some OF inc
finest farms on the continent. Here anu
there, like rocks emerging from
the bosom of the great ocean,
may be seen the tops of farm houses
and groves of timber, but all else, as Iar
as the eye can reach. is buried penea.la
the murky waters. The great valley VI
magnificent farms which but rev DAYS
ago was clothed in robes of green, is now
a desolate waste. Many farmers who
were in easy circumstances and recover
ing from the effects of the former HOODS,
have again been brought to the verge OF
bankruptcy and are in deep despair. -FOUR
times they have seen the accumulatlons OF
a time swept away and swallowed up
by the raging torrents. Since the preak
in the levee the river has fallen TWO Ieet
at this point. The water has recedeo
from the floors of most of the houses On
Front street. The situation on the Sny
bottom, however, has not materially
changed except that the water now covers
a much larger area than it did before.
The waves wash the foot of the bluffs ten
miles east The entire bottom is vast
lake, with here and there knoll not yet
submerged. The river is reported falllng
at all points north, and it is to be hoped
that che water may recede from the bot
tom IN time for the farmers to put in
crop of corn. 1t is the general opinion
that the meadows will be saved. More
than a mile of the Chicago, Bur-
lington & Quincy track has been
farm of C. NJ. Alger. One of the ice
houses belonging to Stores & Hinton has
bulged out considerably in the center, and
it is very doubtful if it can be saved Most
of the ice has been taken out. There are
five breaks in the levee now near Sand
slough, above the Hannibal bride, varying
in width from two hundred to five hundred
feet. In that vicinity the water has fallen
four feet from the highest point reached
Thursday. Several of the buildings in
this city which have been submerged have
had their foundations loosened and other
wise damaged by the water.
C. A. Willoughby, foreman in the wood
department of the Hannibal g. st. Joe
shops, says he does not expect to be able
to use the large belt which runs the ma
chinery before the middle of June. He
has arranged his motor power in the Sec
ond story by which the machinery is run.
The yards are still inundated and work
will not be resumed inside until the men
are able to work in the yards.
THE RIVER AT LOUISIANA.
LOUISIANA, Mo-, May 1S.-The great
flood of 1888 will long be remembered as
the twin disaster of 1881. The river rose
two inches higher yesterday morning than
the highest point attained in 1881, which
was seventeen feet and seven inches. 1t
has been cold and raining for several days
which makes matters worse. The levee
broke again yesterday, this time at a
point almost four miles above the city,
and the Sny district is now a vast ex-
panse of water. This district extends
from Hamburg bay to Hannibal, dis
lance of forty or fifty miles and will
average four miles in width. 1t comprises
almost 10000 acres of the finest land in
the prairie State. Seventy five thousand
acres of this is buried in six feet of water,
and in the vast watery grave are $4,000
acres of cultivated fields of wheat, corn
and oats. The pecuniary loss is estimat-
ed at $780,
Many of the people of the valley have
fed from their homes, some going to the
bluffs for safety, while others crossed the
river into this county. Many others, how
ever, remained, and are living in fat
boats and the second stories of their
houses, hoping that the water may soon
recede. The Louisiana branch of the
Chicago, Burlington e. Quincy railroad
between this city and Quincy, on
the opposite side of the river,
has been abandoned on account of the
high water. In this city the st. Louis,
Keokuk & Northwestern railroad depot is
surrounded by water and the platform is
fastened down with wires to keep it from
washing away. The traffic on this road is
badly demOrallZed. One train came up
from st. Louis yesterday, but could get
no nearer the depot than the Chicago &c
Alton crossing in the lower part of the
city. The passenger to-day could get no
further than Saverton, twelve miles above
this city, as from there to Hannibal the
track is under water, and there were no
trains at all from Keokuk. The Chicago g.
Alton railroad crosses the Sny bottom.
and the waters are beating against the
track and the Sny bridge with fury which
arouses the greatest fears that both bridge
and track will be seriously impaired.
large force of men are at work there to-
day strengthening tho road, and lending
every energy to avert disaster. The road
is safe so far and the trains all on time.
The river fell seven inches to-day, but
this is attributed to the breaks in the
levee at Hannibal. Many of our citizens
are heavy losers by the overflow, as thew
had purchased land and i'm.
proved it and put in crops. The majority
of the inhabitants of the district vera
renters, and the loss of their crops will
we'll nigh ruin them. The loss to this citv
will be incalculable, as u large portion of
our trade comes from the other side of tba
river.
Republican Senatorial Canon.