Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-19
The Raging g g Mississippi
Terrible Result of the Break in
 the Shy Levee.
THOUSANDS OF ACRES FLOODED.

Very Few Deaths bv Drowning Reported
 So Far, But Many People Have Barely
 Escaped--widespreadD Distress and Irrep-
 arabic Damage to Crops and Property.
 ST LOUIS. May 19-The Mississippi river is gradually rising at this point, but is stil nearly six feet from what is known as the danger line, and no fear of an overflow on this side is entertained. Nor is the Madison county levee, beween East St Louis and Alton, in any danger as yet, but the farmers in the American bottom protected by it are getting uneasy and preparing for the worst
 Quincy, Hannibal and Keokuk are the cities that have suffered most The first break in the Shy levee was at a point nearly opposite Louisiana, Mo, but the water is pouring into the Shy bottoms now from half dozen points between Louisiana and Quincy
 The Shy levee runs on the Illinois side, from Quincy to point about fifty miles south, and was built nearly half a century ago by the state of Illinois and Adams and Pike counties together, to protect the bottom lands between the river and the bluffs which run parallel with the river and from six to ten miles east of it All this land is now under water from two to six feet, many of the farm houses be ing half submerged
 The occupants have fled for the most part
 
 Only one fatality has so far been reported, but there have been many narrow escapes and the financial loss will foot up several millions of dollars. The wheat crops in the bottoms are all ruined, and the only hope now is for the water to run off soon enough to permit the planting of @ corn crop which may be done yet.
 A dispatch from Quincy says: "Relief crews have been sent in all directions and the people on the bluffs will be cared for. Their immediate necessities will be at once supplied by boat loads of provisions. They are in especial need for feed for their stock, which is huddled together on the entertainments and only partially fed by the citizens among whom the sufferers have taken refuge"
 At Alexandria the people have fled to the bluffs, many taking what household goods they could carry in boats. The entire popu- lation go about the place in boats, for the town is completely under water. A great force of men has been at work on the dikes in the effort to save the town from being swept away, but they can make little or no headway against the irresistible torrent As far as the eye can reach on almost every hand a rushing, roaring flood is seen. For ten or fifteen miles back from Alexandria the country is one vast lake. Here and there a 6esolate farm house may be seen, some with only the roof visible.
 The loss of cattle and horses has been very great. Entire herds are said to have per ished, and the work of rescuing the live stock is still going on.
 The damage to crops in Clark county, Mo. and in Hancock and Adam counties, Ills, can not be estimated. In fact the entire crop: have been swept away.
 Residents of Alexandria say that the flood is fully as great as that of 1851. In regard te widespread damage it is greater A--, houses in the place are being rapidly under mined, ana much anxiety Is felt by the in- habitants. All efforts to stop the flood have been abandoned, and nothing more will be done toward repairing the dilzes and levees until the water recedea The effect upon trade in Keokuk and Quincy is very depress- ing. The loss of crops is so large that mer- chants are afraid of great injury to their business.
 Standing on high bluff at Warsaw mag nificent sight is presented to the view. Look ing in almost any direction a waste of water meets the eye. The town of Alexandria looks as if it were just rising from the middle oi the river. For miles nothing can be seen but the rolling flood, with here and there a bunch of tree tops just peeping out of the waves The crops of the Shy Island farmers ara entirely ruined. The levee protected thou. sands upon thousands of acres of land every foot of which is now covered with water. Many of the farmers have immense fields of wheat that had promised an abundant yield. but are now entirely ruined. The farmers generally had ample notice, and had remove. their household goods and stock to higher ground or to this city. A nan named Robert King, who was working on the levee is miss ing, and his fate is unknown.