Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-05-23
THE FLOODS RAvAGEs.

Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Acres
of Fertile Lands Along the Mississippi
Submerged - The Loss Estimated Mt
o3,OOO, OOO-MOre Breaks in the Levee-
Human Beings and Live Stock SUFFERING.
Greatly-Measures for Relief Estab-.
lished.
QUINCY, ILL.,, May 18.-The great food in
the Mississippi is now the highest on rec
ord, with the single exception of the inun-
dation Of 1851. The water rose seven inches
yesterday and is now only ten inches below
the stage of 1851. A crevasse occurred in
the Sny levee opposite Hannibal early yes
terday morning, and now the entire re-
gion protected by that embankment is
vast lake. There are 215,O acres in the
region, all of which was under cultivation.
The farmers were driven out of their
homes and are now camped on the up
land without food or shelter. As an illus,
tration of the devastation created by
the food it may be mentioned that one.
farmer in the city said yesterday that two
weeks ago he refused 81, 900 for his farm,
but that now he would sell it for S45. The
total area of cultivated fields submerged in
the two levee districts is 250,0OO, and the
loss to crops will aggregate 100000. A
relief movement was held in the city last.
night.
Above and below Quincy are over 100
miles OF levees, protecting fully zoe, 600
acres OF land. These are the most pro-
ductlve farming lands in the Mississippi
valley: The greater part Of the cultivated
area is planted to winter wheat and this.
crop, which promised from forty to sixty
bushels to the acre, IS destroyed. Not an
acre in this great territory, which is forty
miles long and five miles broad, can escape
the flood.
On the dry places on the entertainments
are hundreds of cattle, horses and hogs
without feed. Far across on the opposite
bluffs are gathered hundreds of men, women
and children in small groups, desolate and
forloru. Many Of them are utterly desti-
tute, having neither sufficient clothing nor
shelter, and some are suffering for food.
despite the bravery Of more fortunate
nelghbors who are making every exertion
to relieve their immediate wants.
Provisions and clothing are being sent by
neghboring towns, and are being distrb-
uted among the sufferers.
ST. LOUIS, May 1s.-Advices from Mis-
sissippi river towns above here say that
at AIS o'clock yesterday morning break
occurred in the shy levee at point about
two miles below the Hannibal bridge, and
this was followed at Gas o'clock by
larger and more serious one above
the bridge short distance. The more SEN
sible farmers had removed all their live
stock to the bluffs six miles distant, but
not a few remained until the moment of
the calamity, consequently they sus-
tanned serious losses. Hogs, cows and
horses could be seen swimming on the
food until they came in contact with some
obstacles, upon which their bodies would
be mangled. The smaller houses in the
bottoms are wrecked. AS yet no loss Of
human life is reported. The damage to
railroad property will be great.
From Keokuk word comes that it was
thought the worst was over, but very
heavy rain set in there yesterday morning,
and as the Des Moines river is rising rapid
ly there is no telling what the result will
be. The overflow is constantly increasing,
covering more land every day, and the
water is getting deeper. Vast quantities of
water are creeping over the levees about a
mile north of Alexandria, which forms a:
swift current that sweeps through the town
and threatens to carry away a number of
houses whose foundations have been weak
ened by the prolonged inundation.