Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-16
FROM BLUFF TO BLUFF
The Mississippi Swollen to
Vast Proportions.
Ten Miles Wide in the Vicinity
Of st. Louis.
The Water Still Rising at the Ratt
of an Inch an Hour.
At Kansas City the Situation Is Much
Improved The Missouri ana
Kaw Rivers Rapidly
Falling.

Falling.
Associated Press Dispatches.
ST. LOUIS, May 15.-At 10 p. m. the
river is still rising at the rate of an inch
an hour. The Associated Press reporter
took trip down the river for about
forty miles today. The situation viewed
from the pilot house of the steamer was
one of great devastation. Thousands OF
acres on which wheat was growing
week ago are now vast lakes upon whose
surface are floating pieces of furniture,
dwellings and bodies of animals.
From bluff to bluff this is
the unbroken monotony that greets the
eye. Ten miles was the average width
OF the river as far down as the steamer
proceeded. Hundreds Of homes are
abandoned and the number Of cattle
destroyed is expected to reach into the
thousands. At Montesano and Rock
bridge RATS were seen transporting
households to the bluffs. Bends
island, on the Illinois side, 10 three
feet under water. The st. Louis, Iron
Mountain and Southern railroad track
is undermined in many places. and no
trains have been run for thirty six
hours. On the Merrimac river the back
water undermined the foundations OF
over hundred houses. It is stated that
two st. Louis peddlers we're drowned
early this morning.
HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES.
Opposite Jefferson barracks on the
Illinois side of the river q number Of
houses were undermined by the food
and wrecked. It is believed all the
occupants escaped.
On Mullanphy island, thirty-six miles
north of st. Louis, in the Missouri
river, fourteen women and children
were rescued from watery graves this
morning by a volunteer corps OF
st. Louis citizens. Had the rescuers
been two hours later they would have
found only dead bodies, as the waterwss
rapidly encroaching on the small sec
ton Of land on which the party stood,
shiyering and half naked, and here they
had been for hours after being driSsp
from their homes by the flood.
Reporters stationed on the merchants
dead bodies floating in the water.
Most of them evidently had come long
distance.
It is now common sight to see small
houses and various articles of furniture
travelling past. All railway traffic
over the Eads bridge is abandoned, ow-
ing to the flooded tracks in Illinois.
The Burlington, Alton and other roads
run passenger trains in over the Mer-
chants bridge. The Walker soap works,
the Latin Powder company's depot,
Meyer & Harrison Fertilizer company's
establishments and several dairies and
warehouses are all flooded and work
stopped.
On the Illinois side the situation has
not materially changed since last night.
The flood has crept higher and done 9
correspondiDg amount of additional
damage, but so far as known no lives
have been lost. About 200
more houses have been wrecked
on account of weakened foun-
dations, but the furniture and
all the movable matter was taken from
them several days ago.
MOST SERIOUS ASPECT.
is found near Venice. Between there
and Joplin is mill.dyke. The water is
backing up on the Brooklyn side, food
ing several fine farms. The owners OF
those went down this morning and cut
the dyke, as by go doing the
water would run through into
Venice, the side where the land is lower.
The Venetians, however, are satisfied
with the amount of water they now pos
sess, and about twenty OF them,
armed with shotguns, patrolled the
dyke to prevent any attempt
to cut it. The Brooklyn men are deter
mined to drain their side. Up to mid
night no serious trouble is reported,
but both sides are on the alert. and be-
fore many hours conflict may ensue.
MADISON LEvEEs BROKEN.
NEW MADISON, ILL.,. May 15.-The
Madison levess are broken, and all that
protects the town from being flooded is
the Chicago and Alton embankment.
The water is within two feet OF the top
it threatens to do in several places, the
town will be flooded and very serious
damage done. The levees are guarded.
Horseshoe lake and Cahokia creek, to
the northwest, threaten to give way at
any moment, and danger of flood in
that direction is also imminent.
i ANOTHER TOWN FLOODED.
| CAHoKIA, ILL.,, May 15.-The embank-
ment of the Conlogue Railroad company
about 200 feet long has given way and
the town is flooded to the depth oi
several feet. No lives were lost, but q
large amount of damage has been done.
/ THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI.
/ GREENv1LLE, Miss. May 15.-The
crevasse near Gaines landing is 65C
feet wide this afternoon, and about
fifteen feet deep. It is estimated that
the break will place nine-tenths o.
Chichot county under water. No lives
have been lost, and no suffering is re-
ported.
RIVERS SUBSIDING.
The Flood Situation Greatly Improved