The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-05-23
THE SITUATION IS VERY SERIOUS.
Ten Million Bushels of Wheat Lost as
no Crop can be Raised.
ONE HUNDRED MILLS AFFEcrEp.
Impossible to Adequately Estimate the
Damages---Valuable Lands
Worthless.

St. Louis, May 23--The waters of the
Mississippi began receding slowly Satur-
day afternoon, and the worst is passed,
but pen is incapable of picturing the
distressing scenes. Ten thousand peo-
pie are homeless in the stretch of coun-
try between this city and Cairo, and
100000 acres of growing grain, has been
destroyed utterly. The great American
bottom, comprising most of the Atchison
and st. Clair counties, one of the great
est potato fields of the Mississippi valley,
is entirely inundated, and will not yield
a single potato. The cabbage crop is
also ruined. Tributary to St. Louis, the
seriousness of the situation NAV ',e
family realized when it stated that of all
the land under water at least 500, 900
acres was in wheat, and considering the
fact that no crop can be raised this year,
this means that not less than 10000, 900
bushels of wheat is lost. In addition to
this, homes have been wrecked, cattle
have been drowned and lakes and ponds
formed where the lands were dry for
years. This renders what was formerly
valuable land worthless. Over one
hundred flour mills are affected more or
less in the flooded districts; farm labor
erssare2out OF work for the season, as
well as millmen, and SO the tale of woe
increases. At Cairo the river is twenty
miles wide. and has eaten away homes,
drowned stock and submerged farms.
Reports from sections adjacent to East
st. Louis are more favorable. The rail-
ways have netyet begun using their re-
cently-abandoned tracks. In North st.
Louis the backwater caused many sew
ers to burst and the health of the resi-
dents OF that section is in danger unless
there is speedy relief The newspapers
and the board of trade are soliciting sub
scriptions for the food sufferers. While
attempting to pass through the flooded
district at Kansas city Saturday the
Missouri Pacific accommodation was
stalled; in the midst of the food. A train
/. of fat-cars long enough to reach from
| dry ground to the stalled train, was
made up, and it backed up to the accom-
mediation. which ihitched on to it and
pulled it out. The Arkansas passed the
great rise of 1854 by twelve inches.
I Thirty persons were drowned at Redtield
1 by caving banks. The country adjacent
! to Plumb and aWattersick' bayous, the.
finest quality of bottom lands, is all un-
der water. To add to the flood dam
age. a cyclone passed south of Texarkana,
| Saturday, causing devastation and desc
/ lation. Houses and fences were leveled
for miles. The wind was accom- panied
by excessively heavy thunder and great
quantities of sand, though there is no
dry sand within 100 miles of the city.
| The Des Moines river began rising again
1 Saturday, but is now at a stand, but
reached foot above the highest point
at any stage the present season. Relief
is asked for the food sufferers of Iowa
and Arkansas. In the latter state, over
a district comprising forty miles, the
crops of $4,000 people are ruined, and
the water viii remain high so long that
replanting of corn is not to be thought of.
Ghehalis had "a $3.50 900 fire Yesterday,
d the work of rramps. Insurance $50, 900.
4 Deemiag the demon was SWING off in
to-eternity this sdnerning atgl0.O1, Mel
bourne time. Heimade no confession.