Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-20

HAVOC WROUGHT BY THE FLOODS.
A ROKEN PROM s E
IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH.
Looking Over the Districts Swept by tn,
Floods.

Looking Over the Districts Swept by the
Floods.
CHICAGO, Nay 2O.-That the situation
cannot become much worse is about the only
consolation left to the food-scourged
inhabitants of the Mississippi valley. From
the very source of the father Of waters down
to the La Delta the story is one OF
desolation. Farms ruined, houses swept away
live stock drowned railroads idle, human lives
in danger-such is the history of the big flood.
Beginning at St. Cloud, north Of Minneapolis,
where the dams are reported to be giving way
following the Mississippi down to Keokuk
where the great Egyptian levee has yielded,
flooding thousands Of acres of the richest
farm lands On the continent; thence
in succession passing the cities of
Quincy and Alton. where the work of
wind and water has been disastrous, the first
great stage of the desolate journey ends at st.
Louis. 1t Is impossible to make An esti-
mate of the damage to property in
that city and vicinity, except to say
that millions will express 1t. and
crops destroyed. the wreck Of several villages,
injury to factories, the stoppage of trains and
the Generalization of business.
In North st. Louis the situation, already bad
threatens still greater danger. Devastation
hovers over a big and prosperous manufacture
MS uisuict Alteauy the losses anu damages
turn over 81 900 900 and hundreds Of men arc
in enforced idleness.
East ST. Louis, which has borne the full force
of the wind. il now an island and in a critical
condition, but perhaps the most critical situa-
tion Of all obtains at East Carondolet. That
village is entirely surrounded by water, and a
report comes that between 200 and 800 people
are in danger Of their lives. as large vessels
cannot approach the place and the current is
too swift for small boats. Other places in the
vicinity are badly enough off.
The news from Kaskaskia. ILL.,, is that the
several hundred people there are in great dam
ger. az the town proper is already partly sub
merged and the water is rising rapidly. Merely
to name the towns and villages in Missouri and
Illinois that are suffering from the inundation
would make a list of appalling length. The
truth Is that the destruction is SO widespread
and overwhelming in its character as to be diff
cult not only of description, but Of realization.
On the Missouri, too, and its tributaries the
waters are abroad to n greater extent than ever
before known. Throughout the Dakotas farms
are under water. bridges have been carried out
and railroad tracks undermined.
The horror at Sioux City is still engaging at
tention. and the full story of the deluge has not
yet been told. Even yet hundreds Of
people are closely following the receding
foods searching for their ruined homes
and missing relatives. Weeks and perhaps
months will be required to repair the havoc
caused by the food. and it will probably never
be known exactly how many persisted in the
torrent. The loss by water, even where the
buildings were not carried away. was very
large. Everything is soaked or ruined or
sTna. he'd BY the waves or by the timbers hurled
along by the current
special from Sioux City saws the railroad
put men to work to clear the track and switch
ya-ds yesterday. agreeing to Pay S1.25 per day.
After working short time the men struck for
s1.50. All acceded and the men went to work
again. In about an hour they struck second
time, demanding "a. Only the Milwaukee
Company acceded and most Of the men quit
Down through Nebraska the Missouri and its
effluents are on the rampage. The Platte is
especially turbulent. and all along its course
through the state until it empties into the Big
Muddy at Plattsmouth it has left desolation on
either side.