Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-16
Steady Rise Of the Mississippi and
the Illinois,
REPORTS OF DEATH and DISASTER.
One Of the Redding, Cal., Robbers
Captured.
THE BROOKLYN HANDICAP
WATERS STEADILY RISING.
Reports OF Disaster From Throughout til
Mississippi Valley.

Mississippi Valley.
NEW ORLEANS, La, May ia break &C.
Cured in the levee at Benetearre, on the east
bank of the Mississippi river, eighteen miles
above this city, this morning. The break is 100
feet wide and five fec. deep. The water is pour
ing through the crevasse at a tremendous rate
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, May 16.-The Madison levee
gave way yesterday afternoon and thousands Of
acres of farm land are now flooded
Fourteen men, women and children, all
residents of Mullanphy Island, located
In the Missouri river. sixteen miles north OF
the mouth and thirty-six miles from st. Louis,
were saved from a watery grave by a volunteer
corps of just twenty prominent citizens Of St.
Louis, under the command of Mayor Noonan
and Assistant Chief Of Police Reedy, who i'm
periied their own lives in doing SO.
Late Saturday night telephone message was
received at the Four Courts from Florissant
that forty people were on Nlullanphy Island in
the Missouri river surrounded by u raging tor
rent A tug was manned here and sent to
their rescue. The upward run was a perilous
one. At the west end of Mullanphy Island
were found clustered fourteen men, women
and children. standing almost knee deep in
water awaiting death.
As NO yawl had been brought along the res
cuers were compelled to wade through the
water. About that time the ferryboat Fawn of
st. Charles, Mo-, under the command of Capt.
John Able, put in appearance with a rescuing
party. With their assistance the people were
soon out of danger.
DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI.
A trip down the river for about forty miles
shows the situation to be most serious. Thou
sands of acres on which week ago the waving
wheat was growing. making a rich carpet Of
green. are now vast lakes of water. whose
surface is broken by floating pieces Of
furniture, dwellings,. and here and there a
body of a COW OF hog. From bluff to bluff this
is the unbroken monotony that greets the eye.
Ten miles is the average width Of the river as
far down az the steamer proceeded. Hundreds
of homes have been abandoned and the number
of cattle destroyed Is expected to reach into the
thousands.
At Monte Sano and Rockbridge number of
RATS are transporting households from those
places to the bluffs.
Bends Island. on the Illinois side, is three
feet under water. Near there. on the Missouri
side, in the vicinity of the White House. is the
ST. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern rail-
way track. The embankment has in many
places been undermined, and no trains have
been run for thirty-six hours.
Up the Merrimac river the back water has
undermined the foundations Of over hundred
houses.
At Foster island 4 1000 acres of fine farming
i@.iu "A0 No'e1 WIN wee "iu Oh ii"PS VI
raising crop this year has been given up.
DEAD BODIES FLOATING DOWN.
nePo.e' oAeu Vn INC oi0.,n''
priuse IN noi'n o. Loui' nave seen SEVERN ueao
bodies noatlng IN the water. Most OF them
have evidently come long distance. 1t is now
a common sight to see small houses and various
articles of furniture travelling past. All rail-
way traffic over the Eads bridge has been
abandoned owing to the flooded tracks in Hi
nois. The Burlington. Alton and other roads
bridge.
LITTLE ROCK ISOLATED.
I;,+,a Poo, d;sn.tcb soys. Tho Artonsos
-, .,, :.-.
INer 'ooA a iiesn s.si' 'o'..s anu Is fisns iaP
idly. Trains on the northern branch OF the
Iron Mountain road have been abandoned for
the present. No passenger or mail trains from
St Louis anu the hor'n nave arfNeu Al Little
1T SIAI,.aN''a. os -, ,,a !; A. h...ov,.
between the Arkansas and Potean rivera are now
under water and people are rapidly moving out
of the bottoms All communication between
Fort Smith and the Choctaw nation is cut off.
The river during the twenty-four hours end
ing at 6 p. m. yesterday fell one-tenth at
Greenville, rose half inch at Lake Provi-
dence, vicksburg and st. Joseph, remained
stationary at Natchez and Bayou Sara. rose one
TENN al Baton rouge, one ana nail tenths al
'.-' CIV oAe' 80 "' Nv" 'A''
=,
Wh'ehaii, H., ulspateh says: commencing
at Happyville. eight miles west Of this place,
the Illinois river extends from bluff TO bluff a
distance of four and one-half miles. The area
of overaowed land in this county alone il fully
rs 900 acres. half of which has been in cultiva-
- L.