The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-16
THE RAGING MISSOURI.
Ten Miles Wide and Still Rising-Dam-
age by Kaw In Kansas.

foot an hour. An Associated Press re-
porter took a trip down the river tor
about forty miles today. The situation.
viewed from the pilot-house, is one Of
great devastation. Thousands of acres on
which wheat was growing week 40 are
now vast lakes, upon whose surface is
floating pieces of furniture, dwellings and
bodies of animals. From bluff to
bluff there is an unbroken monotony
that creets the eye. Ten miles is the
average width of the river as far down as
the steamer proceeded. Hundreds of
homes have been abandoned and
the number of cattle destroyed is
expected to reach into the thou
sands. At Montesano and Rock Ridge
RATS were seen transporting households to
the bluffs. Bends Island, on the Illinois
side, is three feet under water.
The st. LOUIS, Iron Mountain & South
ern railroad track has been undermined in
many places. and no trains have been run
for thirty-six honrs. On the Mer-
rimac river the backwater has undermined
the foundations of over 100 houses. 1t is
stated that two ST. Louis peddlers were
drowned early this morning.
GREENvILLE, Miss, May 15.-The Gre
wide this afternoon and about fifteen feet
deep. 1t is estimated that the break will
place nine e-tenths of Chichot county under
water. No lives were lost and no suffering
is reported.
Opposite Jefferson Barracks, on the Illi-
nols side of the river, a number OF houses
have been undermined by flood and
wrecked. 1t is believed, however, that 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 grave
this morning by volunteer corps of st.
Louis citizens. Had the rescuers been
two hours later they would have
found only dead bodies, as
the water was rapidly encroaching
on the small section of land on which the
party stood shivering and halfnaked, and
here they had been for hours after being
driven from their homes by the Hood. Re-
porters stationed ON the Merchants bridge
in North st. Louis have seen several dead
bodies floating in the water, the most of
them evidently having come long dis
tance. 1t is now common sight to see
small houses and various articles of furni-
ture travelling past. All the railway traffic
over the Eads bridge has been abandoned.
Owing to the flooded tracks in
Illinois, the Burlington, Alton and other
roads run passenger trains in over the
Merchants bridge. Walkers Soap Works.
Lafflin Powder Company's establishments
and several dairies and warehouses are all
flooded and work has been stopped.
On the Illinois side it has not changed
materially since last night. The flood
crept some higher and did a correspond
ing amount of additional dam
age. but SO far as known no lives
have been lost. About 200 more
houses were wrecked on account of weak
ened foundations, but the furniture and
all movable matter had been taken from
them several days ago. The most
serious aspect was found near Ven
ice. Between there and Joplin is
small dixie. The water backing
upon the Brooklyn side, flooded several
fine farms. and the owners of these went
down this morning to cut the dyke, as by
so doing the water would run through on
the Venice side, where the land is lower.
The Venetians, however, are satisfied
with the amount of water they
now possess, and about twenty of them
armed with shotguns are patrolling the
dixie to prevent any attempt to cut it.
The Brooklyn men are determined to drain
their side. Up to midnight no serious
trouble is reported, but both sides are on
the alert and before many hours conflict
may ensue.
New MADISON, ILL.,, May 15.-The Madison
levees have broken and all that protects
the town from being flooded is the
Chicago & Alton embankment. The
water is within two feet of the top of
this and if it gives away. which it threat
ems to do in several places, the
town will be flooded and very seri-
Gus damage will be done. The
levees guarding Horseshoe lake and
Cahokia creek to the northwest, threaten
danger of flood in that direction is also
imminent.
CAHoKGA, H., May 15.-The embank-
ment at Coulogne of the railroad company,
about 200 feet long. has given way and the
town is flooded to depth of several feet.
No lives have been lost, but large amount
of damage has been done
KANSAS CITY, May l5.-The Missouri
and kaw rivers are subsiding and resi-
dents OF the submerged suburbs will rest
was felt, as the rivers were rising an inch
an hour, and these fears in some cases
were realized. for the Kaw swept without
restraint over ground il never covered be-
fore In Argentina and Armourdale 1t
reached the first stories OF some of the
houses and flooded the lower floors Of
nearly all except those on the bluffs some
distance from the river. All night people
were moving, horses and moving vans be-
ing at a premium, as were also the places
for storage.
Today. however,th the situation is changed.
as the kaw river has receded two feet and
three inches and the houses in the more
elevated streets are high and dry. Those
in the bottom are still partially submerged.
The towns on the kaw above report fall
of from three to five feet during the past
forty-eight hours. This low stage of the
water will probably be reached here to-
morrow night. In the meantime all the
anxiety OF the people has been allayed and
many who were driven from home moved
back today. The packing houses, which
shut down yesterday noon. will resume as
usual tomorrow. as will several other es-
Establishments affected by the Hood. The
waters also receded from the Belt
line and the Santa Re roads
and traffic has been resumed.
A large force of men is engaged in Ar
mourdae at the warehouse of the Con-
solidated Tank Line Company keeping
some thousands Of barrels of oil aioat
from going down the river. Harlem is
the only place beside Armourdale and
Argentina affected by the high water and
the damage there Is insignificant. The