The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-03
ON THE RAMPAGE.
Western Rivers Rising To Beat the
Flood Record.
MERCHANTS AT ST. LOUIS DRIVEN
OUT OF DOORS.

Reports From All Directions Show That
the Streams Are Dangerously High
In One Town, People Rode to Safety
On Horseback-Railroad Trains Are
Not Running Because Tracks and
Bridges Have Disappeared.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, May 2.-All last night
the river steadily rose almost an inch an
hour, and this morning the swell touched
the danger line, 80 feet above the normal
level. The current is running swiftly,
and the heavy swell is causing great anx-
iety to owners of warehouses and stores
on the east side of the river. In the
northern part of the city, residents and
storekeepers along the levee are moving
goods to the upper floors. The squatters
on the lowlands have been driven out of
their cabins by the water pouring over
the floors to depth of two feet. Along
the ievee the water is up to the railroad
tracks, and gradually forcing its way
toward the stores that line the front Of
the city. The storekeepers are moving
their goods to places of safety. Expert
enced and conservative river men predict
flood that will exceed that of last year.
On the east side of the river from Alton
to East st. Louis, the flood has caused
great damage. At Altonwood, the river
has overfiowed its banks, damaging the
Equitable powder mill, and throwing the
bridge of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy railroad out of line SO that it
cannot be safely used. At East st.
Louis, the river has filled Cahokia
creek and is running flush with the sew
ers. Surrounding East st. Louis the
lowlands are flooded, and communica-
ton with several towns is cut off. Re-
ports show that all the rivers in South
ern Missouri, Arkansas, Southern lii
nois, Kentucky, and Tennessee are on
the rampage, pouring heavy volumes of
water into the Mississippi. At Fort
smith, Ark. traffic on the Frisco road
south from the city is suspended. At one
place 40 feet of trestle has been " ashed
away, and it is hard to tell when traffic
will be resumed.
Van Buren, Ark, reports that not a
train has run on the Santa Fe road since
Saturday. Three bridges and several
embankments have been washed away.
At Pine Bluff, Ark, the river is within
four feet of last years high water mark
and is steadily rising. Advices from
southern Missouri and northeastern Ar
kansas are to the effect that the third
flood of this year in White and Black
rivers is now pouring down those streams
doing great damage to all kinds of prop
erty. A large part of Poplar Bluff, on
both side of Black River, is submerged
and the people are obliged to abandon
their homes. The Iron Mountain rail-
way track has washed out in several
places. The bottom lands along both
the White and Black rivers are flooded
for scores of miles and all the crops are
greatly damaged or wholly destroyed. At
Steelville, on the Maramec river, Craw-
ford county, No., the water poured
through the main streets four feet deep,
flooding the houses. People had to be
taken from their homes on horseback. A
branch of the st. Louis and San Francis
co railway between Steelville and Salem.
which runs through the iron mining re-
gion, has washed out in dozen places
and the bridges have been swept away.
1t will take 10 days or more to repair it.