The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-02
SWIRL OF THE FLOOD.
Mississippi, Ohio and Miami
Rivers Are Over the Banks.
MANY SMALL TOWNS INUNDATED
st. Louis Suburbs the Worst SuHerers-
Great Damage Being Done-Loss
Of Life Being Reported.

ST.. Louis, May 1.-The river at 6 O'Clock
this evening showed a rise of over foot
since last night and is still rising. Up to
O'Clock the water caused the abandon
ment of the greater portion of East Caron-
delet, III. The telegraph Office of the st.
Louis connecting railway was wrecked this
morning and several small build
ings washed away. A body was washed
ashore near the site of the wrecked
telegraph office. Many persons who had
been living in the second stories of their
homes were forced to move out altogether
today, and several had narrow escapes,
barely getting ont before their residences
collapsed or floated away. At Belleville
several manufacturing establishments have
been forced to shut down, their boiler
rooms being inundated. On this side of the
river north of st. Louis, so far the worst to
suffer is the district known as Oklahoma.
now a vast lake with here and there
hastily vacated shanty protruding few
feet above the water. Trainmen from the
east tonight say that the water has prac-
tically covered all Of Brooklyn and num-
Der of people are moving out of their houses.
Venice will soon rival the city OF which it is
a namesake. The East st. Louis dock
warehouse gave way about noon, and fully
one-fourth of the vast building with its
heavy contents fell in a heap, the roof
sinking and settling upon the wreck.
Thousands of barrels of flour. sacks Of
grain, boxes of canned goods, bundles of
shingles and a miscellaneous lot of
other goods were precipitated through
the ground floor into the water.
One laporer named Cicero Pate, colored,
40 h nIar y aI ohr ia Nd
two laborers were injured. The loss will
be heavy, but it is impossible to ascertain
the enact amount.
ALTON. Ill.,. May LIN the past forty
eight hours the river has risen nearly
three feet and is still booming. South
and east of here the farms are nothing but
watery wastes. Several bridges are down
at Wood river and the work of rescuing
has commenced. The Wabash branch was
abandoned this afternoon. The big pump
at the water works had to be abandoned,
and altogether the outlook is gloomy.
CINCINNATI, May 1.-Rain and cold
weather. which for the past three weeks
has wholly stopped all blowing and plant
ing in Ohio, is eliminating in disastrous
floods here. Over two inches have fallen
within the past twenty-four hours, and
the Ohio river is leaping up at the rate Of
four inches an hour. The whole of North
western Ohio is flooded, and the wheat
crop is ruined. while other crops are so de-
layed that the yield must be small. The
Ohio river at midnight is just touching
fifty feet above low water and rising at
the rate of an inch an hour. ''Rat row"
and Sausage row" are flooded, but there
is nothing unusual in that tor these dis
tricts.
SPRINGFIELD, O., May AT noon today
an immense water spout burst over Ire
mont City, village near here. At about
the same time the mad river broke its
banks, and within eighteen minutes the
water flooded the town, carrying away out
buildings and stables and flooding
the first floors of residences. Great dam
age was done. At midnight 100 acres in
the northeastern part of this city, contain
ing 200 houses, is flooded and the water is
rising a foot an hour. Scores of families
are in danger and the police and patrol
force, together with citizens, are rescuing
people. Boats and horses are being used.
Electric street car traffic over the entire
city is stopped.
DAYTON, o, May 1.-The Miami river
has reached an unprecedented height, and
the water has found several weak points
in the levee here, SO there Is reason for
anxiety. One hundred and fifty acres of
the residence portion of the city is flooded.
VAN buren,, Ark. May 1.-Two water
spouts struck the Northern part of Craw-
ford county yesterday and washed out
bridges and railroad tracks on the Santa
Fe road. All the reports are not in and it
is feared the damage done was immense
and many lives lost.
PARIS, Tex, May LA cloudburst
swept the slope of the mountains yestcr-
day and carried away thirty-fve miles of
the Frisco railroad tracks. The north
bound passenger train which left on Satur-
day, was unable to get beyond Mountain
burg so il returned. The south-bound
train stopped at Greenland. The Arkan-
sas river is eight miles wide and much
damage has been done along its course.
Five farm houses q few miles on this side
of Fort Smith were demolished by whirl-
wind