Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-24
FLOODED A TOWN.
Minnesota River at Mankato Goes
on the Rampage.
ONE LIFE LOST IN THE TORRENT.

Whole Sleigh-Load of Men swept Away
several Families Rescued in Boats-Ter-
rfble Outlook in the Caruthersville, NO.,
RegiOn-Levee Cutter Shot and Thrown
into the Ri.er-Memphis Reports q Dis
couraging Prospect.
st. Paul. March "a. A Mankato.
Minn., special to The Pioneer Press
says: The Minnesota river went on a
rampage yesterday and loss of life was
one of the accomplishments. The gorge
which seemed to have broken Monday
night reformed below the city during
the night and has steadily grown firm
er. Yesterday afternoon the water took
a sudden squirt and rose two or three
feet in half that many hours. Along
Belgrade avenue through north Man
kota yesterday afternoon a sleigh load
of men was swept away by the torrent
which had set'in across the avenue The
drowned man was named Andrew Han
son, formerly from Winona, and anoth-
er man was only saved by clinging to
a tree where he was rescued with much
difficulty after an hour or two of work
Several families were rescued from
their houses with boats. The great flood
of Monday night and yesterday has
caused nearly 200 families in the lower
section of this city and North Mankato
to abandon their houses to the fast
encroaching waters. One-half of North
Mankato, a village of 700 inhabitants,
is under water and a wild torrent is
rushing through it.
Situation Mt Charlottesville.
St. Louis. March PA special 20
The Republic from Charlottesville, Mo-,
says: The river rose here one inch and
a quarter during the last twenty-four
hours and continues to weaken the
levees- The great encouragement Of
three days ago is departing, as day
after day the government reports bull
letin the rise from Cairo up. The sit
ustion here is serious. A terrible wind
storm and three sixteenths of an inch
rainfall occurred between 1880 and 10
O'Clock Monday night and the wind
blew a gale yesterday. The situation
just across the river grows more alarm
ing every day. The loss OF life. of
property and of live stock is frightful
Even with the three relief tugs, many
have lost all their earthly possessions
and barely escaped with their lives and
families.
On One Little Sawdust Heap.
One little sawdust heap. half an acre
square, near Tiger Tail mill, on the Ten
nessee, side, We're crowded twenty
people ard 100 head of live stock all of
which were picked up by one of the
tugs. The crevasse just below town is
now more than ECO feet wide and the
water is pouring into the county Con-
trary to expectations this water is now
driving families cut in the upper end
of the county. a guard shot man be-
low, on the Arkansas levee, the other
night, while in the act of cutting the le-
wee, and threw his carcass in the river.
No one knew his name and no one
cared
Result CT n Rise of Six Inches.
If the river rises six inches more it
will sweep over the top of three miles of
levee north of here like cataract, un-
less the people are able to keep ahead
of the rise which they hope to do. Every
sgaure inch of available room is occu-
pied by refugees from the flooded dis
tricts. Three families are occupying
two deserted school houses, and one
family is in the new jail The Methodist
church is full, and refugees now are &C.
cupying the two gin and grist mills.