The San Francisco call., 1897-04-04
An Increase in Volume of
the Flood Reported in
Many Places.
At East ST. Louis the Situation
Is Becoming Exceedingly
Serious.
Along the Levee Districts in the
South Thousands Con tinue to
Battle for Life.

stood at 288 feet above Iow-water mark.
All the river front is under water. except
a space Of six blocks from Locust street to
Walnut. Hundreds of laborers are en-
ployed in carrying perishable goods from
the levee warehouses to higher ground.
The stretch of low ground, beginning at
Carr street and running north four miles
to Chain of Rocks and two miles wide, is
under water. Lumber yards in the vic1n-
ity are in danger of being swept clean.
Losses have been materially reduced by
the warnings sent out by the Government
Weather Bureau. Telegraphic reports to
the Weather Bureau here have come to-
day from points in this district, and re-
port an increase in the volume of the
river flood due to heavy rains of the past
twenty-four hours.
The Usage and Gasconade rivers, rising
in the OZARK Mountains and subject to
rapid and extreme fluctuations, had to-
day overfowed their banks and were re-
ported rising. The feeling of security in
East st. Louis is giving way to anxiety.
Their only reliance is placed in the thirty
six-foot roadbeds OF the railroads.
But Cahokia Creek, which cleaves the
city at about its central longitude, is to be
reckoned with. Back water from the
river can find an entrance behind the
railroads through the Cahokia, and all
the records of the 1893 food will be re-
peated. An evening journal prints numer-
Gus kilograms from points in Illinois,
Missouri, Arkansas and Nebraska, and all
note rising rivers since Friday morning.
Railroad traffic here is not satisfactory,
but is not paralyzed.
Reports received to-day from points as
far north as Dubuque are of very gloomy
character and state that the food situa-
ton is constantly growing worse and more
threatening.
All trains running south on the east
side OF the river have been abandoned,
the tracks having been either washed
out or so greatly softened as to be dan
gerous.
The reports from up the Missouri are
equally disheartening. From Jefferson
City comes news that large tracts of the
lowlands in that part of the State are
under water, and as all the tributaries of
the river are full to overf1owing and are
curing great volumes of water into the
main stream it is predicted that the worst
Of the trouble is yet to come.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 3.-Matters
are becoming very serious in the neigh
borhood of Austin. few miles south of
here and just beyond the Mississippi line.
The river is so high that the Ievee is in
the greatest danger. If it should break
five counties would be flooded and an i'm.
mense amount of damage done.
The weather is dark and gloomy and a
Ev,n osrs sof f~II 81. -s.n
presses the people. News from up the
river gives no encouragement of better
times in the near future Everything pos
sible has been done and is being done to
strengthen the levees.
The great danger now is that the Ievees
will be cut by people on the other side OF
the river. Armed men are patrolling
them night and day to prevent cutting,
and they open fire on every one approach
ing the levee.
Last night two men were killed at differ
ent points along the river bank. Thew
had crossed the river from the Arkansas
side in boats with the intention OF blowing
up the levees and thereby lessening the
pressure on their own side. A second
man In one of the boats jumped overheard
when the guards opened fire nd started
to swim to the western bank, but was
drowned, for no man can swim the Mis-
sissippi River at that point in tho present
condition of the stream.
That no mistake was made as to the
character of the men was shown by the
discovery of a can of dynamite in each
boat. evidently intended to be used in
making break.
80 far it has been possible to guard the
levees, but any night some one may sue
ceed in landing unobserved in the dark
and blowing up the levee. Consequently
the people are kept in q condition of
nervous tension.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa, April 3.-The rise
in.the Missouri River by the backing up OF
tributary streams is again making trouble
near here. Local officials OF the Omaha
and Milwaukee roads were notified to-day
that washouts are occurring everywhere
and bridges and culverts constantly going
out.
On the Milwaukee, communication be-
tween Sioux City and Mitchell is at an
end, the track between West Field and
Elk Point is missing and all repairs made
since the recent floods destroyed.
Nebraska agents of the Pacific Short
Line report their track quagmire and
all streams bank full or OVERLOOKING. From
the southern part of the county it is an
nounced the Little Sioux is again flooding
the bottoms. The Floyd is bank full and
threatens to repeat the mischief of fort
night ago, in Sioux City. 1t is raining
hard and all streams are still rising.
HURON, s. D., April 3.-Two inches OF
rain has fallen here the past forty-eight
hours and 1t is still coming down in tor
rents. There is more water in sight here
than at any time since the foundation of
the city. There is water everywhere.
Bridges are torn out and Thousands of
acres of lowlands are inundated. The
Jim River, usually only few feet wide, is
over half a mile wide tonight at the foot of
Third street. Trains on the Chicago and
Northwestern road east and south are be.
ing operated without interruption, but
those west and north have been aban-
doned, Immense quantities of mail and
freight for those directions have accumu-
lated here.
For q Nesr Aescs Service.