Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-04-08
A TOWN DESTROYED,
ShawneetOwn. H.. Swept Away
by a Flood

The Levee Save Way and the Town Was
Inundated without Warning---aO 60
90 Lives Destroyed---some narrowing
Experience.
The most destructive flood since johns
town. Pa, was overwhelmed swept away
Shawneetowu. ill.,. SUNDAY afternoon, 300
ta $50 of The inhabitants being drowned
iu the turuiI waters 0. tine ONO. which
broke through the ietea without warning
a wal. ID water DID, feet high poured
through tue Main street %. the town.
sweeping everything H1ar.. Fifty small
frame houses along tine Iue of tne Iev.e
were crushed like toys. and nearly all a
THE occupants, mostly negroes. persisted.
People living ln more substantial houses
climbed tp tue second and third stories.
where they chung during the long hour. of
the stormy night the inhabitants of the
western part OF The town had more time to
escape. Many fled tU the Iryee banks.
and others reached the small bills "a mile
away and from them saw their homes
crumUle IN the muddy waters. When day
light came Monday the water was JOB TO -
feet deep IN the village streets and only
the substantial buildings in the business
district were stanuIL-
A despatch to- the Chicago Chronicle
from Carmi. ILL.,. SAYS that the disaster at
ShawneetoWn came when the great ma
lorlty OF the people were in their homes
eating supper. The break iu the levee oc-
CURED mile above the town and within
10 minutes was more than half % mile
wide. A stream oft water H. TO ~ feet
deep. carrying half Qi the current of the
iloOu-ralsed ONO descended on the uusus.
pectlng people. 10 came down iu q great
rush. like a ida. wave. There was no
slow rising of the waters To give warning
The houses on the outskirts were lifted up
and rolled over and over, Almost all of
them were torn into spiIuters Their inc
haOltants were drowned iu them Near
the centre of the town. some brick strur
lures stopped the on-rush OF the water flf
few minutes. but about two-thirds of the
dwellings were lifted from their t0unll-
tlons and tiOated careeniuUiy out into the
current OF the river
After a few minutes the horror of the
situation was added TO boy the catching ire
OF large house that had started down
stream with the others The people on
the roofs were already IN danger of being
thrown of Dy collisions with other floating
houses. but the appearance of this floating
hreDrand added horrors. As 1t struck one
house after another lu Jus ZlU-ZIG course
some caught hre and their uuiortuuate
inmates were compelled 10 trust Themselves
90 the water on pieces OF Wood 20 avoid
more terrible death uv rr.
The break ODD the ievee flooded -four
miles of the valley land aud cut Off COM.
muulcau0u Oh Two railroads. the ba.t.
more and ONO Southwestern ana the
Louisville ana Nashville The first rush
OF the current did uo, do all of tine dam
age When the water had slackeneH
somewhat many houses We're still stand
ing. but It was quickly seen that the frame
dwellings would not ast IL the steady
crush OF the food BY means OF RATS and
swimming IL the cold water 20 or 50 PEG
pie were transferred from their garnet win
dOws and roots 90 the fiat tops of the Gal
latin County bank. a brick ana stone
building. and the courthouse, which IS Of
brick
The scene IN the streets al the upper end
OF the town, where men and woman were
struggling against the mud and water 20
higher ground, some carrying babies on
their heads where water was M to their
necks. others half swimming. half floating
on odds and ends of lumber from home.
that had gone floating down the river.
many struggling u vain and sinking. was
one that will i've II the memory OF every
behoder. AT one place a mother mad reach
ed a safe Spot ana turned 10 help her nus
band. VINO had followed with their child.
AS she reached down from a window 10y
ms hand. he was thrown from his footing
and ne and the child were swept away III
tine zIg-zag current The woman saw him
sink the second time and then threw her
self into the water
Another family padded hall way 10
safety on a broad plank that Dut half held
them out of the water a side current
caught them and sent them out toward the
middle OF the stream where IN the rougher
water they were seen 10 capslze and sink
An old man named GritieH. living on the
high ground, stopped IN the upper story of
his mouse 10 secure a hoard OF money hid
den under the bed His son. young man
OF Il. had to climb up the porch TO rescue
him, SO quick was the rise OF the water.
and when the TWO attempted TO swim 20
safety. the younger man supporting the
Older a floating house that came tumbMug
on the current overwhelmed them
1wenty-tnree known dead. possibility
that the list may reach 80. some 1900 peO-
pie IN actual need OF the necessarIes of life.
100 people homeless and damage TO the
amount of 500 600 is the net result OF
floods which swept through ohawneetowu.
says despatch OF Wednesday.