Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-04-12
TORRENTS OF WATER.
Bring Death and Destruction to
Shawneetown, Ill. +. r
Ohio River Breaks Through a Gap in
the North Levee-NeighbOrin
Cities Arc Prompt In
Extending Aid.

| QOrCn leVee broke at 4:SO O CLOCK Sun
day afternoon and the Ohio river flowed
over the town many feet deep. The
town presents an awful sight. Water
stands over nearly every foot of the
town, the business district being under
from ten to twenty feet, and this varies
to three and four feet. The flood swept
200 houses from their foundations.
Noble rescue work was done with skiffs.
People were found clingipg to house
tops, trees and other debris.
Not So Bad as First Reported.
Mount Vernon, Ind, April GA re-
vised list of the victims of the flood at
Shawneetown shows the number of
dead and missing to be 30. Accounts of
the disaster have been greatly exagger-
ated, the people of the town giving
voice to the widest stories in their ter
ror. Mayor Carney himself has been in
clined to magnify the estimate as to
loss of life. Sheriff C. r. Galloway, of
Gallatin county, whose wife and fam
lily were lost in the flood, was taken
to the home of J. W. Millspaugh Mon
day. The sheriff is suffering from ex-
rene nervous prostration, and it is
feared that he will lose his mind. The
scene along the levee in front of the
town is pitiable. Homeless families
unable to find shelter are camping in
the open air and endeavoring to keep
warm by the huge bonfres that have
been started with driftwood.
Money will be needed to rebuild the
town when the water subsidies. No
business of any kind is being transacted
and every stock of merchandise is ten
feet below the surface Of the water.
The vaults of the First national bank
are submerged, and at this time the
property loss is estimated at 100000.
Shawneetown is not the only town to
suffer because of the high water.
Uniontown, KY, IS miles above, is en-
tirely submerged, and several houses
and barns have been swept away.
Raleigh, Ky, six miles up the river, is
completely covered.
The lower portion of Carmi, ILL.,, on
the Wabash river, is entirely flooded.
The water reaches half way to the Sec
ond stories of the houses. The water
is level with the floor of the iron road
bridge, but the railroad bridge is still
two feet above at one point on the Big
Four. A mile north of Carmi the track
is but one foot above water for quar-
ter of mile.
Water Is Falling.
Shawneetown, ILL.,, April mo adj
ditions have been made to the list of
dead and missing and all people here
agree that the number will not exceed
80. All but 40 of the towns population
have been accounted for, and as no bod
les have been recovered it may be that
fewer lives are lost than even the con-
servative ones estimate. A police force
of 20 has been organized under the
command of Van Calvin to protect the
town from vandals. The guard patrols
the north and south levees, while a
number of men are stationed at the
base of the hill back of the city. Per-
feet order is maintained, and as the
water is now falling it is believed that
the danger is over, with prospect of
entire relief from the flood Within ten
days. F. E. Minter, acting coroner, and
W. P. Walters, health commissioner,
have dozen rowboats patrolling the
streets in search of the dead. After
dragging the water for six hours We'd
nesday morning they failed to find a
single corpse
Situation at Uniontovvn, Ky,
At Uniontown, KY, several houses
went off their foundations Wednesday
morning, but no lives are lost The
people are in no need of help, and al
though their town is under water they
sent men and provisions to the relief of
Shawneetown. Along the Ohio river
between Shawneetown and Mount
Vernon are to be seen herds of cattle,
horses and mules huddled together on
little knobs which stand in the river
like islands. When the river is confined
to it's channel these islands will be part
of pasture lands three miles back from
the stream.
Heavy Claims Upon Spain.
h