The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-04
FIRE ADDED TO FLOOD.
Incidents of the Shawneetown Disas-
ter by One Who Escaped.

Chicago, April A special to the
Chronicle from Carmi, Ill, says: The
disaster at Shawneetown, ILL.,, came
when the great majority of the people
were in their homes eating supper.
The break in the levee occurred mile
above the town and was within ten
minutes more than half a mile wide.
A stream of water II to 20 feet deep
carrying half of the current of the flood
raised Ohio descended on the unsus-
pecting people.
tidal 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.
Most of them were torn into splinters.
Their inhabitants were drowned in the
mud.
Nearer the center of the town some
brick structures stopped the on-rush of
the water for a few minutes, but about
two-thirds of the dwellings were lifted
from their foundations and f1oated out
into the current of the river.
After few minutes the horror of the
situation was added to by the catching
fire of a large house that had started
down stream with the others.
The people on the roofs were already
in danger of being thrown off by collis-
ions with other floating houses, but the
appearance of this floating fire brand
added horror. AS it struck one house
after another in it's zig-zag course some
caught fire and their unfortunate peo-
pie were compelled to intrust them
selves TO the mercy OF the SW1rl1ng wa
ter on pieces of wood
The break in the levee flooded four
miles of the valley land and cut off
communication on two railroads, the B.
& o. Southwestern and the L. & N.
The first rush of the current did not
do all the damage. When the water had
slackened somewhat, many houses were
still standing, but it was quickly seen
that the frame ones would not last in
the steady crush of the flood.
BY means of RATS and swimming in
the cold water, 20 or so people were
transferred from their garnet windows
and roofs to the fiat tops of the Gala
tin county bank, a brick and stone
building, and the court house, which is
of brick.
1t was hoped that these would with
stand the pressure and the undermining
but when the single courier who rode
for help to Cypress Junction, left Shaw
showed above the broad sheet of the
flood in the lower part of the town and
its full force was being thrown against
them. It was doubtful if they would
not collapse and throw the refugees in
to the river.
Beside the hundred or more who were
on the roofs of the two buildings, it is
known that nearly 1000 of the inhabi-
tants managed in one way or another
to make their way to the high hills
back of the town or to houses in the
higher section of the village itself.
In the streets at the upper end of
town. men and women were struggling
against the muddy water to higher
ground, some carrying babies on their
heads, where water was up TO thelr
necks. others half swimming, half float
ing on odds and ends of lumber from
homes that had gone floating down the
river, many struggling in vain and
sinking in the roaring waters.
AT one place a mother had reached
a safe spot and turned to help her hus-
band who had followed her with their
child. AS she reached down from a
So hi h fhTflt
from his footing and he and the child
were swept away in the current. The
woman saw him sink the second time
and then threw herself into the water.
Another family padded half way to
safety on a broad plank that but half
kept them out of the water. A side