The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-04
TIDAL NAVE SWEEPS
Town of ShaWneetoWn Illinois
Inundated.
FRIGHTFUL LOSS OF LIFE
Two Hundred and Fifty Peo-
pie Reported Drowned.
FRIGHTFUL LOSS OF LIFE

Evansville. Ind, April 3.-The levee at
the entire town is flooded from ten to
twenty feet. The levee is IN front OF the
town and the hills are in the rear. It is
reported that more than 200 lives are LOST.
All wires are down and no particulars can
be had. Evansville has sent two steam
boats with food and blankets to the
scene.
BY WAY OF ST. LOUIS.
st. Louis, Mo-. April "a special 70 the
Republic from Girard, H.. says;
A telephone message has been received
here from Shawneetown, ILL.,, saying that
at 4:3 O'Clock this afternoon the Ievee
above the city broke and the city is in
undated. The water has backed Up for
five miles and rushed down upon the city
ike tidal wave. After the message was
received telephone and Geographic COM
munication with Shawneetown was sud
denly cut off, which tends to confirm the
report. Nothing more was learned. 1t is
rumored that over 200 lives were lost.
When the river is at its normal stage it
Is LOCO feet wide at this point ana the
citizens havelong feared catastrophe
such as occurred tonight, as trelnen-
dous pressure is brought 10 bear on the
levee during freshets. Several years ago,
during a flood, the water flowed over The
levee and the streets were undr two feet
of water. The levee was Strengthened and
built up afterward and the town has since
considered there was no danger.
THE CHICAGO BULLETIN.
Chicago, April AT 1880 o'clock this
morning the operator in the long distance
telephone company's Office AT Mount Yer
non, Ind, informed the Associated Press
that the estimate on the loss of life at
Shawneetown was, at that hour, 200
Mount Vernon is but thirty miles from
Shawneetown, and the in formation on
which the estimation is based is believed
TO be reliable. The operator stated that
the companys wires to the stricken city
failed soon after o'clock this afternoon.
At that hour it was known that the dam
was giving way, but it was not thought
that it would go to pieces quickly enough
to cause loss of life. BY o'clock it was
known in Mount Vernon that many peo-
pie had been drowned, the estimate then
being 100.
a relief boat bearing food, blankets and
surgeons was started down the river and
was expected to reach Shawneetuwn be-
fore morning. Gradually the reports Of
loss of life increased the estimates, stories
coming from various points near the
scene OF the flood, showing clearly that
the disaster was far more disastrous than
was AZ first believed. People from Mount
Vernon and the surrounding country be-
sieged the telephone and telegraph Of
tiees, frantic for tidings from relatives and
friends in the flooded town. No attempt
at an accurate list of the lost was possible.
however. and the crowds stood all right
before the bulletin boards on which were
posted the meager reports being received.
LOUISVILLE REPORTS IT.
Louisville, Ky, April "A special to the
Courier-Journal from Evansville. Ind,
says:
At O'Clock the levee at Shawueetown,
III. broke mile above and from all the
Information that can be secured here it
is learned that great part Of the place
has been destroyed and that perhaps a
large number Of citizens have been
drowned.
Shawneetown is seventy-fve miles below