The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-04-09
A BROKEN LEVEE's HAVOC.
ONE HUNDRED LIVES LOST IN
THE SHAwNEETOWN FLOOD.
Many Families Left in Destitute
Circumstances.

| EVANSVILLE. ND, April 3.-The Ohio
river levee above Shawneetown, ILL.,, broke
this evening and the entire town is flooded
| from 10 to 20 feet deep. The levee Is III
! front of the town and the hills are in the rear.
! Telegraph and telephone wires are down and
no particulars can be had. Evansville has
| sent two steamboats, with food and blankets 10
! the scene.
MoUyT VERNON. ND, April Mot until
! today's dispatches were received describing
the extent of the food yesterday at Shawnee
town, ILL.,, was the horror of the situation
revealed.
Late reports tonight say it is feared the en-
tire ievee in front of ShawneetOwn will be
DESTROYED by morning and every frame house
will be dashed to pieces. The wind is blow
ing 30 miles per hour, accompanied by rain.
Fear is felt for the rescue force now III
| Shawneetown, as nothing can stand the
waves, which are rolling ten feet high.
These reports come from a temporary tele-
phone station on the hill just this side of
Shawneetown. If the gale continues the en-
! tire town is doomed.
Yesterday disaster came when the great
majority of the people were in their homes
eating supper. The break in the levee oc-
cured a mile above the town, and was, with
in ten minutes, more than half a mile wide.
| A stream of water II to 20 feet deep. carry
ing half of the current of the tiood-ralsed
Ohio. descended on the unsuspectng people.
DROWNED IN THEIR HOUSES.
II came down in a great rush, like Il 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 we're torn into splinters. Their
inhabitants were drowned in them.
Nnnrar tho nf the brick
structures stopped the onruSh of the water
for few minutes. but about two-thrds OF the
! dwellings we're lifted from their foundations
and toated. careening out into the current OF
the river.
FLOATING FIREBRAND.
After Il few minutes the horror of the stu
alton was added TO by the catching fire OF
large house that had started down stream with
the Others The people on the roofs were
already in danger of being thrown off by col
lisions with other floating houses, but the
appearance of this floating hrebrand added
| horror
As it struck one house after another IN It's
ZigZag course some caught IRE. aud their un-
fortunate people were compelled to cntruSt
themselves to the mercy OF the swrling water
on pieces Of wood. to avoid more terrible
death by fire.
The break in the levee flooded four miles of
the valley land and cut off communication on
two railroads. the Baltimore and Ohio South
western and the Louisville and Nashville.
! Bv means of RATS and swimming in the water
| 20 or so people were transferred from garnet
windows and roofs to the fiat tops of the Gal
| litin County Bank, brick and stone build
! ing. and the courthouse, which Is OF brick.
Beside the hundred or more who were on
! the roofs of the two sound buildings 1t Is
/ known that nearly 1000 of the inhabitants
+ managed in one way or anothcrto make their
way 10 the high hills back of the town, or to
the houses in the higher section of the village
itself.
SOME PATHETIC SCENES.
/ The scene in the streets at the upper end at
town where men and women were struggling
against the muddy water to higher ground,
some carrying babies on their heads where
water was up to their neekS, others half
swimming, half floating on odds and ends of
! lumber from homes that had gone floating
down the river, many struggling i'll vain and
sinking in the roaring waters, was one that
will live in the memory of every beholder.
At one place IL mother had reached safe
spot and turned to help her husband who had
followed with their child. AS she reached
down from IL window for his hand he was
thrown from his footing and he and the child
were swept away in the zigzag current. The
NOUltlll S;tN MN SHIN tllilS
threw herself into the water.
Another family padded half way to safety
on broad plank that but half held them out
| of the water \ side current caught them and
sent them out toward the middle Of the stream,
where, in the rough water they were seen to
capsize and sink.
SACRIFICED LIVES FOR OTHERS.
An old man of the name of Griffin, living
on high ground, stopped in the upper story OF
| his trembling house to secure Il hoard of
money hidden under the bed. His son,
| young man of q, had to climb up the porch
to rescue him. so quick was the rise of the
water, and when the two attempted TO swim TO
safety, the younger man supporting the other,
a floating house that came rolling and tumb-
! ling on the current overwhelmed them.
a school teacher, whose name is supposed
| to be JoSephson, was warned of the danger IN
! time to get to the high ground, but in turning
! back to help her mother was caught with the
| elder woman IN an eddy and both were
drowned.
! \ woman made an effort TO save her lover
! by throwing Il clothes line to him from the
room Of her house. His house was swept
away at the moment and he was thrown into
| the water. He swan to aid the girl, but she
was standing on the side of gable roof and
was pulled from her insecure footing. Both
| were drowned.
! REUNITED AFTER AN AFFECTING FAREWELL.
Davis Rookendoffer and wife were in their
home, directly i'll the path of the huge wave
that swept through the broken dixie. Their
little son, in the yard, saw the wave coming
and hastily climbed a tree.
The father and mother had time 10 rush up
stairs when the house was swept from its
foundations. They climbed to the roof as the
house hoated off and heard their little son in
al
The agonfzed parents were powerless to go
to his assistance, and in a few moments the
| house had been carried beyond the reach of
the boys voice. They foated from the north
levee to the south levee, the distance of
mile, and were taken off in safety.
The little boy was subsequently, rescued
Mr. Roekendorfer said that as he hoated down
the current on the houSetop he saw people
drowning on all sides.
SAW HIS PARENTS DROWN.
Marsh Calicutt son of Wash. Calicutt, made
an heroic effort to save his parents. he Sc
cured a row boat and got within forty feet Of
| the home where his mother and father were
imprisoned, but the swift current prevented
him from coming nearer The parents stood
in the yard in water TO their armpts awaiting
| the arrival of the boat. Suddenly wave
swept them into the current and they were
! drowned before their sons eyes. George
| Harrelson merchant, seized his little grand
daughter when the water struck his store, and,
holding her above his head, waded armpit
deep, toward higher ground. A boat picked
them both out of the water.
TIE tug Isabella, which went to the relief
of the sufferers last night, returned today for
provisions. City Marshal l.. B. Holleman
returned on her, and reports the situation
there as appalling. He said:
''ln the Riverside Hotel last night there
were at least 500 men, women and children
huddled together, their clothing wet and
nothing with which to build fires. 1t is i'm
possible at the present time to give correct
estimate of the loss Of life. The people who
are Gagged up in the third story of houses that
remain standing need food and coal.
INCOMPLETE LIST OF THE DROWNED.
Sheriff Galloway lost his entire family,
| CONSISTING Of urifn and fnnr nhilnrpn Two