The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-04-06
TWfNTy-THRfE DEATHS
AND EVEN YET THE LIST rs NOT
COMPLETE
SEVEN HUNDRED HOMELESS
More Than Twice That Number Suffer
ing for Necessities of Life-The
Property Loss Heavy
Associated Press Special Wire


Associated Press Special Wire
sHAWNEETOWN, ILL.,. April 5-Twen-
+y-three known dead, a possibility that the
list NAV reach thirty, 1900 people in actual
need of the necessities of life, 700 homeless
ond damage to the amount of $500 900 is the
not result of the food which swept through
shawneetown last Sunday evening.
There is no danger Of further damage to
the town unless storms should set in and
even then it is difficult to see how matters
can he made worse than they are. The en-
tire town is buried under ten to fifteen feet
Of water with the exception of houses on
the embankment Immediately fronting the
Ohio river. All of these have water IN the
cellar and most of them are flooded to the
second story. The water began to fall to-
day and about o'clock this afternoon had
receded eight feet from the highest mark
of Wednesday, A high north wind was
driving the waves before 1t and II no more
rains come it is probable that the town will
dry In two weeks. Not q single body has
been recovered as yet and there is no prob
ability that any will be found until after
the waters have entirely subsided.
Inc l6VG0 DTOht vi tHC iioi vi SiNS - N--N
town, sweeping what is known as the first,
second and third wards clean of all build
ings. All of the people who were drowned
met their fate in the first ward and north
ern part of the second ward which was
nearest to the bank.
1t was an hour and half after the dyke
first broke that the town was completely
submerged. The family of Charles Clay
ton was entirely wiped out, with the ex-
ception Of Neil Clayton, grandson of
years. He managed to reach the roof OF
the house, and was taken off by Lloyd
Rowan.
The family of Riley Galloway, sheriff OF
Gailatin county, was entirely lost. one
nephew being the only member to escape.
There was a report that a young lady Wis
iting the family of Sheriff Galloway was
also lost, but this report could not be SUBJ
rtantiated. Some said the young lady
was with the. family, but others denied it
The sheriff is distracted, and it is feared
he wifi lose his mind.
Mrs. Reinholt, three of whose children
were drowned, was carried through the
town on board which she had managed
to grab When the rescuers reached hel
they were unable to lift her into thei
skiff she being a very large woman, ant
throwing her a rope they towed her half
mile to place of safety.
David Kookendorfer and his wife, find.
ing their escape cut off through the door
rushed to the roof By the time they
reached IT the house was floating south
ward. In few minutes it parted, Mr..
Hookendoffer being on one-half and his
xryif "a 10 other For the SacOnd time
the roof parted under Mr.. Kookendorfer
and he sailed away on what was left to
him. Ill fortune still pursued him and
his portion of the roof broke under him
gust as hencoop came along, and he
abandoned his roof and got on the coop
This proved his salvation, and he was
finally able to reach the levee, where he
climbed to safety. Mrs. Kookendorfel
remained upon her half and reached the
levee without any of the interruptions that
met her husband.
Paul Hhalen, whose wife and daughter
were both drowned. had narrow escape
from DEATH The two ladies reached the
roof Mr.. Phalen being close behind them
The roof broke as he was about to emerge
pinning him in the scuttle hole. Being q
slight man, he was unable to extricatt
himself, and to this fact he owes his life
His wife and daughter were washed from
the roof and drowned. Mr.. Phalen was
carried about a quarter of a mile before
he was picked up. He is now in a critca
condition, and 1t is feared he will not re
cover.
The breaks in the dam widened today t,
a gap Of $50 yards. 1t is said by those who
witnessed its first giving away that the
disaster Yves caused by quicksand, upor
which its foundations rested. The first
Sign of the disaster was sudden whrl
pool about Is feet north of the dam as
though the bottom had fallen out of the
river. The water rushing into this hole
proved too much for the quicksand under
the dam, and it sank downward. All Wit
nesses agree that the dam sank toward the
bottom of the river, and was not carried
inward by the rush of the water.
The total amount of damage is esti.
mated by Tax Assessor Junius at $500, 900.
Charles Carroll, chairman of the relief
committee, said today that the things most
needed were blankets, meat, bread, mea
and bacon. There was enough food in the
town today and known to be on the roat
to feed the hungry till Wednesday noon
1t is said by that time all actual sufferina
will have been relieved. Contribution:
will be necessary for two weeks, until the
people are able to enter their stores ant
resume business once more.
THE GAP WIDENING
RIDGEWAY, ILL.,, April 5.-The gap i,
over one hundred feet wide today in tn,
levee at Shawneetown and gradual,
widening. Water is from ten to fifteer
feet deep all over the town. With the con-
tinued cold rains and the loss of life, sui
fering and sorrow are little abated 1t il
known that from 45 to so people have los
their lives. None of the bodies have bee,
recovered.
The scene in Shawneetown is worse tina,
in 1887 or in 1884, when there was mucl
suffering and loss of property, but no live
were lost. Every store in town is full 0
water and no provisions can be had onl,
as they are sent from surrounding towns
Relief committees are doing ali in thei
power to provide for the wants of horror
stricken people. Clothing and provision
are being sent in, in every conceivable wa Y
on trains, boats and skiffs, canoes ant
dugouts. The provisions are cooked read
to be served on arrival, as there is but littl
II any chance to do any cooking, stoves an,
cooking utensils being practically all unde