The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-04-07
M 4 A !? TER s. D RUSH.
a Bursting Leyee Inunda tes City q
Shawnee own, III.
Torrent Comes Upon the People Una-
Hvares----Ioss of Life Estimated ct 1
from 200 to 500 some Dis
s " tressing Scenes.

80 tSs.s7N InC TeOpAe una
8svares----Loss % Life Estimated at
froms2 200 to 800 -some Disc
tressing scenes. 5..#s a
Cypress June tion, Ill, April z Two
hundred and q fifty persons were
drowned Sunday by the inundation Of
Shawneet town, six miles from this place.
The north levee broke at 4: 20 o'clock
Sunday afternoon and the Ohio river
lowed over the town many feet deep.
81 Scores of houses are floating about
and many persons are clinging to the
wreckage in the hope that rescuers will
soon appear with boats to take them to
places of safety. h>ra8 S:5 7s,,,>
All communication with the town is
cut off. Trains cannot reach there and
telephone and telegraph wires are
down. tfF} q ,f:@r = ..s.&. ,
The leyee was built by the govern
ment and was regarded as impregnable,
hence the people had taken no precau-
lions against a possible flood.
1t is reported that the food now ex-
tends four miles inland. and people are
fleeing for their lives from all the low
land hamlets. -
lshaWneetown, ILL.,, has population of
about 1000 inhabitants, and is situated on
the west bank Of the Ohio river. The
streets were parallel with the river, the
principal business street being but two
DOCKS distant from the water. The level
OF the river is about Is feet above the city,
and the levee bank is about 20 feet thick.
situated on this bank and level with the
river is the Riverside hotel, large, four
story building built by Henry Docher.
When the river is at it's normal stage it is
1'ooo feet wide at this point, and the citi-
zens have long feared a catastrophe such
as occurred Sunday night, as tremendous
pressure Is brought to bear on the levee
during freshets. Several years ago dur
ing hood the water flowed over the levee
ana the streets were under two feet of
wafer. Inc levee was strengthened and
built up afterward, and the town has since
CONSIDERED there was no danger.]
Latest Estimate.
Carmi, ILL.,, April 4, a. m.-Another
courier has just reached here from
Shawneetown. He estimates the loss
OF life at from 200 to 500. His name is
jackson Phillips, and he has lost wife
and two children by the food.
Avalanches of Water.
Evansville, Ind, April 4.-Shawnee-
town is 81 miles below Evansville on
the Ohio river. 1t is situated in a val
ley, high hills skirting in the rear and
a 2O-foot levee in the front, the levee
running from hill to hill. The river is
unusually high and went through the
levee miles above the town, 20 feet
wide, like an avalanche, catching the
people without warning, overturning
houses in its path and creating general
destruction. All wires are down and
details are understandable. A telegraph
operator Travelled three miles in a skiff
to high land and sent word here for aid,
tie said the water was 20 feet deep all
over town and that as far as known
200 people were drowned; that the mum
Der might reach 500. No word has since
been received. Two steamers have
started. from here to the scene with
food and supplies.
| Send Skifrs for Assistance.
Those at home sought refuge in sec.
ond stories and on housetops. Those in
the streets were carried before the
avalanche of water, and probably ma
jority was drowned. Citizens came
from the place by skiffs to telephone
several miles away and asked for aid
from Evansville. They said that more
than 200 people were drowned, and
they had reason to believe it would
reach 500, or even 1000. The water
stands over 20 feet all over town. There
are, of course, no fires or lights in the
place and total darkness envelopes the
desolate scene. Consequently it was
impossible for them to have anything
like definite information. The men
quickly left the telephone and no com.
munication has since been had with
the place. All telephone and telegraph
wires are now down and outside com.
munication appears to be impossible.
Caught Unawares.
The disaster came when the great Ma.
jority 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 ha.
| mile wide. A stream of water IL tc
20 feet deep, carrying half of the cur.
rent of the food-raised Ohio, descended
on the unsuspecting people. It came
down in great rush, like tidal wave
Houses Torn to Splinters.
Most of them were torn into splinters
Their inhabitants were drowned in
them. Nearer the center of the town
some brick structures stopped the on
rush of the water for few minutes, but
about two-thirds of the dwellings were
lifted from their foundations and
floated careening out into the black
current of the river. Lights were in
stantly extinguished and the towns
people climbed on the slippery roofs or
sought to keep alive on floating objects.
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.
'+ Added to the Horror.
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 fire.
brand added horror. AS it struck one
house after another in its zigzag course
some caught fire and their unfortunate
people were compelled to intrust them
selves to the mercy of the swirling
water on tiny floats of wood to avoid a
more terrible death by fire. 49,. ~:
Many Take to the Roofs.
q The first rush of the current did not
do all the damage. When the black
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 plank RATS and