Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-04
shaWneetown, Illinois, Swept Away
BY Broken Levee.
OVER 4 HUNDRED DROWNED
Gov. Tanner Sends Relief to the
Suffering People.
PARTIAL LIST OF THE DEAD

SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, April A-The fol-
loving message to Gov. Tanner. dated last
night was received from Mayor Carney OF
Shawneetown, IT.. via Ridgway, ILL.,:
The levee here broke at AS pm. The
loss OF lives is reariy one-fourth of the
population of the town. Half OF the houses
are swept away. We have no shelter for
rescued. No provisions, clothing and burial
csskets for dead. People are crouching on
levee; women and children are freezing
and chilled Help us at once We are alb
solutely helpless
(SigneO MICHAEL CARNEY, Mayor
Relief Train Starts.
A special train will leave here for Shaw
Eeetown on the Chicago ana Alton at ,
o'clock this afternoon with a supply of
provisions. tents and blankets.
1t was the intention at first to send all
the caskets that could be obtained Only a
few, however, were found available, and
AoJt. Gen. Reecs wired ST. Louis coffin
factory to Immediately load a car with
Baskets. The car will be attached to the
special train at East ST. Louis About
three freight car loads of provisions will DC
attached to the train.
Loss OF Life Placed Mt 100.
A later dispatch says:
Mayor Carney now estimates the loss of
life at 100 people. There is no list of nam IS
prepared as yet. He confirms the report
that Sheriff Galloway's family is drowned.
The bodies were recovered at o'clock
this morning all clasped in each other
embrace. The levee broke on the north
side ana without warning, catching the
people like rats in trap. The entire town
is submerged from ten to twenty feet The
people are huddled in the Riverside Hotel,
court house and school house. all of which
are two-story buildings.
Gov. Tanner has issued a prociama ton
calling upon citizens of the state to con-
tribute for the relief Of the Shawneetown
DR.. F. H. Wines, secretary state board of
charities, is just leaving here with special
train over Chicago and Alton for Shawnee
town via st. Louis. from which place he
reaches Shawneetown over L. and N. rail-
road. DR.. Wines takes the tents and ra-
tons of Illinois National Guard for 1000
people
The News at Mt. Vernon, Ind.
MOUNT VERNON, Ind, April 4-The
levee broke on the left side of Shawnee
town about O'CLOCK. Twenty minutes
afterward the town was fiooded. A few
buildings were thrown, down by the force
Of the water when it broke through the
levee. The roar of the flood alarmed the
people. and all who could took refuge in
the school house, court house and River
side Hotel, substantial buildings which it
was believed would resist the force of the
water. The town is flooded to a depth of
fifteen feet on the main street. So far as
known only the proprietors of two cloth
ing stores succeeded in saving any Of their
| stock.
Evansville Sends Provisions.
EVANSVILLE It'd, April 4.-Superin-
tendent Martin of the. Louisville and Nash
vile railroad will send free car of PRO-
visions to Shawheetown from Carmi, ILL.,,
in response to an appsp from Mayor Car
ney. The train VIII go through Ridgeway
via Enfield. From Ridgeway provisions
Will go by boat through the back water.
The mayor and Business Mems Associa-
tion of this city are arranging this morn
ing to send more provisions by boat this
n orning.