The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-05
LEvEE IS DOOMED
Continued from Fir.t Page.

Continued from First Page.
which are a mile from the town, and
from there they saw their property
crumble into the muddy water.
When daylight came .othis morning
the streets were full Of water to q depth
of ten to twelve feet. Only the most
substantial buildings in the central
t business district remain standing;
Water is everywhere and the relief
work Is being carried out under great
difficulties"
Relief Measures.
Ridgeway is a town twelve miles
from Shawneetown and was made the
base of relief work. All rail communi-
cation being cut off four miles out.
boats were constructed and a commit
tee started to the scene. They reached
Cypress Junction, half way to Shaw
neetown, and found dry land extending
toward the river. Following this they
arrived within two miles of the flooded
town. More boats were started and
the rescuers crossed to Shawneetown.
They found a sad condition existing
in the Inflated town. Hundreds Of
those who escaped the rush Of water
were perched ON roofs, trees and along
the top of the levee. They were taken
from their dangerous positions as
rapidly as possible. Owing to the
scarcity of boats the work was very
slow. but over 200 persons, including
many women and children, were taken
to the roadway, two miles from Shaw
neetown and to Cypress Junction. Here
the greater part of them camped to-
night with very little to eat and ex-
posed to the driving rain and piercing
wind. b:
Cypress Junction Is almost surround
ed by water which has overf1owed the
banks of the wabash and is covering
the entire country. The overflow from
the broken dyke at Shawneetown has
backed up two miles inland, but is to-
night slowly receding. 1t will be i'm
possible to recover any bodies until the
waters recede very materially.
The Riverside hotel and court house
and the Ridgeway bank are intact, and
were found to have been used by the
fleeing inhabitants for shelter. The
upper stories were crowded.
Several hundred people were prone
nading on the top of the levee Sunday
afternoon. Sunday SCHOOLS had just
closed and the children tFooped merrily
along the smooth walk enjoying the
bright sunshine. This proved bless
ing to them. A large fcnowd had just
passed Market street, Where the break
occurred. Luckily no ONE was passing
t..
The railroad station at oRidgeWay has
been crowded all day, and despite the
steady doWncour of rain the people
cluster about the place, each anXiously
inQuiring for some new tidings from
the flood disaster at ShaWneetown.
Village Startled.
Mrs. Harriet Dumoht was one of the
arrivals tonight from the flooded dis
t,,s1 4 IL.
a friend, was walking along the levee
at the time the break Occurred. She
said: cit was about 1928 in the after
noon when we were suddenly startled
by hearing the bells of the different
churches throughout the city changing.
People began running in all directions
and somebody shouted that the levee
had broken. We ran three blocks to my
friends home and went upstairs. With
in ten minutes the water came pouring
down the street, and within twenty
minutes more it had risen almost to
the second floor of Our house. My
friends husband soon came to us with
a skiff, and took US to- the Riverside
hotel. The first alarm was given by
Father Beuckman who began ringing
the bell of the Church of the Immacu-
late Conception ~sas ~ 49,
Marsh Callicott, the son of Wash CAL
licott, and wife, who persisted, made a
heroic effort to save his parents. He
secured a row boat, and got within
forty feet Of the home where his mother
and father were imprisoned. The swift
current prevented him from coming
nearer. The parents stood in the yard
in water to their arm-pits awaiting the
arrival of the boat. Suddenly a wave
swept them into the current and. they
u,era drowned before his ewes.
George HARRISON, a merchant, seized
his little granddaughter when the
water struck his store, and holding
her above his head waded, arm-pit
deep, toward higher ground. A boat
picked them both out Of the water
David Rookendoffer and wife were in
their home directly in the path Of the
huge wave that swept through the
broken dixie Their little son in the
yard saw the wave coming, and hur-
riedly clin1ed a tree. The father and
mother had time to rush upstairs when
the house was swept from it's founda
lions. They climbed on the roof as the
house foated off, and they heard their
little son in the tree crying goodbye,
papa and mamma The agonized par
ents were poWerless to go to his as
sistance, and in a few moments the
house had been carried beyond the
from the north levee to the south levee,
the distance Of a mile, and were taken
off in safety. The little son was .subse-
quentIy rescued in the tTee-top- by a
boat and the family reunited Mr.. Rock
endoffer said as he foated down the
current on the house top he saw peo-
pie drowning on all Sides.
The colored quarter. of the city,
known as negro flats" was complete
ly inundated by the rush of the water.
It is believed that large number Of
colored people persisted, as the ground
was flooded in a twinkIing, and tonight
the water stands twenty-five feet deep
in that locality.
Hundreds are tonight sleeping on the
river banks under such rude shelter as
they can construct from the floating
debris. Absolutely nothing has been
saved in the city. The stores and other
business houses are flooded to the sec
ond floors, all the streets are under
water from ten to thirty feet.
SITUATION APPALLING.