The Red Cloud chief., 1898-04-08
ONE HUNDRED DROWNED.
Shawncctowr Ill, Laid Waste by WAFER
Ohio Rivnr Levce breaks.

JOD persons arc DeileVcu TO nave per-
ishcd in u flood that swept over Shaw
ncetown, ILL.,, last night on the break.
ing OF n levec OF the Ohio river.
~Shawncctown Is sevcpty.fve miles
below Evansville, on the Ohio river.
II is situated in n valley OF extremely
low land. with hills skirtin2 1t in the
rear, and with n twenty-five foot
lcvee front running from hill TO hill.
The town is very much In the position
of n fortified city, and when the levce
gave way n mile above town, under
the pressure of the very high river,
the water shot through 10 twentv-foot
opening and struck the place like II
hurricane, sweeping everything be-
fore ii.
Houses were turned and tossed
about like boxes. The people had no
warning. Those ut home sought
refuge in second stories and on house
tops. Those in the streets were car
ricd before tho avalanche OF water.
In tho inter part OF the town some
br.ck structures stopped the rush OF
water for n few minutes. but about
%two.thirds OF the dwellings, were lifted
from their foundations and floatcd out
into the current of the river. After u
few minutes n large house, that had
started down stream with the others,
caught fire. y number of houses that
II struck in its zig. gag course caught
fire and the people on the roofs were
obliged TO cntrust the nselves to i'm.
provised RATS.
Besides those who were on the roofs
OF the sound buildings. il is believed
q large number Of the inhabitants
managed in ono way or another 10
make their way to tho high hills back
Of tho town or TO houses in the higher
section Of the village itself.
Men came from the placc by skifY,
to n telephone several miles away and
asked for aid from Evansville. They
said the water was from twenty 10
thirty feet deep all over the town.
The men were SO excited that they
coul not be prevailed on to stay long
ut the telephone. They said that when
they came they floated through streets
ringing with the frightened cries OF
women aud children and with words
OF cxhortation from the %rescuers.
They said thnt the whole neighboring
country WAS flooded for miles and
that Geographic and telephone com.
municatlon would not probably be re.
stored before tonight
FLORA, ILL.,. April ~5.-Reports re.
ceivcd ct this point, seventy miles
| from Shawnectown, bear ont the frs,
impressions OF the flooding OF tina,
town by the breaking OF tho lcvce.
Tho railroads have stopped traffic
twenty miles south OF here, rs the
road to Shawneetown Is deep under
water. Teicgraphic communication
is cut Off and the reports received are
very meager. At Mills station tn,
river is eight miles wide and the tract
is covered for six miles.
The following telegram was received
here by Mr.. Mills, superintendent o
the baltimore Il Ohio Southwestern
railway, from Conductor Charles Ire
land:
"Ridgeway, Ill.-To j. s. Mills
Half OF Shawncetown totally de
stroyed. All stores wrecked will
contents Town contains fifteen t.
twenty feet of water. South leve,
covered with dead stock and house!
and all kinds Of debris,
Partial list OF the dead follows
Colonel Co~ll!cott, Mr.. aud Mrs. w. c
Collicott, Mrs. Ed Flake. three chill
drcn of Paul Phakcn. Mrs. GALLOWAY
and two children, G R~hinchart. Mar,
McAilistcr, Ellen Meal lister. Ami,
~Rhinchart, Mrs. Holly, Mrs McLanc
Mrs. Matilda Greer"
The Louisville " Nashville accom-
mediation train from Southern lllinoi
arrived here At 1890 o'clock. 1t wa
expected many people from Shawnee
town would be aboard, but it l
learned that trains on this brancI
have for u week proceeded no furthc
than Eldorado, fifteen miles AWAY
The trainmen brought the report tina
the family OF Sheriff Galloway wa
lost In the food. 1t is reported tina
the lcvce broke while people were a
church and that many were drcwne
because there was no warning, tn
iool sweeping over tho town lik
water through a mill race.
, c. L. Storrs, who has charge OF tn
provision boat from Evansvil O., tele
phoned from Mount Vernon, Ind. tina
, lo had just returned from Shawne,
town. Mayor Carney now estimate
. the loss of life at 100 people.
TANNER CALLS ON ILLINOIS.
: SrmNGrlELD. Ill, April 3. - Earl
this morning Governor Tanner r,
=, ceived the following message ~relati,
to the Shawneetown disaster: ''Ridg,
,. way, H., AIrl John l. Tame
: govern or: The ground gave way undo
the levce ut An p. m and the loss
life Is nearly one-fuurth Of our pop
lation. We have no provisions 10 fc.
}, our people for one meal. We need Il
tents, clothing, burial Baskets to bul
the dead. provisions for the Twin
Help Us at once. CARNEY, .Sayor."
In response To this telegram Cove