Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-04
TOWN is UTTERLY DESTROYED.
Not Enough Food left in the Place for One
Meal.
MAYOR SAYS 300 PEOPLE ARE DROWNED.


Evansville. Ind, April 4-Mnyor Car
ney of Shawneetown appealed to Con-
gress for aid this morning Cor destitute
people of his stricken city. It is said
that the town is absolutely destroyed
and that there is not enough food in
town for one meal. lie says 300 people
are drowned.
All goods in the city are lost and the
situation is distressing In the extreme.
This city sent two steamboat loads Of
provisions last night. All the telegraph
and telephone wires to Shawneetown
are down.
Chicago, April IA special to the
Chronicle from Cnrmi. ILL.,, says; The
disaster at shawneestown. ILL.,, came
when the great majority of the people
Were in their homes eating supper.
The break in the leree occurred 4
mile above the town and was within
ten minutes more than u half mile
wide a stream of water, twelve to
twenty feet deep, carrying half tho
current of the flood-raised Ohio,
descended on the unsdspectlng people.
1t came down in great rush, like u
tidal wave. There was no slow rising
of the waters to give warning. The
houses on the outskirts were lifted up
and rolled over and over
Most OF them were torn into splinters.
Their Inhabitants were drowned in
them.
Nearer the center of the town. brick
c CT h.. of ba
water for few minutes. but about
two-thirds Of the dwellings were lifted
from their foundations and iloated
careenlng out into the current of the
river
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. The peo-
pie on the roofs were already in danger
of being thrown Off by collisions with
other floating houses, but the occupants
of this floating firebrand added horror.
As 1t struck one house after another
in It's course some others caught fire
and their unfortunate occupants were
compelled to trust themselves
to the mercy of the swirling water on
pieces OF wood to avoid more terri
BILE death by fire.
The break In the levee flooded four
miles of the valley land and cut off
communication on two railways, the u.
& o. Southwestern and l.. n y.
The first rush OF the current did not
do all the damage. Whep the water
had slackened somewhat, many houses
were SIN standing but 1t was quickly
seen that the frame ones would not
last in the steady crush OF the food.
by means Of RATS and swimming on
the cold water, seventy or eighty people
We're transformed from their garnet
windows and roofs to the Hat top Of the
Gallatin county bank, II brick and stone
building. and the court house, which
is of brick. 1t was hoped that these
would Withstand the pressure aud the
but when the single
courier who rode for help to Cypress
left Shawneetown only those
two buildings showed above the broad
sheet of the flood in the lower part nj
the town and as its full force was being
thrown against them, II was doubtful
II they would not collapse and throw
the refugees into the river.
Besides the hundred or more Who
We're on the roofs OF the two sound
II is known that nearly 1000
Of the inhabitants managed In one way
or another to make their way to high
hills back Of the town. or to houses in |
the higher section of the village itself. |
A few of these survived the sudden |
burst Of the waters but the first and
at times their second floors were under |
water. Those who made their way to |
them went only in clothes they were |
wearing when the water came. No one |
had time to secure either treasure or |
....t.
heavy. The scene at the upper end of |
the town where men and women have |
struggling nEainct the muddy water TO |
higher ground some carrying babies on |
their heads. where water was up to 1
their neclts, others half swimming, half |
floating on odds and ends OF lumber |
from homes that had gone floating |
down the river, many struggling in |
vain and sinking In the roaring waters.
was ont that Will live In the memory of |
every heholder. At one place a mother
had reached a safe spot and turned to
help her husband, who had followed |
with their child. As she reached down
from a window for his hand, he was
thrown from his footing and he and
he child We're swept away In che ciirs
rent The woman saw him sink the
second time and then threw herself
into the water
Another family padded half way to
safety on a broad plank that but half
held them out Of water. \ side cur
rent caught them and sent them out to-
ward the middle Of the stream, whore, In
The rougher water, they We're seen to
'apsise and sink.
An old man of the name OF Griffin.
living on high ground. stopped in the
upper story of his trembling house to
'scure n hoard of money hidden under
The bed. His son. young man of 2i.
had to climb up the porch to rescue
him, so quick was the rise of the
water and when the two attempted to
iwim to snfety. the Younger man sup
porting the other n floating house that
,ame rolling and tumbllnE on the cur
-ent overwhelmed them, \ school
eacher whose name Is supposed to be
Tosephson, was warned OF the danger
n time TO get the higher ground. but