The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-05
THE SIIAWNEETOWN FLOOD
BODIES OF TWO SCORE OF THE
VICTIMS RECOVERED.

When Definite Information from the
Negro Quarters, Which Suffered Most,
is Secured-It is Reported That Fifty
Negroes Perished-Inhabitants Seek
Safety on the Roofs-Further Danger.
Ridgeway, ILL.,, April 4.-To-night the
bodies of about two score of the vic
Tins of the Shawneetown food have
been recovered and hundreds of he me-
less people are dependent upon charity
for food and shelter. The death list is
likely to be largely increased when
definite information from the negro
quarter which suffered most, is secur-
ed. 1t is reported that fifty negroes
perished. The flood burst upon these
people without warning and owing to
the weak condition of their shanties
they toppled over in the rush of water,
carrying the inmates to death. Hun
dreds of people who lived farther from
the river front sought safety on roofs
and in upper stories, or made a retreat
to the hills. These are being removed
as rapidly as possible. No effort has
yet been made to search for bodies,
the attention of the relief parties be-
ing directed almost entirely to provid-
ing supplies and making the homeless
as comfortable as possible. The relief
work is well organized and the tents.
blankets and food sent by the governor
to-day will be promptly distributed.
Those who escaped lost everything and
their homes are in ruins.
Ridgeway, ILL.,, April Al. T. Hogan
of Omaha, ILL.,, left the scene of the
flood half an hour before the dixie
broke. His brother-in-law, Sheriff
Galloway, whose home was in Shaw
neetown, had the same good fortune.
The sheriff's wife and two daughters
were swept away and their bodies have
not yet been recovered. Hogan's story
of the flood shows that the townspeo-
pie had absolutely no warning of the
disaster about o'clock last even
ing" he said, "the levee on the north
side of the town gave way at the north
end of Market street near the court
house. An opening ten feet wide was
at first made, but it quickly spread to
twenty and wall of water ten or fif
teen feet high poured through the main
street. About fifty small frame houses
along the line of the levee to the south
were crushed like toys and none of the
occupants, most Of whom were poor
colored folks, escaped. Those living in
the more substantial houses managed
to climb to second and third stories,
where they clung for hours through
the chilly night. Houses in the west
ern part of the town did not at once
feel the effects of the flood and resi-
dents made hasty steps for safety,
most of them fleeing to the top of the
levee on the south side of the town. A
large number also reached the little
hills which are mile away and from
there saw their property crumble in
the muddy waters. When daylight
came this morning the streets We're
full of water to a depth of ten or
twelve feet. Only the most substan-
tial buildings in the central business
district remains standing. The relief
is being carried out under great diff
culties."
Cypress Junction is almost surround
ed by water, which has overf1owed the
banks of the Wabash and is covering
the entire country. The overflow at
Shawneetown has backed up two miles
inland. 1t will be impossible to re-
cover any bodies until the water re-
cedes. The Riverside hotel and court
house and the Ridgeway bank are in
tact and are used by the fleeing inhabi-
tants for shelter. The upper stories
are crowded. Several hundred people
were promenading on the top of the
| levee Sunday afternoon. Sunday
schools had just closed and the chill
dren trooped merrily along the smooth
walk when the break came Mrs. Har-
riet Dumont was one of the arrivals
| tonight from the flooded district. She
| in company with friend was walking
along the levee at the time the break
occurred She said
"It was about o'clock when we
| were startled by hearing bells Of the
| churches changing. People began rum
| ming in all directions and somebody
| shouted that the levee had broken. We
ran to my friends home and went up
stairs. Within ten minutes the water
| came pouring down the street and
within twenty minutes more it had
risen almost to the second floor of
the house My friends husband then
came to US with a skiff and took us to
| the Riverside hotel. The first alarm
was given by Father Buckman, who
began ringing the bell of the Church of
| the Immaculate Conception
The lower portions of Carmi, ILL.,, on
the Wabash river is entirely flooded
| The water reaches half way to the
second stories of the houses. Governor
Tanner this afternoon started from
Springfield with one hundred tents
blankets for 500 people and a sufficient
amount of prepared food for the i'm
| mediate relief of 1900 people He also
wired W. s. Phillips, president of the
! Gallatin County bank here, to draw
upon him for $4,000 as an immediate
relief fund. Governor Tanner has is
| sued a proclamation to the public tc
send in relief in care of Mr.. Phillips
at this place. The Odd Fellows and
Masonic lodges are supervising the dis
tribution of supplies. AS fast as sup.
| plies are received hey are taken by
| specials to the waters edge, ferried
across in skiffs to Cypress Junction ant
from there taken by train two miles
to within short distance of shawnee.
| town.