Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-04-06
SWEPT. BY A MIGHTY FLOOD
ILLINOIS VILLAGE WIPED OUT.
Btw LeSee broke and Many of In
habitsnts Are Reported Drowned
-BackeJ-Up Flood in the Ohio
Found an Opening-victiSs Had
No Warming.


says:
! At O o'clock this afternoon the levee at
ShawneetowR, ILL.,, broke a mile above
town, and from all information obtainable
here il is learned that a large part Of the
place has been destroyed and perhaps It
, large number Of citizens have been
drowned.
! Shawneetown is 25 miles above Evans
vile on the Ohio river. Ii is situated in
valley of extremely low land with hills
skirting il in the rear and with 25-foot
levee running from hill to hill. The town
is in much the same position US forti-
fled city and when the levee gave away
mile above town and under the pres.
sure Of the high water, the river shot
through 20,foot opening and struck the
place like hurricane. Houses were
turned and tossed about like boxes. The
people were not warned and for that rea-
son many were caught. Those at home
sought refuge in second stories and
! housetops. Those in the streets were car
ried before the avalanche of water and
probably majority were drowned.
Citizens came from the place by skifIs
to a telephone several miles away and
asked for aid from Evansville. They said
that more than 200 people were drowned,
They had reason to believe the number
would reach 500 to 1000. The water stands
from 90 to 30 feet deep all over the town.
There are, of course, no fires On light,
in the place and total darkness envelopes
the desolate city. Consequently 1t was
impossible for them to have anything like
definite information. The men immedi-
atcly left the telephone and no further
communication has been had. No tele-
graph nor telephone wires are working
and outside communication appears i'm
possible
About IL o'clock two steamboats, and
couple Of tugs started for Shawneetown
under full head of steam and 1t is eN-
pected some of them will arrive there
by 9 a. m. They carry large supplies of
food and blankets, quickly collected by
the city officials.
List of Victims Is Growing.
Chicago, April 4.At l2:4O this morning
the operator at the long distance tele.
phone company's Office at Mount Vernon.
Ind, informed the Associated Press that
the '''''"''e oii 'ne ,o,s Vi iie m VI ,"h"
Vernon is but 30 miles from Shawnee
town, and the information on which the
estimate is based is believed to be relia-
NJ. Th. ono,,,tor otot.d that ,ho con,.
pany's wires to the stricken city failed
soon after 4 o'clock yesterday. At that
hour it was known the dam waa giving
way, but II was not thought that il would
20 to pieces quickly enough to cause loss
Of life.
By 8 o'clock II was known in Mount
drowned, the estimate then being 100. A
relief boat bearing food, blankets and sur.
gcons was started down the river and was
expected to reach Shawneetown before
morning. Gradually the reports Of loss Of
life increa scd, the estimates of stories
coming from various points near the scene
Of the ofod showing clearly that the dis
sster was far more disastrous than was
at first believed. People at Mount Vernon
and surrounding towns beseiged the teIe.
graph offices, frantically asking for It'd
ings from friends and relatives in the
flooded town. No attempt at an accurate
list of the lost was possible, however, and
the crowds stood ali night before the bul-
letin boards, on which were posted the
mesp gre reports being received.
w..- =. r.n w,,. ,
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