The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-31
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DURING
FLOOD.
The Loss over six Million Dollars
River Becomes Vast Inland
Sea.

TEOKUK, Iowa, July 2O.-Explora-
ton Of the flooded district of the Mis-
sissippi river from KeOkuk south shows
conditions beyond the appreciation or
realization of any but persons of long
experience with the Father Of Waters
in its most destructive moods. The
situation is growing worse hourly
There is absolutely not the slightest
chance of stopping the flood which is
a dozen times the most costly of any in
the history of the great river above St.
Louis.
A newspaper correspondent went over
the worst damaged area today on the
steamer Silver Crescent and found
everywhere the greatest crops ever
known in this region under water deep
enough to float a steamboat. Resi-
dents of the river cities give a mass OF
details, all to be generalized in losses
aggregating many millions of dollars.
Hundreds of farmers, rich ten days ago
are penniless and homeless, and huu-
dreds are watching and praying that
the great levees which are now their
bulward against additional loss and, in
many cases absolute penury, Will hold.
Careful estimates place the loss up 90
today at about 100000 600, with every
prospect that it will be increased by
/ two or three millions by the rise above,
which has not yet feached the lower
stretches of the river. Most of this
loss is on the Missouri side of the river
between Keokuk and Hannibal.
Passing the water-lapped lumber
yards of KeOkuk the mouth of the Des
Moines river is seen to be nearly two
miles wide. Normally there are two
mouth and an island delta covered with
farms, which are now under raging
torrents.
Alexandria was protected to the last
| by the Egyptian levee, the breaking of
which would have sent four feet of
water over the town. Gregory is sub
merged except the White Church, in
which services were held today. The
congregation from the country reached
the house of worship NV the railroad
track, which was still above the flood,
in a waste of waters miles wide. Other
towns and cities on the islands are be-
yOnd the danger line.
Immense fields are seen in a great
lake with the shore line visible only
with a glass, where the high bluffs
bound the bottoms. Islands dOtting the
river at it's normal stage have disap-
Ipeared except for the tops of trees or
! fringes of high shore willows protrud-
ing slightly, like a circular green coral
Ireef Occasionally a house on piles is
seen, but generally only roofs prelude
| to mark the center of farms of corn.
On the edge of the flood corn gradually
rises on a slope tassels, tops, ears and
stalks appearing in order. In a few
! half-submerged fields is shocked wheat
in the background, the remnants of
many crops.
In the middle of the present river the
tracks of the st. Louis, KeOkuk and
Northwestern shore. are now a few in
Ches above the water and under it in
some stretches. Shore lights for pilots
are standing in the midst of waste OF
waters where steamboats, can run over
them. The river is five to ten miles
wide and seventy miles long, and an
other great lake is added to the geogra-
ply All this territory was practically
timated to yield IS to 100 bushels to the
IaCre.