Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-07-24
INCESSANT RAINS.
They Have Produced Flood Con-
ditionS in Iowa and Missouri.
Loss Of Millions Is Tbreatened-Far.
mers VIII be Ruined-Thc Rise
In Rivers Has Only He
gun situation Is
Very Gloomy.

Keoltuk, Ia, July 19.-Eeavy rains
In central Iowa are sending a food
down upon prosperous Missouri far
mers, which will ruin many of them
and cause losses aggregating, at a
conservative estimate, two and half
million dollars. There seems to be
no hope for the country between the
Mississippi river and it's Missouri
bluffs between Keokuk and Hannibal,
300 square miles, mostly corn laid by,
with some thousands of acres of
wheat in the shock. The water
touched the danger line the first of
the week and had begun to recede,
when heavy floods started again in
the Des Moines, Skunk and Iowa riv-
ers.
With a stage in the Des Moines
river only three feet below the tops
of the great levees, the river began
to rise three inches an hour at the
mouth here Friday, continuing until
the factor of safety was wiped out
last evening. A rise of one and
half feet in a short time at Ottum-
wa, and a further rise throughout it's
length below the Capital City was
PINN'ilCb Il'lil hililliiS ''b ii''ig ~
rise of foot and a half at Daven-
port, increasing and coming down
rapidly. The observer of the weather
bureau at Keokuk has sent tele-
graphic warning to all points south
to prepare for danger.
The Egyptian levee, which stood
the flood just receding after strenu-
Gus efforts to hold it, is only slightly
above the water now and the coming
flood in the Des Moines will cover it
certainly. This will let the water in
to hundreds of square miles, includ-
ing the town of Alexandria, Mo. The
inhabitants there are preparing for
an overflow of the entire town to Il
depth of several feet. The worst
feature is the time of the year The
corn crop is all made and wheat is in
the shock, entailing a total loss Of
the years work. Crops were never
finer and the yield promised to be i'm
mense.
Grain men say the above estimate
of value is too low, and put the fig
ures Of the loss from the overflow at
near $4,OOO,OOO between Keokuk and
Hannibal. 1t is believed the Illinois
lcvees will hold and the damage there
is likely to be only $4,000 to $4,000
between Keokuk and Quincy. Heavy
rains reported in southeastern Iowa
Indicate still higher water. Lowland
farmers, river men and the weather
bureau observer alike predict the
greatest damage ever known from
flood on the upper river.
Reports late last night showed
tremendous rains along the Des
Moines river and tributaries. Six
inches fell at Corydon and nearly
that much at Ottumwa. Rains all over
this section continue, with two inches
as a general minimum rainfall and
many reporting five inches. These
rains will reach the lower river and
flooded districts by Sunday with d
still further rise and devastation.
Both the Des Moines and Mississippi
rivers are rising fast.
Late reports show that half the
country for a distance of 80 miles be-
tween La Grange and Hannibal was
already under water long before the
crest of the flood arrived Points up
the DeS Moines river report water
flowing through the towns, but that
the country was damaged totally by
the flood several dayS ago,