Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-07-24
IOWA FARMERS
HUNTING ODD JOBS
Crops Swept Away by Recent Storms
Planters Seek to Begin Life Anew.
RAILROADS WILL LOSE HEAVILY

Keokuk, Ia, July l9.-The flood con-
ditions of Yesterday were much worse TO-
day, and the Mississippi river is from two
to ten miles wide for seventyhve miles be
low Keokuk, and is rising rapidly. The
flood is reaching far outlying farms,
hitherto missed, and farmers in the low
lands on the Missouri side have lost every
thing but their citadels on high knolls and
a few fields behind the highest levees.
Damage is also occurring on the Illinois
side between here and Quincy ,where there
are many thousands of acres of the river
side levees and where the levees them
selves are lot entirely efficient the water
is working through at the side of the flood
gates. The Lima and Hunt levees,
opposite Canton, Mo-, the most danger
Gus places, and which protect many square
miles of corn in IllinOs are constantly pa
trolled and hopes are entertained that
they NAV possibly hold. Tie greatest
damage is on the Missouri side Of the
Mississippi river, between Keokuk and
Hannibal, territory covering 800 square
miles and on'which the corn was estimated
at eighty bushels to the acre few days
ago. Hundreds of farmers are tenants
who lost crops by last years drouth in the
uplands and moved to the lOwlands this
wear. They are now pennless and hun
ting work in towns and cities. Reports
today are that in the territory indicated
the loss will be 81 900, 900, chiefly to corn
land, and in splendid condition previously,
The damage done along the Mississippi
river is greater than was expected or at
first reported. One township IN this
country, Green Bay, is six or seven feet
under water 1t contains more than IL,
900 acres of crops. Families there were
driven out hurriedly and some cattle were
drowned. Corn was the finest in tins
section of the country last week. The
levee eight miles north of Burlington broke
inundating three square miles that had
been considered safe.
The Skunk river, the most damaging
tributary of the Mississippi, is roaring
down with food approaching but twice
in the history of the state, in 1851 and
1892. The water topped the record of
1892 and touched the record of 1851. This
river rises in the center of Iowa and
empties into the Mississippi twenty-five
miles north of Keokuk, and greatly in
creases the flood at points.
In the interior, Iowa towns on the Des
Moines and Skunk rivers were surprised by
the rapid rise and there is much excite
ment. 1t was believed that the recession
of the food of the first three days of the
week removed all danger, and people re-
turned TO ordinary conditions. The sur
prise, entailing lack Of preparation,
caused much damage. Eddyville, Ottum-
and Coppock are among the heaviest losers
from this cause.
Railroads in Iowa will be put to great
expense in the maintenance OF tracks and
the safety of trains The Burlington and
Rock Island systems are closely patrolled
by watchmen at all bridges and culverts.
No damage has occurred to them owing to
systematic prevention, but this has been
done at great cost. The supervisors OF
Lee, Despoines, Washington Henry, JET
ferson, Wapello and Vanburen counties
have men at work trying to save wagon
road bridges, many of which have already
gone out. Losses from this cause will be
very considerable.
Thousands of acres are submerged IN
Appanoose county, Iowa and there Is
much grain caught in the field. The crop
in other places is chiefly corn. A new
element which has appeared all over the
drowned section of Iowa is disease among
stock, from the conditions of pastures
overhowed slightly and used after the
temporary subsidence of the waters.