The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-07-25

Kcokuk, Ia, July 2o.-Exploration
NJ the flooded districts of the Missis-
rippi river from Kcokuk south shows
conditions beyond the appreciation
or realization OF amy but people Of
long experience with the Father Of
Waters In It's most destructive mood.
The situation Is growing worse
hourly, and n great conilagration In "a
great city would not he more rapidly
destructive Of values than he
nntithcsis n hundred miles below
kcokulS. There In absolutely not the
slightest chance Of stopping this
d"ycn-iimcs most costly flood in the
history Of the great river above 81.
Louis. A correspondent went over
the most dnmngcd area to-day In n
launch aud found everywhere the
greatest crops ever known under wa
ter deep enough 10 float n steamboat.
People At III" river cities give an i'm.
mensc mass If details, all 20 be gen.
crnlilcd In losses a~ggrcgating many
millions ~ dollars; hundreds Of
farmers rich ten days ago ARE pcnni'
less and homeless; hundreds watch.
ing and praying that the great lcvrrs
may hold which nrc now their bul.
warlS against additional millions Of
loss aud many eases of pcnury.
F..NI ..sss. - a.. s.V.sNwu
ru,crcd and generalization of the
statements of bcst-informcd people
Indicate the loss up 10 to-day In abou,
six million dollars. with every pros.
poet %. two or three millions add.
tional blythe rise above not yet reach
ing the lower stretches Of the river.
Most of the loss Is on the Missouri
side Of the river bc,Eccn Kcokuk and
Hannibal.
Passing the watrr-lnppcd lumber.
yards of Krokuk, the mouth Of the
Drs Molncs river II see tn he near.
ly two miles wide. Normally there
nre two mouths and an island delta
rovcrcd with farms. which are under
ringing torrents.
Alexandria was protected To the
last by the Egyptian lcvcc. the break.
ing 81 which would send four feet
~ water all over the town. Gregory
IL submerged except tho white church
IN which service was held to-day. the
praying congregation from the oun
try reaching the house Of God by the
railroad track which IL stlll above
the flood In n waste of waters milcs
wide. Other towns and cities on the
islands ARE beyond the danger line.
Shore lights for pilots are stand.
ing In the midst ~ u waste Of waters
where steamboats, can run over them.
The river IL live la ten miles wide and
80 miles long. and another great lake
IN added to the geography. All this
territory was practically covered with
corn "a fortnight ago, estimated To
make scyenty-ilye to u hundred bush.
els Ia the mere. Previous estimates
II the loss have been greatly in
creased by the prospective yield being
found much greater than ever before,
experts telling of many farms that
were good for 100 bushels to the acre
before the flood. Tho loss Ia total.
Experience In that II water stays ~
hours even four inches under the sur
face II kills the corn, and every stalk
wet by waves pcrishes from %rotting
roots. Much Of that back from the
channel looks to the casual observer
as IL II would when the flood
subsidies, hut u month will see II al
brown and scar.
The chief flood thus far Is on tn,
Missouri side from Keokuk to Louisl
ana, with Canton and West Quincy ~
ccntcrs of the country hurt worst. Or
The Illinois side are three continuoui
icNces for 40 miles from Warsaw I,
Quincy above the water and are thu
far safe, hut farmers are afraid %
c%rcvasses from muskrat holes ant
every rod of the rcdoubt Is watchct
day and night. The hfcaking of thcs,
lceyes would. food iTj square miles II
Illinois and destroy s., 900, 900 TO 81,
o 5000 worth Of corn. The leyers I've
low Quincy nrc In the same situn
ton, except that they are lower api
less firm.
Opposite Quincy, In Missouri, is still
another center of special devastation
which is appalling. North IL miles I,
laGrangc and south { o Horton, lnrg
prairies are well under water rca n
ing from the Illinois bluffs to tn
Missouri bluffs, NJ least ten miles
Lcvees hastily thrown around farm
have disappeared in a fierce currcn
rushing from above through the dra,
OF the Burlington route bridge, carry
Ing everything before IT,.