The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-22
DESTRUCTION OF CROPS WILL
REACH MILLIONS.
NAVIGATING OVER FARMS
Hundreds Of Farmers Rich Ten DAYS
Ago Now PenniIess and
Homeless.

Keokuk, Iowa, July y2O.-Exploration
of the flooded district of the Missis-
sippi river from Keokuk south shows
conditions beyond the appreciation or
realization OF any but people of long
experience with the Father of Waters
in it's most destructive mood.
The situation is growing worse
hourly. There is absolutely not the
| slightest chance of stopping the flood,
| which is q dozen times the most cost
ly of any in the history of the great
river above Saint Louis. The CORE
| spondent of the Associated Press went
all over the worst damaged area to-
day in the steamer Silver Crescent
and found everywhere the greatest
crops ever known under water deep
| enough to float a steamboat. People
at the river cities give an immense
mass of details, all to be generalized
in losses aggregating many millions
of dollars. Hundreds of farmers, rich
| ten days ago, are penniless and home
less.
Careful estimates indicate the loss
up to today at noon at about 60,O00,0 900
with every prospect that it will be
increased by two or three millions
| by the rise above, which has not vet
reached the lower stretches Of :Ne
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 near
! ly two miles wide. Normally there
are two mouths and an island delta
covered with farms, which are now
under raging torrents. Alexandra was
protected to the last by the Egyptian
levee, the breaking Of which would
send four feet of water all over the
town. Gregory is submerged, except
the white church in which services
were held today, the congregation
from the country reaching the house
of Worship by the railroad, which is
still above the flood in waste of
water miles wide. Other towns and
cities en- the islands are beyond 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 dis
appeared, except for the tops of trees
or fringe of high shore willows pro-
truding slightly like green coral reefs.
Occasionally house is seen. but gen.
orally only roofs protrude to mark
the center of farms of corn. On the
edge of the flood corn gradually rises
on slope, tasseled tops, ears and
stalks appearing in order.
In the middle of the present river,
| the tracks of the St. Louis, Keokuk
& Northwestern railroad, normally
| the Missouri shore. are now few
| inches above the latter and under it.
in some stretches. Shore lights fer
pilots are standing in the midst of
| waste of water where steamboats, can
run over them. The river is five to
10 miles wide for 20 miles long,
and another great lake is added to
the geography.
All this territory was practically
covered with corn fortnight ago
estimated I'd make Is to 100 bushels
to the acre.
If water stays 48 hours, even four
inches deep. it kills corn and every
stalk wet by waves perishes from
rotting roots. Much of that back from.
the channel looks to- the casual OBJ
server as if it would recover when the
food subsidies, but a month will see
it all brown and dead.
The height of the flood is indicated
by an accident at La Grange, The
steamboat warehouse was well back
from the river and highaaA3 strong
current and gale caused the pilot to,
make an imperfect landing and the
cornice of the roof Of the warehouse
was torn by the forward guards of the,
Silver Crescent. The river is rising
all the time, six inches, during the,
day in the immense, area of 200 square
miles, and the WORST to come Ry- the
extension of,sthe flooded ed;;, area ~ !, by n the