Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-30
FLOODS DO GREAT DAMAGE
storms In Missouri and Illinois Cut
on Towns and stall
Trains.

Nearly all inbound trains were greatly
delayed today as a result Of the storm,
arriving at Union station from forty min
utes to Ave or six hours late. Several
washouts were reported and telegraph
wires were reported down, so that the
trains could not be located
One of the most disastrous floods in the
history OF Alton, ILL.,, and vicinity resulted
today from the heavy rainf of Friday and
Saturday.
At o'clock this afternoon It was esti-
mated that 10000 acres had been covered
with the overflow Of Wood river, which
is three to six miles wide Most of this
land is either occupied b manufacturing
interests or planted In crdps.
The greatest single disaster caused by
the flood was the destruction Of the plant
Of the stoneware Pipe company at East
Alton. The loss is estimated at $4,000.
The water rose rapidlyl being eighteen
inches higher than ever before, and filled
an underground duct leading from a NAM
moth smokestsck to kiln No. 4. The kiln
was filled with stonewsfe and redhot.
When the water reached the kiln it turned
into steam and an explosion followed. The
kilns are built close to fhe main plant
and the explosion set fire TO the buildings
and burned them to the gfound in a short
time.
In East Alton the residents were COM
PEELED to use skiffs to getiabout the prin-
cipal streets today. The water filled all
| the cellars and some of the largest stores
we're also flooded. number Of outbuild
ings we're washed away and the station OF
the Chicago, Burlington q Quincy rail-
road was carried away By the food and
| lodged in a field a quarter OF mile dis
| tant
The food produced the worst railroad
| tieup In recent years in the vicinity OF
the Altons. The Big -Four and the Chi
| cago, Peoria & st. Louis railroads were hit
the hardest, while the Burlington sus-
| tained the smallest amount OF damage.
The Burlington, west side, was the only
line working in the city between Alton
and St. Louis today and the road of the
| X line was reported clear to Burlington.
| The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the
| east side line, however, had a bad wash
out between Upper Alton and Woods sta
| ton. Two miles Of track of the Big Four
| on the main line and branch at East Alton
have been washed away and the roadbed
where 1t runs under the Chicago "cutoff,"
has been turned into a tributary channel
by the Wood river.
All the trains on the Big Four in and
| out Of East Alton we're annulled.
The storm conditions in Illinois, which
! in the American bottoms had assumed
grave proportions Saturday, became inten-
sified through the night and Sunday. As
a result, in Madison county and adjacent
territory several cities and towns are abb
solutely cut off from communication with
the outside world. Railroad tracks are
washed out, telephone and telegraph wires
| nd he ruhIip hiPhWaVa Qnllipd
and traversed by torrents of surface water.
Besides the farmers, the railroads are the
| heaviest losers.
ST. LOUIS, June 29.-Thfs city and vicin-
ity is the center of rainstorm Of unpre-
| cedented severity, that has prevailed inces-
sanity since Saturday morning. Accord
! ing to the local weather bureau reports
5.45 inches OF rain fell here between 2:3O
a. m. Saturday and s p. m. Sunday and the
end is not in sight. At times the storm
equalled a cloudburst in severity.
The storm is the most widespread that
has been experienced in this country for
many years, according to weather bureau
officials, extending from the Rocky noun
tains to the Alleghenies. In Kansas, Iowa
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Penn
sylvania the rainfall during yesterday and
today averaged from one to two inches
About an inch on the average fell in the
! states north, while those in the south re-
ceved slightly less.
Considerable damage, the total estimated
at about $3.50 OO0 resulted from the wind
that accompanied the rain. Last night the
wind attained a velocity of almost fifty
FIVE miles an hour, blowing down trees, tel
ephone, telegraph and trolley poles, and
interfering with communication OF al
sorts. At least 1000 shade trees in various
parts of the city are reported on the ground
From the country surrounding came re-
ports of destruction to crops and the wash
ing out OF railroad tracks and bridges
causing consid 1rable delay to trains.
Five hundred feet Of the north wall oi
the varied industries at the worlds fail
site fell last night as the result of the
storm, the water undermining the founda
tions when the wind was at it's height. Al
some places the worlds fair grounds are
covered with water
| BLOOMINGTON, ILL.,, June 29.-Thls is
the third day of heavy rainfall, the storm
having continued with scarcely an inter
rupton since Friday. The total precipi-
tation has exceeded four inches and has
caused much damage. All railroads in
southern Illinoiso report washouts and
bridge and track inspectors are engaged or
all the lines patrolling tracks and bridges
1 md tnof