Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-21
E1cuuiOnists Lock Upon Devastating Scene
Along Mississippi.
RIVER TEN MILES WIDE NEAR QUINCY
Rush Of Water Continues and Mighty
Stream Keeps Rising.
LEVEEs cRUEstE BEFORE THE CURRENT
Farmers Flee to High Ground and View
Destruction Of Property.
ESTIMATED DAMAGE SIX MILLION DOLLARS
Seven Hundred Square Miles Under
writer and as Rise Continues
the Worst is Yet 10
Come,

the worst is Yet 10
Come,
KEoKUK, Ia, July 20.-Exploration OF
the flooded districts OF the Mississippi river
from Keokuk south shows conditions be-
yond the appreciation OF any but people
OF long experience with the Father OF
Waters in its most destructive mood.
The situation is growing worse and
great conhagration in a great city would
not be more rapidly destructive OF values
than the antithesis Of a hundred miles
below Keokuk. There is not the slightest
chance Of stopping this dozen times most
costly flood in the great river above st.
Louis. The correspondent OF the Asso-
cited Press went all over the worst dam
aged area today in the steamer Silver Cres-
cent and found everywhere the greatest
crop ever known under water deep enough
20 float a steamboat.
People at the river cities give an i'm
mense amount OF information, all to be
generalized in millions of dollars loss, hum
dreds OF farmers prosperous ten days ago
are penniless and homeless, hundreds
watching and praying that the great levees
may hold. which are their bulwark against
millions OF loss, and many cases Of penury.
civilizations OF the statements Of thousands
OF people indicate that the loss up to today
Is six millions OF dollars, with every pros
pect of two or three millions additional by
the rise above not yet reaching the lower
stretches Of the 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 Moincs
river is seen to be nearly two miles wide.
Normally there are two mouths and an Is
land delta, covered with farms, which are
under raging torrents. Alexandria 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 pray
ing congregation from the country reaching
the house OF God by the railroad track,
which is still above the flood In waste
OF waters miles wide Other towns and
cities on the islands are beyond the danger
line. Immense fields are seen in a great
lake with the share lines barely visible with
a glass, where the high bluffs bound the
bottoms.
Islands Are Gone.
Islands dotting the river at It's normal
stage have disappeared except for the tops
of trees or fringe OF high shore willows
protruding like a circular coral reef Oc-
caslonally a house on piles Is seen, but
generally only roofs protrude TO mark the
center Of farms of corn. On the edge OF
the flood corn gradually rises on a slope,
tassels, ears. stalks appearing in order.
In a few Of the half-submerged fields is
shocked wheat in the background, the rem
nants OF many more washed to the Gulf
OF Mexico.
In the middle Of the present river the
tracks OF the st. Louis. Keokuk & North
ern railroad. normally the Missouri shore.
are only few inches above the water,
and under II some stretches. Shore lights
are standing In the midst OF waters where
steamboats, can run over them. The river
is hve to ten miles wide and seventy miles
long and another great lake is added to
the geography.
This tract was practically covered with
corn a fortnight ago. estimated to make
seventy-hve to 100 bushels to the acre
Previous estimates OF the loss have greatly
Increased by the prospective yield being
found much greater than ever before, re-
ports telling OF many farms that were
good for 100 bushels to the acre before the
flood. The loss is total. The experience
js that II water stays forty-eight hours
even four inches under the surface II kills
corn and every stalk perlshes from rotting
roots.
River stIII Rising.
The height Of the food is Indicated by
IN incident at La Grange. The steamboat
warehouse was well back from the river
bank and sits high. A gale and the cur
rent cause.-The pilo. to make an imperfect
landing and the cornice OF the roof Of the
warehouse was torn on by the forward
guards OF Silver Crescent.
The river Is rising all the time, six
inches during the day in the immense area
OF 700 square miles and the worst to come
by the extension OF the flooded area by
the water passing levees It is now topping.
The chief flood thus far is on the Missouri
side from Keokuk TO Louisiana, with Can
ton and West Quincy as centers OF the
country hurt worst. On the Illinois side
are the three continuous levees for forty
miles, from Warsaw to Quincy. above the
water and are thus far safe, but farmers
\are afraid OF crevasses from muskrat holes
and every rod of the redoubt is watched
day and night. The breaking Of these levees
would flood IT'S square miles in Illinois
and destroy from 100000 to $4,000 OoC
worth. Of corn. The levees below Quincy
are In the same situation except that they
are lower and less Arm,
other center OF special devastation, which
Is appalling. North twelve miles to Le-
Grange and south to Holton, large prairies
are well under water reaching from the
Illinois bluffs to the Missouri BLUFFS, al
least ten miles Levess hastily thrown
around farms have disappeared In a strong
current rushing from above through the
draw of the Burlington route bridge. carry,
ing everything before II. Lone Tree Prairie
ten miles square, is deserted. the peopl,
having flown to Quincy and the blufs OF
the Missouri side, from which they watcl
the complete destruction.
Fabius river. ffteen miles above Hanni
bal. Is high and furnishing a route 70
the Mississippi to flank and reverse tn
levee as the Fox river does forty mile
up the Mississippi This hanking move
ment makes even the highest Missour
levees ineffective. Around LamOtte. Saw
erton, Busch station. Clemens. Ashburn
north Of Hannibal, there is more whea
than At other places ana ali in the shOcl
Continued en- Second Passl