Fergus County argus., 1902-07-23
Mississippi, the Father of Waters,
Carrying Disaster to Hundreds
OF Homes and Farms.
ONLY ROOFS OF HOUSES SEEN
Missourians Are the Greatest Suffer.
ers-The Worst is Over Unless
Skies Add to DeIuge.

hNohhh' ia'' July ISAplOIdtluu
of the flooded districts 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 its most destructive form. The
situation is growing worse and a
great conflagration would not be as
rapidly destructive of values. Thera
is not the slightest chance OF stop.
ping the most costly food In the his.
tory of the great river above st. Louis.
People at the river cities give ac.
counts of losses aggregating many
millions of dollars. Hudreds of farm.
ers. rich ten days ago. are penniless
and homeless. Careful estimates OF
the territory covered by the state
ments of those best informed indicate
the loss up to today is about $4,000.
600. with a prospect Of two or three
millions additional by the rise above.
not yet reaching their stretches OF
river. Most of the loss is on the Mis-
souri, side OF the river between Keo-
kuk and Hannibal.
After passing the lumber yards OF
keokuk, the mouth of the Des Moines
river Is nearly two miles wide. Nor.
mally there are two mouths. and del.
Ia. covered with farms. which Is now
under raging torrents. Alexandria
was protected to the last by the Egyp-
tian levee. the breaking of which
would send four feet of water all over
town. Gregory is submerged. except
the white church, in which service
was held today. the congregation from
the country reaching the church by the
railroad track, which is still above
the food in a waste OF waters miles
wide. Other towns and cities on the
island are beyond the danger line.
The levees protecting the Missis.
sippi river bottoms between Keokuk
and Quincy stood the strain of to-
days food, which failed to overflow
them. The Egyptian levee is still
several inches above the Des Moines
river, which is now stationary at It's
mouth. Reports from Ottumwa show
fall of two feet. Points beyond also
show falling. The only threatening
indications tonight are heavy clouds
at Oskaloosa. Unless heavy rains
should occur the Des Moines river
should begin to fall here tomorrow.
The situation looks brighter.
Immense fields are great lakes with
the shores visible only with a glass.
where the high bluffs bound the bot.
toms. Islands. dotting the river at
its normal stage, have disappeared
except for the tops OF trees or a
fringe OF willows slightly protrudins
like a circular green coral reef
Occasionally a house on piles OF
stilts is seen. but generally only the
roofs protrude to mark the center OF
farms of corn.
On the edge Of the flooded river
corn gradually rose on slope to tops
ears, 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 water and under II in some
stretches. Shore lights for pilots are
standing in the midst of a waste OF
waters. where steamboats, can run
over them. The river is from five
to ten miles wide and another great
lake is added to the geography.