Newport weekly independent., 1902-07-25
RAINS AND FLOODS.
deaVy Rains in Central Iowa Raise Streams Big River From keokuk
 to Cairo,

keokuk, la., July 1S.-Heavy rains in Central Iowa Thursday and Friday are sending flood down upon pros porous Missouri farmers which will ruin many of them and cause losses aggregating, at a conservative esti- mate, two and a half million dollars. There seems to be no hope for the country between the Mississippi river and it's Missouri bluffs between Keo- kuk and Hannibal, 300 square miles, mostly planted to corn, with sonie thousands of acres of wheat in the shock. The water had touched the danger line the first of the week and had begun to recede when heavy floods started again in the Des Moines, Skunk and Iowa rivers. With stage in the Des Moines river only three feet below the tops of the great levees, the river began to rise three inches an hour at it's mouth here to- day, continuing until the factor of safety was wiped out this evening. A rise of one and a half feet in a short time this morning at Ottumwa, and a further rise throughout it's length below the capital city, was prevent ed from running out freely by rise of foot and half at Davenport last night. increasing and coming down rapidly.
 Warnings Sent Out.
 This afternoon the observer of the weather bureau at Keokuk sent tele- graphic warning to all points south to prepare for danger. The crest is expected here Saturday or Sunday. The Egyptian levee, which stood the flood just receding, after strenuous efforts to hold it, including t$le de- struction of farm houses to secure lumber for strengthening the dike, is only slightly above the water now and the coming flood in the Des Moines will top it certainly. This will let the water into hundreds of square miles, including the town of Alexandria, Mo. The inhabitants there are preparing for an overflow of the entire town to depth of sev- eral feet.
 The corn crop in the flooded dis trict is all made and wheat is in the shock, and as a result the farmers will lose all their years work. Grain men say the foregoing estimate of value is too low, and put the figures of the loss from the overflow at near CT four millions between Keokuk and Hannibal. It is believed the Illinois levees will hold and the damage there is likely to be only S20,o00 to $30,00O between Keokuk and Quincy. Heavy rains are reported in southeastern Iowa to-day, and tonight there are indications of still higher water Low land farmers, rivermen and the weather observer alike predict the greatest damage ever known from flood on the upper river.
 More Rain Falling.
 Reports late this evening show tre. mendous rains along the Des Moines river and tributaries. Six inches fell at Corydon and nearly that much at Ottumwa. Rains all over this section continue tonight with two inches as a general minimum rainfall and many reporting five inches. These rains will reach the lower river and flooded dis tricts by Sunday, with a still further rise and devastation. Both the Des Moines and Mississippi rivers are ris- reports show that half the country for a distance of 30 miles from La grange and Hannibal were under wa ter long before the crest of the flood arrived.