Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-21
MIDSUMMER FLOODS.
Damage Along the Mississippi
 Many Millions.
HUNDREDS OF FARMERS RUINED.
Growing Crops, the Greatest Ever Known, Deep Under Wnter-Most Costly Intimidation In River's
 History Above St. Louis.


 Costly Intimidation In River's
 History Above St. Louis.
 KEOKUK, Ia., July 21.-Exploration of the flooded districts of the M1ss1s- sippi river from Keokuk south shows conditions beyond the appreciation or realization of any but those of long ex- perience with the Father of Waters in it's most destructive mood.
 The situation is growing worse hour Iy, and great confagration in great city would not be more rapidly destruc- tice of values. There is absolutely not the slightest chance of stopping this most costly flood in the history of the great river above St. Louis.
 Everywhere the greatest crops ever known are under water deep enough to float steamboat. People at the river cities give accounts of losses aggregat- ing many millions of dollars Hundreds of farmers rich ten days ago are penni- less and homeless.
 Careful estimates gathered from the statements of best informed people in- dicate the loss up to the present at about $6OOO,OOO, with every prospect of $2,OoO, 900 or s3,o0o,oo0 additional by the rise above not yet reaching the low CT stretches of the river.
 Most of this loss is on the Missouri side of the river between Keokuk and Hannibal
 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 also sub- merged.
 Immense fields are seen in great lake, with the shore visible only with a glass where the high bluffs bound the bottoms. Islands dotting the river at it's normal stage have disappeared except for the tops of trees or fringe of high shore willows slightly protruding 1 like circular coral reef. Occasionally | house on piles or stilts is seen, but generally only roofs rise to mark the center of farms.
 l On the edge of the flood river corn gradually rises on slope, tassels tops, ears, stalks appearing in order. In the middle of the present river the tracks l of the St. Louis, Keokuk and North western railroad, normally on the Mis- souri shore, are now a few inches above | the water and under it in some stretchr l es Shore lights for pilots are standing in the midst of a waste of waters, where steamboats can run over them. The river is five to ten miles wide. and another lake seventy miles long is add 1 ed to the map.
 All this territory was practically GOV cred with corn d fortnight ago. esti- Il a4nI IA ,fxyf fsvya 4r dred bushels to the acre. Previous es- inmates of the loss have been greatly increased by the prospective yield be- l ing found much greater than ever be- fore, experts telling of many farms that were good for a hundred bushels to the acre before the flood. The loss is total. Experience is that if water stays I forty-eight hours even four inches oun- l der the surface 1t kills corn, and every stalk wet by waves perishes from rot l ting roots.
 l The chief flood thus far is on the Mis- souri side, from Keozuk to Louisiana, with Canton and West Quincy, as cen ters of the country hurt worse. On the Illinois side are three continuous leyees for forty miles, from Warsaw to ] Quincy, above the water, which 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 175 square miles in Illinois and destroy $2.O0O.OOO to $3,000, ,000 worth l of corn.
 Opposite Quincy. in Missouri, is still lanother center of special devastation 1 which is appalling. North (twelve miles) to Lagrange and south to Holten large prairies are well under water, reaching
 from the Illinois bluffs to the Missouri
 bluffs, at least ten miles.
 The Illinois River Threatena. l pInORIA LII I11lu O1 --Tbn Illiroic