Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-07-24
COVERED BY WATER.
The Mississippi River Devastating
the Country.
IMMENSE FIELDS OF GRAIN FLOODED
The Chief Flood Thus Far 10 On the Mls.
souri, Side, from Keokuk to Louisiana-
Lone Tree Prairie Deserted by
Its Population.


souri, Side, from Keokuk to Louisiana-
Lone Tree Prairie Deserted BY
Its Population.
Keokuk, Ia, July 21.-Exploratiol
OF the flooded districts of the Mis-
sissippi river from Keokuk soutl
shows conditions beyond the appre
citation or realization of any but peo
pie Of long experience with the
Father Of Waters in its most de-
structive mood. The situation Is
growing worse hourly and there ID
absolutely not the slightest chance
of stopping this dozen times most
costly flood in the history Of the
great river above st. Louis. The
correspondent Of the Associated
press went all over the worst dam
aged area yesterday in the steamer
Silver Crescent and found every
where the greatest crops ever known
under water deep enough to float .
steamboat. People at the river cities
give an immense mass Of details, all
to be generalized in losses aggregat-
ing many millions Of dollars, hun
dreds Of farmers rich ten days ago,
now penniess and homeless; hundreds
watching and praying that the great
levees may hold which are now their
bulwark against additional millions
Of loss and many cases Of penury.
Careful estimates Of the territory
covered and generalization of the
statements Of best informed people
indicate the loss up to yesterday is
about $e,oo0,oOO, with every pros
pect Of two or three millions addi-
tional by the rise. above not yet
reaching the lower stretches of the
river. Most OF this loss IL 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 submerged, except the
White church, in which service was
held yesterday, the praying congre-
CATION from the country reaching
the house Of God by the railroad
track, which is still above the food
in a 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 shore line, visible only
with a glass, where the high bluffs
bound the bottoms. Islands dotting
the river at its normal stage have
disappeared except for the tops of
trees or fringe Of high shore will
lows slightly protruding like a cir
cular green coral reef. Occasional
ly house on piles or stills is seen,
but generally only roofs protrude to
mark the center of farms of corn.
On the edge Of the food river corn
gradually rises on slope, tassels,
tops, ears and stalks appearing in
order. In few of the half-sub-
merged fields Is shocked wheat in
the background, the remnants of
many more washed to the Gulf of
Mexico. In the middle of the pres
ent river the tracks of the st. Louis,
Keoknk a. Northwestern railroad,
normally the Missouri shore, are now
a few inches above the water and un-
der 1t in some stretches. Shore
hghts Tor 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 70 !
miles long, and another great lake
is added to the geography. All this
territory was practically covered
with corn u fortnight ago, estimated
to make Is to 100 bushels to the
acre The loss is total. Experience
Is that If water stays AZ hours even
four inches under the surface it kills
corn and every stalk wet by waves
perishes from rottng roots.
The chief food thus far is ON the
Missouri side from Keokuk to l.ouisi-
ana with Canton and West Quincy as
centers OF the country hurt worse.
On the Illinois side are three CON
tinuous levees for 40 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 food
IT'S square miles in Illinois and de-
stroy 100000 to $3,OOO,OOO worth
of corn. The levees below Quincy
are in the same situation, except
that they are lower and less firm. y
Opposite Quincy, in Missouri, is
still another center Of special dew
astation which is appalling North
IL miles is Lagrange and south to
Holton large prairies are well under
water reaching from the Illinois
bluffs to the Missouri bluffs at least
ten miles. Levees hastily thrown
around farms have disappeared in a
fierce current rushing from above
through the draw of the Burlington
route bridge, carrying everything