The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-07-24
the Missouri side Of the river, be-
tween Keokuk and Hannibal.
Saved by the Leyee.

OF WHICH WOulu Sehu louT rect OF wa
ter all over the town. Gregory is sub
merged, except the white church in
which service was held Sunday, the
praying congregation from the coun-
try reaching the house of God by the
railroad track, which is still above the
flood in a waste of water 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 visible only with a glass,
where the high bluffs bound the bot
toms. Islands dotting the river at its
normal stage have disappeared ex-
cept for the tops of trees or fringe of
high shore willows slightly protruding
like circular green coral reef. Occa.
sionally house on piles or stills is
seen, but generally only roofs pro.
trude to mark the center of farms of
corn.
River StiH Rising.
The river is rising all the time, six
inches during the day in the immense
area of ZOO 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 worse On the Illinois
side are three continuous levees for &C
miles from Warsaw to Quincy above
the water, and are thus far safe, but
farmers are afraid of crevasse from
muskrat holes and every rod of the
redoubt is watched day and night. The
breaking of these leyees would food
ITS square miles in Illinois and destroy
100000 to S3,000,0oo worth of corn.
The leyees below Quincy are in the
same situation, except that they are
lower and less firm.
On the Missouri Side,
Opposite Quincy, in Missouri, is stil
another center of special deva station
which is appalling. North ~ miles
to La Grange 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
disappeared in fierce current rushing
from above through the draw of the
Burlington bridge, carrying every.
thing before it. Lone Tree prairie, ten
miles square, is deserted, the popula.
tion having flown to Quincy and the
bluffs on the Missouri side, from which
they watch the complete destruction
Fabius river, is miles above Hannibal.
is high and furnishing a route for the
Mississippi to flank and reverse the
levee, as the Fox river does 40 miles
upthe Mississippi. This thanking move
ment makes even the highest Missouri
levees ineffective. Around La Motto,
SiIverton, Busch Station, Clemens,
Ashburn, north of Hannibal, there is
more wheat than at other places, and
all in the shock is mostly washed
away. The chief crop there is corn.
however, and there is the same ruin as
at other places.
Hamlet Swept Away.
LaSalle, H., July 21.-The Illinois
and Vermilion rivers and tributaries
have sent a flood down the valley
that has ruined many of the bottom
land farmers and caused losses to
property aggregating 100000. All
roadways entering Lasalle and Peru
from the south are submerged.
Many of the bridges have been
washed away. Strasburg, hamlet
on the Vermilion river, just east of
the city, was swept away by the
raging waters Friday night. The
food came on in the night, and the
villagers, many clad only in night
robes, were forced to fee to the
hills. leaving their homes and pos.
sessions to the mercies of the tor
rent. Four of the residences were
swept away from their foundations,
and floating down the current were
dashed to pieces against the rock
bridge.
Three Victims of CIoudburst.
Binghamton. Y. Y, July 21.-A cloud
burst at Coventry, this county, sent
Lump creek over its banks, wrecking
several mills and buildings at Alton.
The family of James Cook, consisting
Of three persons, were drowned.
Damage in New York.
Farmer, \. Y, July 21.-The most
disastrou food that has visited this
portion of Seneca county, occurred
Sunday afternoon. The rain com.
menced Saturday night, but the heavy
downpour came between two and $3.50
Sunday afternoon, washing everything
in the path OF the torrent it created.
Wheat in the sh ock, hay on the ground
once cooked, gardens, roads and in
some places bridges are washed out.
At the Lehigh Valley depot on level
ground the ballasting was washed
from uuder fhe track in several places