The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-07-30
GREAT FLOODS.
The Destruction Of Crops is Appall-
ing in Many Places.

floods OF water. 4 dispatch from
Keokuk, Iowa, says explorations Of
the flooded districts of the Mississ-
ippi river from Keokuk south, shows
conditions beyond the appreciation or
Realization of any but those of long
experience with the Father of Waters
in it's most destructive mood.
The situation is growing worse
hourly and a great conhagration in a
great.city would not be more rapidly
destructive OF values. There is ab-
Solutely not the slightest chance Of
stopping this most costly flood in the
history Of the great river about St.
Louis. A correspondent Of the AsSo-
ciated Press went over the worst dam
aged area in the steamer Crescent and
found everywhere the greatest crops
ever known under water deep enough
to float steamboat. People at the
river cities give accounts Of losses ag-
gregating many millions of dollars.
Hundreds of farmers, rich ten days
ago, the penniless and homeless.
NEARLY TEN MILLION LOSS.
Careful estimates gathered from the
statements Of the best informed peo-
pie indicate the loss up to today is
about six million dollars, with every
prospect of two or three millions ad-
ditonal by the rise above, not yet
reaching the lower stretches Of the
rivers. Most OF this loss is on the
Missouri side of the river between
Keokuk and Hannibal. Passing the
water-lapped lumber yards of Keokuk,
the mouth of the Des Moines river is
nearly two miles wide Normally
there are two mouths and an island
delta covered with farms, which are
now under raging torrents. AleXan-
dria 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 ex-
cept the White church, in which SER
vice was held Sunday, the congrega-
tion from the country reaching the
church by the railroad track, which is
still above the flood in waste of
waters miles wide. Other towns and
cities on the islands are beyond the
danger line.
IMMENSE FIELDS IN A GREAT LAKE.
Immense fields are seen in d 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 disap-
peared, except for the tops of trees or
fringe of high shore willows, slightly
protruding like circular coral reef.
Occasionally house on piles or stills
is seen, but generally only roofs rise to
mark the center of farms Of corn. In
the middle of the present river the
tracks of the St. Louis, Keokuk &
Northwestern railroad, normally on
the Missouri shore, are now few
inches about the water and under it
in some stretches. Shore lights for
pilots are standing in the midst Of a
waste OF waters where steamboats, can
rnn over them. The river is five to
ten miles wide, and another lake
seventy miles long is added to the
map.
OF ACRES OF CORN GONE.
All this territory was practically
covered with corn a fortnight ago,
estimated to make seyenty-iye to
hundred bushels to the acre. Pre-
yious estimates of the loss have been
greatly increased by the prospective
yield being found much greater than
ever before, experts telling of many
farms that were good for one hundred
bushels to the acre before the flood.
The loss is total. Experience is that
if water stays forty-eight hours even
four inches under the surface it kills |
corn and every stalk wet by waves
perisheS from rotting roots. The
height Of the flood is indicated by an
incident at LAGRANGE. The steam
boat warehouse was well back from
the river bank and stands high. A
strong current and gale caused the
pilot to an imperfect Landing and the |
,ornice Of the roof Of the warehouse |
vas torn off by the forward guards of
Silver Crescent. The river is rising all
The time, six inches during the day, in
he immense area Of 700 square miles,
Ind the worst is to come.
WHERE THE CHIEF FLOOD IS.
The chief flood thus far is on the
side from keokuk to Louis
ana with Canton and West Quincy as
'enters Of the country hurt worst. On
he Illinois side there are three con-
;inuous leyeeS for forty miles from
Warsaw to Quincy above the water,
which thus far are safe but farmers
re afrrid of crevasseS from musk rat
loles, and every rod of the redoubt is
day and night. The break
no of these leVeeS would flood IFS