The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1902-07-25
SIX MILLIONS
LOST IN FLOOD
Farmers in Illinois, Iowa, and
Missouri Are Made
PonnileSs.
TORRENTS DESTROY THE CROPS
i'ost Abundant Yield on Record 10
Wiped Out by the Rising Waters
OF the Mississippi-Levees Threaten
to Break.

Keokuk. Iowa, July 21.-Flood losses
IN the Mississippi valley south OF
KeOkuk are estimated al $4,000 900.
with the situation continuing To grow
worse and every prospect that this
amount will be increased two OF three
millions. Everywhere throughout the
section the most abundant crops ever
known are under water deep enough
20 float a steamboat. and farmers who
ten days ago were wealthy are to-day
penniless and homeless.
The most OF this loss Is on the Mis-.
souri, side of the river. between Keo-
kuk and Hannibal. All this territory
was practically covered with corn
fortnight ago estimated 10 make sew.
enty-hye To a hundred bushels 10 the
acre. The loss Is total. Experience
Is that II the water stays forty-eight
hours Il kills corn even four inches
under the surface. and every stalk
wet by waves perishes from rottlng
.oots. Much OF that back from the
channel looks 20 the casual observer
as II Il would recover when the Hood
subsidies. but n month will see II ali
brown and scar.
River Is Rising.
The river Is rising all the time. six
inches during the day In the immense
area OF 700 square miles. and the
worst 20 come by an extension OF the
flooded area by the water passing
levees II Is now topping
The chief flood thus far Is on the
Missouri side. from Kaokuk 90 Louisi-
ana. with Canton and West Quincy as
centers Of the country hurt the worst
On the Illinois side are three continu-
ous lcvees FOR forty miles from War
saw 10 Quincy above the water and
thus far safe. but farmers are afraid
OF crevasses from mus,rat holes. and
every rod OF the redoubt Is watched
day and night The breaking OF these
levess would flood l75 square miles In
Illinois and destroy s2,0OO.000 to So
600 .O00 worth OF corn. The levees be-
Low Quincy are In the same situation,
except that they are lower and less
firm.
LeVess Disappear.
Opposite Quincy In Missouri Is still
another center OF special devastation.
North twelve miles 10 la Grange and
south 90 Holtcn large prairies are well
under water. reaching from the III
nois bluffs To- the Missouri bluffs. az
least ten miles.
lcyecs hastily thrown around farms
have disappeared In n fierce current
rushing from above through the draw
OF the Burlington bridge. carrying
everything before Il. Lone Tree
prairie. ten miles square. Is deserted.
the population having flown 10 Quin.
cy and the bluffs on the Missouri side.
rebius river, fifteen miles above Han.
nibal. Is high and furnishing a route
for the Mississippi 10 flank ald re-
verse the leyce. as the Fox river does
forty miles mp the Mississippi This
thanking movement makes even the
highest Missouri levees Ineffective.
Around La Mortc. Silyerton. Busch
Station. Clemens. Ashburn. north Of
Hannibal. there Is more wheat than
at o,aer places. and all In the shock
Is mostly washed away. TIE chief
crop there Is corn. however. and there
"a the same ruin az at other places.
Des Mo;nes Raging.
The Des Moines river at It's mouth
IL nearly two miles wide. and the
island delta covered with farms. Is
entirely under water Gregory is sub.
merged except the white church. In
which services was held. The pray
ing congregation from the country
reached the house OF God by the rail.
road track. which Is still above the
food in n waste OF waters miles wide.
Other towns and cities on the islands
are beyond the danger line.
The Des Moines river is now sta.
t!oaary at IT'S mouth. Reports from
Ottumwa show a fall OF two feet.
Points between show n fall also. The
Mississippi here shows n stage OF 1874