The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-07-25
) 0 WORSE HOURLY
THE MISSISSIPPI BELOW KEOKUK
SWOLLEN TO A LAKE TEN
WIDE.
FARMS NOW RAGING TORRENTS
MOST COSTLY FLOOD IN THE HIS
TORY OF THE UPPER
RIVER.

Wv" "a 80"
Of the flooded districts Of the Missis-
conditions beyond the appreciation or
realization of any but people Of long
experience with the Father of Waters
In it's most destructive mood
Thehe situation is growing worse
hourly n a great conflagratiOn In q
great city would not be more rapidly
destructive of values. There Is abso-
lutely not the slightest chance Of stop
ping this most costly flood in the his
tory of the great river above st. Louis.
People at the river cities give accounts
of losses asgregating many millions OF
dollars. Hundreds of farmers rich ten
days ago are %penniless and homeless.
Careful estimates Of the territory
covered by the statements of those
hest informed Indicate the loss so far
to be about six million dollars, with
every prospect of two or three mil
lions additional by the rise above. not
yet reaching the lower stretches Of the
river.
Under Raging Torrents.
Most of this loss is on the Missouri
side of the river, between Keokuk and
Hannibal. Passing the lumber yards
of Keokuk the mouth of the Des
Moines river is nearly two miles wide.
Normally there are two mouths, ana
q delta covered with farms, which are
now under raging torrents.
Alexandria was protected to the last
by the Egyption levee, the breaking OF
which would send fou feet of water
eve all the town. Gregory is SUBJ
merged, except the white church, In
which services were held yesterday,
the congregation from the country
reaching the church by the railroad
track, which IS still above the flood in
a waste of waters miles wide. Other
towns and cities on the island are be-
yond the danger line.
Immense fields are great lakes with
the shore visible only with a glass,
where the higs bluffs bound the bot
toms. Islands dotting Che river at it's
normal stage
Have Disappeared
of willows slightly protruding like a
circular green coral reef. Occasionally
q house on piles or .tilts is seen, but
generally only roofs protrude to mark
the center of farms of corn.
On the edge of the flooded river corn
gradually rises on a slope, tassels. tops,
ears, stalks appearing in order. In the
middle of the present river the tracks
of the st. Louis, KeOkuk & Northwest
ern railroad, normally the MISSOURI
shire, are but a few inches above 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 run over them. Inc
river is five to ten miles wide and an
other great lake is added to the
geography.
All this territory was practically COW
cred with corr a fortnight ago, estl-
mated to make s~eventy-five to a hum
dred bushels to the acre. Previous es-
Inmates of the loss have been greatly
Increased by the, prospective yield be-
ing found much greater than ever be-
fore, experts telling of many farms
that We're good for 100 bushels of corn
to the acre before the flood.
n Loss Is Total.
The river is rising all the time, SIX
Inches during the day in the immense
area of 700 square miles and the worst
is to come by the extension of the
flooded area by the waters passing
leyees. which it is now topping.
The chief flood thus far is on the
Missouri side from Keokuk to Louisi-
ana, with Canton and West Quincy as
centers OF the country most injured.
On the Illinois side are three continuous
levees for forty miles from Warsaw to
Quincy, above the waters. which are
thus far safe, but farmers are afraid
Of orevasses from muskrat holes, and
every rod of the redoubt is watched day
and night.
The breaking Of these levees would
food ITS square miles in Illinois and
destroy 2 1000, 900 to $3,o 0 900 worth of
corn. The levees below Quincy are in
the same sit traitor except that they are
lower and less firm. Opposite Quincy
in Missouri is still another center of
special devastation which Is appalling.
North twelve miles to La Grange, and
south to Holton. large prairies are we'll
under water, reaching from the Illinois
bluffs to the Missouri bluffs, at least
ten miles.