The Delta independent., 1902-07-25
MISSISSIPPI FLOOD
LOSS is OVER SIX MILLIONS.
Greatest Crops Ever Known Covered
With Water Deep Enough to Float
Observation-Disclosures Flooded
District From keokuk South.


Keokuk, July 2O.-Exploration of the
flooded district OF the Mississippi river
from keukuk south shows conditions
beyond the appreciation or realI.,tion
of any but peUpIe OF long experience
with the Father of Waters i'll It's most
destructive mood.
The situation Is growing worse hour
ly. There is absolutely nOt the slight
est chance of stopping the Hood which
Is a dozen tluies the most costly OF
any in the history OF lnr great river
above St. Louis. \ cOIItsi i,Uuuent Of
die Associated Press weLU an over the
worst damaged area to-day in the
steamer Silver Crescent ard found ev-
eryWAere the CREATES. CIUl,, ever knOwn
under water deep euouan To noat 4
steamboat. People at the. river cities
give an immense mass OF details. all 10
be generallzed i'll losses aggrcgating
many millions of dollars; hundreds OF
farmers rich ten days ago are pS nnileSs
and homeless, and hundreds are watch
ing and praying that the great levees,
which are now their bulwark against
additional loss and, in many cases, of
penury, will hold.
Careful estimates indicate the loss up
to today at about SG,OUO,oJO. with ey-
cry prospect that it will be increased
by two or three millions by the rise
above, which has not yet reached the
lower stretches of the river. 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 seen to be nearly TWO
miles wide. Normally there are two
mouths and an island delta covered
with farms, which are now under rag
ing torrents
Alexandria was protected to the last
by the Egyptian !evee, the breaking OF
which would send four feet of water
all over the town Gregory is sub
merged, except the White church. III
which service was held to-day, the
congregation from the country reach
ing the house of worship by the rail
road track. which is still above the
flood 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 Il glass, where the high bluffs
bound the bottoms. Islands dotting
the river at its normal stage have dis
appeared except for the tops of trees
or fringe of high shore willows pro-
truding slightly like a circular green
coral reef. Occasionally n house on
piles or stills is seen. but generally only
roofs protrude to mark the center of
the farms of corn. On the edge of the
flood river corn gradually rises on a
slope, tassels. tops, ears and stalks ap-
pearing in order. In a few half-sub-
| merged fields is shocked wheat in the
background, the remnants of more
washed to the Gulf of Mexico.
l h.. -, -.l,.
tracks of the ST. Louis, Keokuk N
| Northwestern railroad. normally the
| Missouri shore. are now a few inches
| above the water and under it in some
stretches. Shore lights for pilots are
standing in .he midst of a waste OF
waters where steamboats, can run over
them. The river is five to ten miles
wide and seventy miles long and an
other great lake is added to the geog-
| raphy.
All this territory was practically COW
ED with corn fortnight ago esti-
i mated 10 make 40 TO 100 bushels TO the
| Acre. Previous estimates of the loss
have been greatly increased by the
prospective yield being found much
greater than ever before. experts tell
ing of many farms that We're good for
loo bushels TO the acre. The loss is to-
tai. Experience is that if water stays
forty-eicht hours, even four inches
over the surface. II kills corn and ev-
cry stalk wet by waves perishes from
rottiug roofs Much of that back from
| the channel looks to the casual observ-
er as If it would recover when the
| all brown and scar.