The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-21
the Missouri side Of the river between
Keokuk and Hannibal.
FARMS ARE RAGING SEAS.

FARMS ARE RAGING SEAS.
Passing the water tapped lumber yards
OF Keokuk. the mouth OF the Des Monies
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 raging torrents.
Alexandria was protected to the last by
the Egyptian ievee. the breaking OF which
would send four feet of water all over the
town. Gregory is submerged except the
White church, In which service was held
today. the praying congregation from the
country reaching the house of God by the
railroad track watch is still above the
flood. In a waste of water miles wide.
Other towns and cities on the Islands
were beyond the danger line.
The immense fields are seen In great
lake. with the shore line vislbly only with
glass. where the high b.uus bound the
bottoms. Islands dotung the tlver at its
normal stage have disappeared except for
tops of trees or fringe OK the high shore
willows protruding Ike circular green
coral reef. Occasionally house on piles OF
stills Is seen, but generally oniy roofs pro-
trude to mark The center OK farms OK corr.
On the edge Of the n0ou river corn gradual
~ rises un u slope, tassels tops, ears aud
stalks appearing IN order
In the middle OF the present river the
track vi the keokuk railway, normally tue
Missouri river shore Is a lew Inches above
water.
STEAMBOATS, IN CORNhIEBDS.
Shore lights Tor pilots are standing la the
midst oi ii waste OK water where the steam
| boats run over IN III
All this territory WAS practically covered
with corn fortnight aso, estimated 70
make 80 to 100 bushels to the acre. Pre-
yious estimates Of the loss have greatly in
creased by the prospective yield beng found
much greater than ever before, the loss be.
ing total
The height Of the food Is Indicated by an
Incident at LAGRANGE The steamboat
warehouse Is well back from the river bank
aud sits high A strong current ana gale
caused the pilot to mike an imperfect land
ing and tho corner Of the roof Of the
warehouse was torn off by the forward
guards of the silver Crescent. The river
is rising all the time. six Inches during the
day In the immediate area Of 700 square
miles. and the worst is TO come.
The chief food thus far Is on the Nils,
souri, side from Kcobuk TO Louisiana, with
Canton and West Quincy as centers Of the
country. ON the Illinois side are three con
tlnuous icvecs for forty miles from War.
saw to Quincy, above the wafer and thus
far safe. hut every rod OF the redoubt ID
| watched day aud night. The breaking Of
these levces would food 10 miles IN iii
/ uois and destroy $2U0o,oOu TO S3oJo,0oo
! worth Of corn The lcyces below Quincy
/ are in the same situation, except they are
/ lower and less firm.
HIGHEST LEVEES INEFFECTIVE.
Opposite Quincy Is another center Of de-
VISITATION North twelve miles to La Grange
and south to Holtou large prairies are well
under water reaching from the Illinois
/ blufis to the Missouri bluffs at least ten
milcs Leyecs hastily thrown around farms
/ have disappeared IN fierce current rush
/ ing from above through the draw Of the
/ Burlington route bridge, carrying every
1 thing before It. Lone Tree prairie. ten
miles square, Is deserted, the population
having hed to Quincy and the bluffs on
the Missouri side, from which they watch
| the complete destruction, Fabius river,
hftecn miles above Hannibal, is high and
furnishing q route for the Mississippi to
flank and reverse the levee, making even
the highest Missouri levees Ineffective
around La Motto, Snvorton, Busch Station
/ Clemens Ashburn north of Hannibal, there
| Is more wheat than at other places, aud
all in the shock Ia mostly washed away.
| The chief crop there Is corn, however, and
there is ;he same ruin as at other places.
In the vicinity OF Quincy and Hannibal
there is much unnecessary loss on account
of the failure Of the people to heed the
warnings Of the Keokuk weather bureau
observer.
EGYPTIAN LEVEE INTACT.
The ievees protecting the Missouri bot-
toms between keokuk and Quincy stood
The strata of todays hood. The Egyptian
levee is still several inches above the Des
Mones river which is now stationary mt
Its mouth. Reports from Otrumwa show
n fan of two feet. Points between show a
fall also, uuless heavy rains occur the
Des Moines will begin TO fall here tomor-
row. The Mississippi here shows stage
OF 1874 feet, the hghest since 1897. aud is
stlll rising but not as fast as Il was this
morning. The crest OF the Mississippi rise
VIII probably pass here tomorrow. Great
damage has already been done.
.feorla- ILL.,, July 2O,-The Illinois river
tonight standa IN imminent danger OF
causing thousands of dollars worth OF
damage to buildings and manufactures in
Peoria The damage already caused along
the owlands by the foods wall be but
drop in the bucket as compared to what
IL viii be II the water gets one foot higher
and river men say there Is no possibility
et the water receding in the next thirty.
SIX hours, Today the river stood 205 feet
above low water mark and was going up
at the rate OF half an Inch an hour Should
1t continue at that rate until tomorrow 1t
will have passed the high water mark for
this river, which is 2l.S, attained during
the food of 1892.
People living along the bottom lands