Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-06-11
RIVER REACHES HIGH
STAGE AT ST. LOUIS
People In East st. Louis Are
Thrown Into Panic.
BRAVE EFFORTS TO SAVE LEvEEs

FIVE Thousand Persons Driven From
Their Homes by Wild Rush of Wa
ters-Peopie Warned of Danger by
Blowing Of Steam Whistles.
st. Louis, June 10-The river this
morning reached stage of 37.9 feet,
the highest point during the present
food. East St. Louis, with popula-
ton of $4,000, having large manufac.
turing interests and the terminal point
Tor railroads from the north. east and
south, is partly under water and will
probably be totally submerged.
Menaced From Three Sides.
The southern half of East st. Louis
Is deep in the food and the city's $500
levee builders have fallen back on
Missouri avenue in the attempt to
save the remainder of the city, men
aced by swelling waters from three
gides. Broadway, the central east and
west thoroughfare, has been abandoned
to the food. Lee Harper, former city
attorney, says the water will be feet
deep in front of the city hall before
o'clock this evening. Seven miles
of water pressing from the south and
southeast Overcame the city's line of
defense this morning and 5000 per-
sons were driven from their homes.
Numerous reports of drowning have
been received, but the East ST. Louis
police have thus far learned no names
of victims.
One thousand men were working on
the levee when it broke. Several
hours before the final break they had
the active assistance of hundreds of
women and children. The break
came at the St. Louis Valley crossing
of the Illinois Central embankment 2
miles south of the relay depot. While
as many men, women and children as
could stand on the embankment were
packing sand bags to the rails to
prevent break, the resistless current
broke through the wall of earth and
spurted in rivulets in the faces of
those who were carrying sand bags up
the bank. Bags thrown into the open
ings by dozens of men were tossed by
the waters like feathers.
Swan For Their Lives.
Then the workers fed from their
useless task and the alarm was given
by the ringing of bells and blowing OF
whistles in every part of the city. A
few of the workers in the embank.
mont remained at their posts until the
-y,jY.
them to swim for their lives. Then
they joined their companions in warn.
ing the residents of the thickIy settled
district of their danger.
Awakened families saw the water
in the streets. When they were ready
to leave with their hurriedly collected
stock of necessities, the food was
at their doorsiIls. They fed to the
nortn. The Washington school was
nearest point of safety. Many made
for the high ground near the Illinois
Central tracks. Men from the Alta
Sta and Denver side who had been
working on the abandoned levee has,
tened to those localities to tell their
| neighbors of their danger Eyv.
| cry locomotive and factory
whistle joined in the clamor of alarm,
The water is not expected to reach its
level in the flooded parts of tho city
| before noon. Mayor Parker predicts
| that when the level is reached the wa
ter will be 2 feet higher that at {
o'clock this morning.
Undismayed by the defeat which has
come in their seven days battle with
| the food, the greater part Of the levee
builders fell back to Broadway, where
| 1t was at first decided to resist the
water, but half hours survey of the
prospect convinced those in charge
| that 1t was useless to try to keep the
water from Broadway and the flood
fighters fell back upon Missouri ave
nue. which runs east from the Relay
station. Here the scenes Of the past
week were repeated as the streets
were quickly transposed into a dixie
Appeal For State Troops.
An appeal from Mayor Cook to the
governor of Illinois for state troops
TO aid in guarding property was an
swered by the promise that details o1
militia would be sent to East St
Louis at cnce.
A few hours before the break in the
levee, Ned Roberts, a negro employed
as levee builder, was killed by mem
bers Of the levee patrol for attempting
to tear down a portion of the dixie
His act was caused by anger because
ne was not allowed to draw his pay
at once,
ing the north and east sides, preserved
temporarily by the Baltimore & Ohi(
railroad embankment, and had reach
ed to the viaduct only seven blocks
east Of the city hail. In this public
building a foot and half of wate
had already collected. All low points
of the city are under water. Whel
the break occurred, warnings wer,
first sent through the city by messen
gers who discharged firearms, blev
horns and shouted in stentorian tone
the news of the flood arrival. Light
cleaned in houses where the occu
pants had confidence in the embanA
ment
Flight For Safety.
Persons scantily attired emerge
from their homes and in a few mir
utes the whole populace of the lo7
district attacked, six miles in ares
were fleeing to higher ground. A
the noise of the approaching flood wa
heard the fight. at first rapid. wit