New-York tribune., 1903-06-11
HALF A HUNDRED LOST.
TEN THOUSAND HOMELESS
Railroad Embankment GiCes Way
and East st. LOuis Is Flooded.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO THE -GIBuvE.f !

st. Louis. June 10.-By the breaking OF the
Illinois Central enr5ankment shortly after mid
night followed at . a. m. by second and wider
break the district occupied by the homes Of the
working classes and the factories and plants oc
East ST. Louis was flooded a depth Of from
three TO twenty feet and ten thousand persons
were driven from their homes The first break
occurred while men were at work strengtsenioS
the embankrnent which runs along the southern
end of the city. They gave the alarm. saving
hundreds of lives. The water backed up FROM
the Mississippi through the crevasses in a re-
sistless torrent. spreading out nOrthward and 10
Broadway. the main commercial artery Of the
city north of and adjoining which lies the bes-
residence district of the city. while business
houses Of all kinds cover West Broadway
The citizens had succeeded in saving this sec
ton from overflow by the greater food from the
north by raising the protecting embanknens
four feet with sacks OF sand. and felt reasonably
secure when darkness came last night Those
protected by it did not believe that the Illinois
Central embankment would give way though
every effort was made to gaurd against a exc
vase. In consequence, when the break occurred.
Notwithstanding the warnings given by the leves
protectors almost every one living in the south
ern part Of the city was quietly sleeping The
terror which seized the people when the food
was upon them was indescribable. Many es-
ped from second story windtsvs. garbed only
III their night clothes Others threw household
effects out of the windows. while still others
abandoned everything. and were only too glad
to escape with their lives
The widest rumors are afoat as to loss OF life
in this district and it s generally conceded that
it will not be less than fifty. Many say that It
will run up to more than hundred The truth
will not be known until after the flood subsidies.
Even then it is probable that it viii be inpos-
sibe TO verify the death list.
The water has made two breaks under Broad
way. and Is flooding the section north of that
street as far east as Ninth-st. In this stretch
are many business houses, while several hun
dred working people also have their homes
there. 1t is not thought that the water viii in
wade the fashionable residence district which
begins at Tenth-st. and extends east and north
This section has considerably greater elevation
than those already submerged The great dan
ger now is that the protection levee to the north
without and the backwater flowing against its
inner side from the south Mayor Cook and his
aids say that it can. but unless the water be-
gins to recede soon this is doubtful
All boats on each side of the river have been
seized by the authorities and pressed into SER
vice in the work of rescue Thousands OF reru-
gees have succeeded in reaching this city, while
others are in school buildings. churches, the
CITY Hall and Courthouse, or on the roofs OF
nearly submerged houses.
Two negroes have been shot by levee patrols,
one while attempting break dixie and an
other for refusing to work to keep out the Hood