Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-11
CITY UNDER WATER.
East sit. Louis Is Submerged
 From Two to Fifteen Feet.
TEN THOUSAND DRIVEN FROM HOME
Brave Fight Made by Citizens to Protect Life and Property From the Rising Missfssippi-EIeven
 Lives sacES :ced to Flood.

1 and damage which no man attempted to estimate has been done to property.
 Ten thousand persons have been driven from their homes.
 Probably never before in the history of the country has more valiant fight | been made by brave men, with defeat staring them in the face, to protect lives and property than has been made by the citizens of East St. Louis. When the rising Mississippi began to threat en the city last Thursday morning Mayor Silas Cook ordered men to work to construct sand bag levees at once. The river rose higher, and more men were employed. Citizens of the best classes worked side by side with the Iaborers. Since Thursday morning 6,0OO men under the leadership of May or Cook, without sleep, with little rest and food snatched at intervals, have toiled unceasingly to strengthen levees and to do everything possible to save the city. Not wheel of industry is turning in East St. Louis. The smoke less chimneys of manufacturing plants ] stand lifeless while the flood whirls at the foundations.
 The vast railroad yards are outlined by hundreds of half submerged cars, and here and there stand locomotives only half visible. #
 Huge grain elevators stand surround ed by veritable sea.
 To the south, beyond the railway yard area, are thousands of homes, mainly humble cottages owned by la borers and containing their all, sub merged to the caves.
 In northern Hast St. Louis the de Bcription is repeated, but not on SO large a scale.
 The business portion of the city and the district containing the better resi- dences is still intact, "but for how lonG?' is the question. Broadway, run ming from Eads bridge east to the city nmits, wide street walled with stone fifteen feet high, divides the city in halves. More than ten feet of water is pressing against Broadway from the so@th and in some places is sweeping through in streams as thick as a mans body. If Broadway shall break the water will rush over much of the city until Missouri avenue, running parallel one block north, is encountered.
 Along the river front to the west Ievee of sand bags from two to six feet high and two miles long keeps the riv-' CT out.
 Without warning the river suddenly began to rise. The city was made safe Slong the river front, but suddenly new danger menaced. Word was re- ceived that the Illinois Central em- bankment skirting the river along the southern boundary of the city was threatening to give way. Counters were sent on horseback and afoot to shout warnings to the inhabitants of the southern half of the city. Car loads of sand bags were rushed to the place. and work was hurriediy begun. Accus- toned to warnings of impending dan- ger, the inhabitants did not leave their homes. Higher and higher crspt the water until a thin stream began pour Ing over the embankment, and suddenly 1t broke
 The alarm spread like wildfire, and whistles were blown, bells rung, shots tired, and cries of warning were sound majority of the aroused inhabitants did QOL leave LHS1T uOUl0S.
 Within an hour the houses stood in water that reached to the roofs of the one story cottages. It is known that numbers of people fled to the Central hotel, four story brick structure, and to the large brick buildings of the Washington and Franklin high schools. But none of these buildings contained more than 250 persons, and, although the rescue boats found many people in second stories and on house tops there are rows upon rows of cottages that did not show sign of life. There is grave fear that many bodies of dead will be found in the flooded cottages and in this section of the city. It has been practically impossible to learn of authenticated deaths, but from the eleven persons were drowned, four of whom perished on the north side.
 It was currently reported that seven negroes caught In the act of footing houses were shot to death. While this was not confirmed, 1t is known that there was heavy firing on the north side, where these< negroes are said to have been killed.
 Attorney T. E. Dempcy, who has charge of Camp Refuge, said:
 "We must have food. East St. Louis is cut off from sources of supply, and what she had has been largely drawn upon during the past week. Large amounts of food were destroyed by the water, and we are in need of additional food to care for the suffering people. The viaduct is unsafe, and wagons can not cross to St. Louis. Railroad traffic is cut off, and the situation confronting us is growing grave. Food must be se- cured in some manner or people already in distress will suffer more.'
 Another fear confronted the ihhabit- ants. The water that had steadily been pouring through the Broadway en- bankment was believed to be under mining that bulwark, and it. was de clared that the street could not stand the heavy pressure from the south side long.
 | Denverside, a suburb of East St. Louis. was completely inundated, and