Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-09
of the city's d%es0Ia0on, which possibly

of the cfty's desoIation, whlch possibly
might get into. public print. Z
From Cahokia creek bridge north the rail-
road yards still out OF water by reason Of
the 1evees are fined with freight cars con-
tanning refugees. Each car contained two
or three families.
Looking out over the expanse Of water.
h~alf-submsrged strings of freight cars and
houses with only the roofs above the sur
face told of the depth of the encroachlng
food. Huge grain elevators tina stand at
the edge of the Mississippi are now a mile
from shore. silent and isolated. Business
In the railroad yards is completely at a
stsndstill, excepting hat here and there
an engine with a high fire box cautiously
made its way over unseen tracks to haul
cars loaded with sand bags to various por-
tions Of the levees.
Throughout the qity ~storekeepers stand
outside Of their places of busines talking
with casual passersby about the POSSIBLE
ity Of the flood breaking through the levee.
The streets, excepting those along the i'm
promptu levees, are deserted, only the sa-
looms continuing to do business.
The stencil arising from the backwater,
on the surface of which floats filth, is most
offensive under the warm sun. This is also
a menace to the city, as II may breed dis
ease.
In st. Louis the rising water has not
caused any material increase in damage.
Buildings along the steamboat levee are
more deeply flooded, but preparation has
been made for such, a condition and a rise
of several feet would cause little nddi-
tional damage.
Below Eads bridge is moored the steamer
Dubuque, which came down the river from
st. Paul So swift was the current and so
big the stage of the river that Dubuque
was carried under Merchants bridge at
high speed and both smokestacks were
swept to the decks. workmen today began
resetting them and the steamer will re-
main in dock Until the flood subsidies.
Relief Is Promised.
According to the local Weather bureau
relief seems in sight for the flooded dis
tricts, in the vicinity Of st. Louis. This
morning the stage recorded by the govern
ment gauge Is 37.5 feet, a rise during the
past twenty-four hours Of Ia feet. This
breaks all records but that of 1874. 1t is
expected that the river will rise very
slowly from now on Until tonight or to-
morrow morning and that the predicted
stage OF thirty-eight feet, II at all, will be
barely attained. Then. after remaining sta
tionary for a short time. the government
officials say, the river will begin falling
Tuesday evening or Wednesday. Unofficial
reports from st. Charles. on. the Missouri
river, to the north of st. Louis, are TO the
effect that the river is rising very little, If
any.
From Ferdinand Cole. president of the
Board Of Levee Commissioners Of Madison
county, living at Venice. comes a report
Of lives lost fbrou0b tba oo1Ianya 90 n H-tot.
hotel at North Venice or Newport. Com
munication between Granite City and Ven
ice Is impossible. Two men are said to
have braved the food by swimming be-
tween Venice and Madison. being forced
by water from the roof OF the house they
were living in.
Six feet OF water is reported sweeping
through the Offices of Hedges hotel. Madi-
son. with guests imprisoned in the upper
stories. '. N .
Residents of Granite City are in great
peril from several breaks in the levees pro-
tectlng that manufacturing town. Persons
Twins near the manufacturing plants, in
which they are employed. are reported
fleeing from the flood that comes from the
north. and a fresh break in the abutment
to the west. -
Tramc IL ParaIyEed.
With all east side terminal points be-
tween Alton and st, Louis in the embrace
OF tho flood, and the Merchants and Eads
bridges accessible to only a few lines. St
Louis passenger and freight trafic. both
incoming and outbound. is temporarily
paralyed. ,sSsr7 va
No attempt has been made to transport
freight between this city and East st
Louis and relief from this crltica.
Situation is not expected within the mex
twenty-four hours. 1t is estimated tina
the Mood disaster has already cost the peopl,
5000. 900.
All incoming eastern passenger train,
are marooned in st, Louis,
The Vandalia was the only line whicl
started a train TO the east today. but thii
was two hours late leaving Union station
and there is no assurance that IT will max,
anything like schedule time, even II 1
succeeded in getting through East ST
Louis.
The Wabash the Chicago Burlingtop 4