Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-06-11
EAST ST. LOUIS
UNDER WATER.

ST. LOUIS, June 11.-Almost two
thirds of the territory of East St Louis
is under from two to fifteen feet of
water. Between sunset and dawn elev-
en- lives were sacrificed to the waters,
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
laborers. Since Thursday morning
5000 men under the leadership of May
or Cook, without sleep, with little rest
anu lOOu ut lIlAGA dios hNO
toiIed increasingly 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
Z - haI
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 East st. Louis the de-
scription 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
Iong?" is the question. Broadway, run
ming from Eads bridge east to the city
limits, 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
south and in some places is sweeping
through in streams as thick as 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 a
levee of sand bags from two to six feet
high and two miles long keeps the riv-
er out.
Without warning the river suddenly
began to rise The city was made safe
along the river front, but suddenly Il
new danger menaced. Word was re-
ceived that the Illinois Central en-
bankment skirting the river along the
southern boundary of the city was
threatening to give way. Couriers 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 hurriedly begun. Accus-
toned to warnings of impending dan
ger, the inhabitants did not leave their
homes. Higher and higher crept 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
fired, and cries of warning We're sound
ed, but with all this pandemonium the
majority of the aroused inhabitants did
not leave their homes.
Within an hour the houses stood in
water that reached to the roofs of the
one story cottages. 1t is known that
numbers of people fed 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 $50 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 a 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 1t has
been practically impossible to learn of
authenticated deaths, but from the
most reliable sources it is believed that
eleven persons were drowned, four Of
whom perished ." thN nc~t" side.