The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06
FOLK DRIVEN
OUT BY FLOOD
Several Towns in the Vicinity Of St.
Louis Are Now Under
Water.
The Levees Break in Many Places
and Overflow Fertile Farm
ing Lands.
The Water Is Still Rising and. the
Worst Is Yet to
Come.

st. Louis, June 6.-The river this morn
ing reached a stage of 34.7 feet, a rise
during the past twenty-four hours Of ia
feet, and continues rising at about the
same rate. All along the levee the water
is up to the stores and houses, in some
of them it being at least a. foot and more
deep on the first floor. So far traffic on
the river has not been greatly hindered,
but when the water reaches a stage Of
So feet some of the boats will probably
refuse to receive freight as the approach
es canot be used, and the water will be
too deep for teams to drive thru. At the
ferries the loading Of wagons is accom-
plished with great difficulty, the horses
having to wade in water up to their
shoulders.
The flood is the one absorbing topic Of
conversation and throngs of people con-
gregate upon Eads bridge and fill the
street approaches to the flooded levee to
view the torrent Of muddy water that is
sw1rling past st. Louis and spreading
out over the lowlands with devastating
energy.
X The Mississippi north of the mouth Of
the Missouri is rising still. but the rapid
ity Of the rise has been diminished because
of the breaks in levees.
West Granite, a town Of 1000 inhabi-
tants, is under water. In st. Louis the
buildings along the river front have prac-
tically been abandoned. In South st.
Louis fully 100 families living near the
mouth of the River Des Peres were forced
to leave their house to-day by the adj
yancing waters and many families living
in house boats fed to land for shelter.
Men, and in some cases, even women,
worked to their waists in the sw1rling
waters, with ropes and wire cables, an
choring their homes to the railroad tracks
and to trees on high ground. Wagons
were backed into the river up to their
beds and furniture loaded in.
Many families had remained in their
homes even after the water had risen
several feet deep in the first hoors,s but
the rising flood tide day began to sway
pants were driven forth.
Another break occurred at midnight in
| the levee at, West Granite and fifty fan1i-
| lies living in the vicinity were forced to
! fee for life. The entire town Is now in
| undated.
/ The situation an the east side Of the
river, is reported as critical. Breaks in
ievees and railroad embankments are ex-
tpected hourly. So far no loss of life has
been reported,
j 500 Driven From Homes.
The break in the great Madison county
] levee has widened and this morning the
water IS rushing thru gap 100 yards
| wide, covering 20, 900 acres Of fertile farm
land and three villages ldenburg.
| Mitchell and West Granite. About 500
persons have been driven from their
homes. The roar OF the water can be
heard a mile and half. The break is
! only mile from the head of this great
bulwark, which was regarded as the
principal barrier between the river and
all the east side cities, including East
/ st. Louis. Back of the Madison levee Is
/ another mud embankment which is three
/ feet above the flooded wheat fields.
! The water is within one foot Of the
! floor level Of the railway station in East
st. Louis, which is representative Of the
! altitude of the principle business and
residence sections of East ST. Louis.
'The Island that part of East st. Louis
between the river and Cahokia creek, is
under six feet of current.
Railroad Entertainments In Peril.
| It is now only a matter of the flood adj
1 vancing a foot above the present stage
until the current, sweeping thru the east
trestles Of the Merchants bridge, will be
rushing over the railroad entertainments.
Once that current is over the enabank-
ments, the reinforcing work done by the
railroads will go for naught, and the en-
bankments are expected to crumble away.
! At the Merchants bridge this morning
the water was within a foot Of the rail-
road tracks. In several places the water
was over the Big Four tracks.
!. Since Wednesday the Alton has had a
{ big force working to protect their en-
bankment below the Merchants bridge.