The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-11
East st. Louis Flooded to
Eaves Of Houses.
FLOODS FORCE
IRRESISTIBLE
Great Portions Of St. Louis
Are Inundated.
WILL BARRIERS HOLD
TO SAVE THE REST
TheWater Rose Suddenly Higher and
Thousands Worked Rravely With
Death and Defeat Staring Them
In the Face-Waters TO
to Eayes of the
Houses.
lBr Associated Press. \

(By Associated Press.)
ST. LOUIS. MO-. June 1o.-A1moss
two-thirds Of the territory Of East st.
Louis. ILL.,. is under from to Is feet OF
water. Between sunset last night and
dawn to-day eleven lives were sacrided
to the waters and damage which no man
to-day attempted to estimate had been
done to the property. Probably never
before in the history Of the country has
a more valiant fight been made by brave
face, to protect lives and property than
has been made by the citizens Of East
st. Louis. When the rising Mississippi
began to threaten the city last Thurs-
day 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 Mayor Cook without sleep, with llt.
tie rest and food snatched at intervals,
have toiled increasingly to strengthen
levees and to do everything possible 10
save the city. sS
NOT a WHEEL TURNS.
4 Not a wheel OF Industry Is turning i'm
East St Louis. The smokeless chnl-
1 neys OF manufacturing plants stand life-!i
less, while the flood whirls at the foun-
datlons. The vast railroad yards ara
outlined by hundreds OF half-submerged
cars. and here and there locomotives
only half visible. Huge grain elevators
stand surrounded by a L veritable sea.
are thousands Of homes. mainly humble
cottages owned by the laborers and
containing their all, submerged to the
caves. Ss4l3 3f i s s,ssg
In Northeast st. Louis the description
is repeated. but not on such a larga
scale. The business portion OF the city 4
1 and the district containing the bettet
residences Is still intact. But for how.
| long?" Is the question Tonight. Broad<M
way. running from Eads bridge to tho
city limits. a broad street OF stone. IS
feet high. divides the city In half. More
than 10 feet of water is pressing against
Broadway from the south, and In somo
places is creeping through In streams
as thick as a mans body II Broadway
shall break the water will rush over
much OF the city, until Missouri Avenue.
running parallel, one block north. is ems
countered. Along the river front leves (
of sand bags keeps the river out 382t5
ANOTHER MENACE. Il q ~
! Without warning the river suddenly
| began to rise. The city was made safe
/ along the river front, but suddenly
new danger menaced. Word was res
| ceved that the Illinois Central embank-ss
ment. slzirting the river along the south-
| ern boundary OF the city, was threaten-S
| ing to give way Couriers were sent {
on horseback and afoot to shout warn-
| ings to the Inhabitants of the southern
/ half of the city. Car loads OF sand-
bags We're rushed to the place and works
warnings, the Inhabitants did not leave a
their homes, Higher and higher rose
! the water until thin stream began
pouring over the enlbanknlent. and sud-
| denly it broke Thomas Middleton, .
volunteer in charge Of gang OF men
| the embankment gave way, gave de-
| scrlption of the break to the Associated
/ Press agent, s
! BROKE THROUGH
i He said;
"rhe break occurred ar l1;40 o'clock
/ with the others, The water was pouring
/ over the top OF the embankment In q
| sheet, even after all our work. Suddenly, :
| with a roar, a jet of water shot through
| the enlbankment, almost at my feet. 7
| was carried away, but soon pulled my
| self from the water One of the lahorers
| standing by my side was swept away.f
| and saw him drown, In an instant the
| water had cut section of the embank-
ment out, and the stream, twenty-five
| feet wide was rushing through. saw
another section of the embankment 60 +
out few minutes later, and then that
| norton between the two torrents went
! down, and the river poured through In
| all It's fury | believe many men, espe-
cially negroes. were drowned. know
| that some negroes. worn out. had been
permitted to nap. and they We're lying
asleep right In the path OF tho HOOD,
They certainly were drowned.
Middleton escaped by running along the
embankment back to the city.
LIKE WIIDFIRE.
The alarm spread like wildfre. ana
whistles were blown, bells rung, shots
| fired and cries OF warning We're sounded,
but with all this pand6monium the ma
| jorty of the aroused inhabitants did not
leave their homes. Within an hour the
houses stood in waetr that reached "a
| the roofs of the one-story cottages, 70
| is known that numbers OF people FED
to the Central Hotel, fopr-story brlek
structure, and to the large brick build
tngs OF the Washington and FrankliH
High Schools. None III these buildings
| today contained more than 800. and thera
| are rows upon rows OF submerged cots
4 tages that do not chow sign OF life.
7, II IA practically impossible TO learn OF