The Indianapolis journal., 1903-06-07
RIVER IS STILL RISING
AND FREIGHT TRAFFIC MAY BE
SUSPENDED ON MONDAY.
Tracks of Some of the Railroads
Already Wrecked-Two Hun
dred Lives in Peril.

ST. LOUIS, June Like an inland sea
the swollen Mississippi has spread out over
the Illinois shore in the vicinity of ST.
Louis. A magnificent view of the angry
Father Of Waters" is obtained from Eads
bridge by the thousands OF spectators who
throng the structure. Far away to the
southeast the water covers lower East st.
Louis. and a big grain elevator, that at
normal stage stands high above the water
line. is now Isolated. with heavy current
pouring past it's inland side. Half-sub-
merged freight cars stand on the siding,
and tree tops appear above the surface like
bushes.
The railroad and shipping district of East
St. Louis presents a small peninsula, on
which freighthouses stand short distance
above the flood. Beyond these freighthouses
extends a lake half a mile wide, and the
water at the eastern edge laps at the foun-
dations OF tall business blocks. The st.
Louis Hay Warehouse Company's building,
situated the levee near the Eads bridge,
is half submerged, and as the water creeps
higher and disIodges the bales of hay they
float out through the upper windows and
are carried away by the current.
North OF East ST. Louis the tops OF freight
cars and OF houses appear above the sur
face. and grain elevators, surrounded and
flooded, present scene Of desolation in
dicative OF the foods advancing energy.
fH<aG n lie CI,r,
drawn in. almost to the foundations of
buildings. and in an endeavor to continue
business freight wagons to-day hauled
their loads with the wagonbeds touching
the water, while the horses were all but
swimming. Freight traffic probably will
be discontinued on Monday.
MAY GO TO IS FEET
At Z o'clock the stage registered 35.4 feet
a rise OF seven-tenths of a foot since 7
o'clock this morning The stage of the
Mississippi has not changed materially
north of the mouth OF the Missouri, but be-
low the mouth the rise continues. Govern
ment Forecaster Bowie tonight issued a
statement that the rise would continue rap
idly for the next forty-eight hours, and a
stage of 81 feet would be registered by
Monday, and it was probable that the water
would go to IS feet.
Two liTes have been lost In the food. but
in both sases the fatalities were the result
OF accidents, both being boys who ventured
too near the treacherous eddes, slipped in
and were swept away. The victims were
James Linton. IT., and John Clark.
For time to-day the train service to the
west was cut off.
Missouri Point. just north of the confiu-
% fhe MI
a fertile section beyond the reach of or
dinary high water, has been covered
TO a considerable depth. Twenty miles west
OF st. Louis the miles OF farming bottoms,
IN the center of which was the summering
place, Creve Coeur lake, have been de-
luged by the breaking OF the Greer levee,
which formed a barrier to the Missouri
river.
into the River Des Peres, which is now
several miles wide. and families have been
driven from their homes.
The postofices at West Alton and Fall
con, ILL.,, were abandoned to-day There
are only eight Or ten families in that vi
cinity now, all sheltered in one dwelling on
an Indian mound which is about eight feet
above the water.
5000 PEOPLE HOMELESS.
II is estimated that within a radius of
twenty miles from st. Louis the flood has
rendered 5000 people homeless and SUBJ
merged 10000 acres OF fertile farming
lands The food is already most to the
tops OF some OF tine levees on the Illinois
side that are protecting additional large
areas II the predicted crest rise of s75
feet shall be realized the flood must neces-
sariIy pour over these levees. IL. indeed, they
are not demolished by the increased strain,
and the devastation will be greatly in
creased.
East St. Louis has a population OF 30 900
and hundreds OF millions OF dollars are in
vested there In important industries and
railway terminals.
The freight yards Of the railroads in East
St. Louis lying north OF Eads bridge all
lie under water. and II is with difficulty
that passenger trafic is being carried on
by them. The Chicago & Alton tracks, the
highest Of the parallel roads running north
from relay stations in East st. Louis. is
only ole foot out Of water. II the MissIs-
sippi river shall rise one more foot-and a
greater rise is predicted by the weather
bureau-the current now beating against
the tracks embankment at many points
between the Merchants bridge and East
St Louis will rush over the last barrier
and spread out, rushing upon all OF East