Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-11

| Lee Harper, former city engineer.
saws that the flood will be two feet
deep in front of the City hall before G
o'clock This evening.
Seven niles of water, pressing from
the south ana southeast, overcame the
city's line of defence shortly before 1
o'clock Wednesday morning and 5000
persons were driven from their homes.
Numerous reports of drownings have
been received but the East St. Louis
notice have thus far learned no names
of victims.
I one thousand men We're working on
the part of the leVee that broke. For
l. hours before the final break they
had the active assistance of hundreds
of women and children. The break
came ut st. Louis valley crossing Of the
IlIionis Central embankment, two miles
south of the relay depot. While as
many men. women and children as
could stand on the embankment were
hcaping sand bags between the rails
to prevent the mcnacing waters from
mounting over the top the resistless
current broke through the lower part
of The wall of earth and Spurtcd in
riyulCts in the faces of those who were
carving sand bags up the bank. Bags
thrown into the openings by dozens of
mon were tossed by the waters like
feathers.
The alarm WAS given by the ringing OF
bells ana flowing If whistles in every part
of the CITY. \ f"w of the workers on the
cpabankIncnt !cnaincd'at their posts until
the rushing waters made it necessary for
tl.i,, ls,I,
aroused bv the alarm, seeing the water
at their door stills. hurriedly collected
stock of necessities and fed. The Wash
ington school was the nearest poirt Of
safety Many made for the high ground
near the Illinois Central tracks. Men
from Alta Sta ana Damersidc, who had
been working on the abandoned lcvcr,
Mastered to those localities to tell the
ncighbof8 cf t.cir danger.
The water is not expected to reach its
level in the flooded part of the city be
fore noon. Engineer Harper predicts that
when the level is reached the water viii
be two feet higher than at O'Clock.
Wednesday morning.
Undismaycd by the defeat of their seven
days battle with the flood the greater
broadway, where 1t was at first decided
to resist the water. A half hours work
convinced those i'll charge that it was
useless to try to keep the water from
Broadway ana the flood fighters fell back
upon Missouri avenue which runs east
from the Eclry station. Here the scenes
Of the past week We're repeated rs the
street was rapidly transformed into Il dixie
OF sand bags and clay.
An appeal from Mayor Cook 20 the gov
crnor Of Illinois for state troops to aid
in guarding property was answered by
the promise that details of militia would
he sent to East st, Louis at once.
y few hours before the break in the
lcv,o. Ned Roberts It negro employed rs
a lcvce builder. WAS killed by members
OF the lcvoc patrol for attempting TO tear
down portion of the dixie Ills act was
caus,! by III ger because he was not al
lowed to draw his pay at once.
Relief boats started from st. Louis for
East ST Louis. cail5. Wednesday morn
ing, Cong. VIM. A. Rodcnburg has is
sued an appeal for ti1 for the flood suffer
ems. Food, he says, il mostly need d
At 9 O'Clock Wednesday, morning, the
water was threatening the north ANA cast
sides preserved temporarily by the Balti-
had reached to the viaduct only seven
blocks cast Of the city hall In This public
building Il foot ana Il half Of water had
already collected N low points Of the
city arc uadCr water.