The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-06-18
STILL MORE FLOODS
Thieves and LeVee Cutters Are to Be
SIGt Down Instantly.
The FLOOD GROWS MORE SERIOUS.
Besides the Immense Damage to
Property, Eleven Lives Have Been
Sacrificed to the Waters.

thirds Of the territory of East st. Louis
is under from two to Is feet Of water.
Between sunset Tuesday night and
dawn Wednesday morning, II lives
were sacrificed to the waters and dam
age which no attempted to estimate.
has been done to the property.
Probably never before in the history
Of the country has a more valiant
fight been made by brave men, with
defeat staring them in the face, to pro-
tect lives and property than has been
made by the citizens Of East st. Louis.
When the rising Mississippi river be-
gan to threaten the city last Thursday
morning, Mayor Silas Cook ordered
men to construct sand bag levees at
once. The river rose higher and more
men were employed. Citizens Of ell
classes and ~advocations worked side by
side with the laborers. Since Thurs
day morning 5000 men, under the
leadership Of Mayor Cook, without
sleep, with little rest and food, snatch
ed at Intervals, have toiled unceasirg-
ly to strengthen levees. and to do ev-
erything possible to save the city. Not
a wheel OF industry is turning in East
st. Louis, Smokless chimneys Of manu-
featuring plants stand lifeless while
the food whirls at the foundations.
The vast railway yards are outlined by
l,,-l-ol, of 1o1f c,,h arOo1 oQrc and
here and there stand locomotives only
half visible. Huge grain elevators
stand surrounded by veritable seas.
To the south, beyond the railway
yards. are thousands of homes, mainly
humble cottages. owned by laborers
and containing their all, submerged to
the eaves.
BUSINESS PORTION OF THE CITY
IN DANGER
In North East st. Louis the descr!p-
ton may be repeated.
The business portion Of the city and
the district containing the better resi-
dences Is still intact, 'but for how
long?" Is the question. Broadway,
running from Eads bridge east to the
city limits, a wide street walled with
stone Is 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 q
mans body. If Broadway shall break,
the water will rush over much OF the
city until Missouri avenue, running
parallel one block north, is encounter
ed. Along the river front to the west
a levee of sand bags from two to six
feet high and two miles long keeps the
river out.
Without warning the river suddenly
began to rise. The city was made safe
along the river front, but suddenly q
new danger menaced. Word was re.
ceived that the Illinois Central m
bankment skirting the river along the
southern boundary Of the city threat
ened to give way.
Couriers were sent on horseback n
afcot to shout warnings to the inhab-
itants of the southern half OF the city.
Carloads of sand bags were rushed to
the place and work was hurriedly De-
gun. Accustomed to warnings, the In
babitants did not leave their homes.
Higher and higher rose the water IN
til a thin stream began pouring over
the embankment and suddenly 1t
broke.
THE FIRST BREAK IN THE EN-
BANKMENI.
Thomas Middleton. a volunteer in
charge of q gang Of men who were
working at the points where the en'
bankment gave way, gave a descrlp-
ton of the break to the Associated
Press agent. He said: The break oc-
Cured at 11:40 Tuesday night. My
gang was hard at work with the 9TH
ers. The water was pouring over the
top of the embankment in a sheet
even after all our work. Suddenly,
with q roar, a wave Of water shot
through the embankment almost at
my feet. l was carried away but soon
pulled myself out OF the water. one
of the laborers standing by my side
was swept away and saw him drown.
IN an instant the water had cut a sec
ton of the embankmsnt cut ami a
stream 25 feet wide was rushing
through. saw another section CT
the embankment so out a few 4
later and then that portion between
the two torrents went down and the
river poured through in all its fury.
believe many men. especially ne
groes, were drowned. l know that sew
eral negroes, worn out. had been per-
mitted to nap, and they were lying
asleep right in the path Of the flood.
They certainly were drowned" Mid
dleton escaped by running along the
embankment back to the city.
The alarm spread like wild fire and
whistles were blown, bells rung. shots
fired and cries of warning were sound
ed, but with all this pandemonium. the
majority of the aroused inhabitants
did not leave their homes.
WATER RISES RAPIDLY.
Within an hour the houses stood in
water that reached to the roofs of the
one-story cottages. It is known that
numbers Of people" fled to the Central
Hotel, a fourstory brick structure,
and to the large brick buildings of the
Washington and Franklin High