The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-08
ST. LOUIS is IN THE
MIDST OF
A SEA
Mississippi Continues Rising
and Gauge May Reach
Thirty Eight Feet-Eleva-
tors and Warehouses Par
TALLY Submerged and
Water Approaches Bust
ness Blocks.

ST. LOUIS, Mo, June Like an in
land sea the swollen Mississippi river
spread out over the Missouri shore in
the vicinity Of st. Louis. Away to the
southeast the water covers lower East
st. Louis and 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 submerged freight cars standing
on the siding and tree tops appear
above the surface like bushes.
The railroad and shipping district of
East st. Louis present a small penins-
u1a, on which freight houses stand
short distance above the flood. Be-
yond these freight houses extends a
lake half a mile wide and the water at
the eastern edge laps at the founda-
tons of small business blocks. The
st. Louis Bay Warehouse company's
building, on the leVee near Eads bridge,
is half submerged.
North Of East st. Louis the tops of
freight cars and of houses appear above
the surface and grain elevators sur
rounded and flooded present a scene Of
desolation.
Along the st. Louis shore wharf
boats are drawn in almost to the foun-
dations Of buildings and in an en-
deavor to continue business freight
wagons have taken their loads with
IAAO NSbSOAA OCOO bOOCI1IIS lIlG WATER,
while the horses were all but swim
ming. Freight traffic will probably be
discontinued on Monday.
At o'clock tonight tie stage regis
tered 1874, rise of Z foot since Z
o'clock this morning. The stage of
the Mississippi has not changed ma
terially north of the mouth of the Mis-
souri,, but below the mouth the rise
continues. Government Forecaster
Bowie tonight states that the rise will
continue rapidly for the next forty
eight hours and stage Of 37.5 feet be
| registered by Monday, and it is proba-
BILE that the water will go to thirty
eight feet
TWO Hundred Lives In Danger.
Two hundred people in the village Of
| Black Walnut, On the North bank Of
| the Missouri, twenty-five miles north
west OF StLouis, are surrounded by rap
| idly rising water and all means of es-
cape is cut off. Owing to the hard cur
rent 1t is impossible to reach the peo-
pie without the aid Of a river steamer.
Harbor Commissioner Whyte was re-
quested to rush the harbor boat to Black
| Walnut. The appeal was futile, however,
because the high water would not per-
nit nit "a ri river steamer to pass up stream
| to Alton, where the steamer Spread Eagle
is stationed, and 1t is probable she will
| start on a mission Of rescue.
| Sheriff Dherkins. at st. Charles, tele-
| rhoned that the water was rising rap
idly and unless the people were rescued
speedily there would be great loss of
| life before morning.
The Conlogue levee, Just north of East
st. Louis, broke at o'clock tonight and
the 700 colored families who inhabit that
| district were driven from their homes.
Two Boys Drowned.
Two lives have been lost in the flood
but in both cases the fatalities were the
results Of accidents, both being boys who
ventured too near the eddies, slipped in
and were swept away. The victims were
James Linton Jr., and John Clark. For
time today the train service to the west
was cut off.
1t is estimated that within a radius Of
twenty miles from st. Louis the flood has
rendered 25,000 people homeless and sub
merged 100000 acres of fertile farming
lands. The flood Is almost to the top o!
some OF the leyees on the Illinois side
If the predicted crest rise of TO feet shall
be realized, the, water must necessarily
pour over these levees, If indeed they are
not demolished by the Increased strain
and the devastation will be increased.
The losses at and around Hannibal are
at least 100000.