The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-06-12
MANY LIVES LOST
FLOOD SITUATION IN ST. LOUIS
AND VICINITY is APPALL.
SEVERAL CITIES UNDER WAItR
OVER 100000 ACRES OF RICH
FARMING LAND mum
ClTIZtNS FIGHT TO SAVE CITY
EAST ST. LOUIS THREATENED -
MAYOR ORDERS BUSINESS
SUSPENDED.
CITIZENS FIGHT TO SAVE CITY

st. Louis, June 1870 great an 2X-
tent Of territory is covered by the
food, so constantly changing are the
| conditions as the water Creeps higher
and renders the situation the more
| chaotic and so unreliable are the
| various rumors of the devastation that
a substantial summary of the losses of
lives and property cannot be obtained,
but information from apparently rela-
BILE sources showed the situation to be
as follows:
River stage, 37.5; stationary.
Twenty lives known to have been
lost.
Over 200. 900 acres of rich farming
lands under water.
All of Venice and the greater part
of Madison and of Granite City under
water.
twenty-five thousand people home
less.
Freight traffic paralyzed and passen-
ger traffic crippled.
The shipping and manufacturing
districts of East St. Louis for three
miles alOng the river front under from
two to eight feet of water.
Hundreds of head of stock drowned.
To,4 c. 7 o,;. 4I,..+~.ol -
dation.
st. Louis flooded only along the
water front.
Entire property loss estimated at
5000, 600.
Situation Is Appalling.
The food has probably reached the
zenith of its devastating power and the
situation is appalling. The climax
came Sunday night when, by the
breaking Of the leyee near Granite
City, a wall of water six feet high
rushed down on Madison and deeper
engulfed the already stricken city,
sweeping houses from their founda-
tons and drowning fifteen refugees
who were vainly fleeing for their lives.
The report was current that fifteen
workmen in the st. Louis Car and
Foundry works had been drowned. but
later it was found that while seven
employees had lost their lives, thirteen
others, men, women and children, had
persisted. Hundreds of persons were
forced to the roofs of their floating
houses and an appeal was sent to st.
Louis for assistance. Every effort
was made to force steamers against
the stricken town, but it was noon be-
fore the steamers Mark Twain and
Annie Russell, dashed together and
their engines working under every
of steam, after five hours bat
thing with the current, were able to
reach Madison.
For the remainder Of the day and
into the night the work of
Rescuing Refugees
from floating or flooded houses, trees
and various high places proceeded.
and, there being no place to take them
nearer than st. Louis, they are pouring
into the city by hundreds, wet, hungry
and dispirited.
1t is more than probable that the
estimate of twenty lives lost is far be-
low the actual number. On all sides
persons are found who tell of having
seen men struggling in the water
CnnroinulU ton for from, 1on
ceive assistance, or of women appar-
emily drowned under various circum-
stances. But these stories are so
varied that confirmation is impossible.
River thieves are footing the various
vacant houses. Men in skiffs have
been seer to enter half-submerged
houses in Venice, Madison and Granite
City and carry away everything of
value they could find.
At East St. Louis yesterday Mayor
Cook ordered all business suspended
and called OF every male citizen to
render service in preventing the mum
dation of the city. Mayor Cook went
about seeing that signs were posted Of
fering men 81 cents an hour to help
build the ~levees, but the offers of en-
ployment were ignored by most of the
throngs of unemployed negroes and
white workmen. Citizens hurried to
the work Of saving the city and the
city is still dry but still menaced by
the flood.
A GALLANT BRIDEGROOM