Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-06-12
AWFU[ CALAMITY
At EAST ST. Louis
Despite Unceasing and Va|Ient
Fight TNo-Thirds of City
Is Submerged.
ELEVEN LIVES WERE LOST
All Traffic and All Business in the
CITY Is Suspended and People Are
ParaIyzed at the Great Destruc-
ton. ~.

st. Louis. June ll.--Almost two
thirds of the territory embraced by
East st. Louis, ILL.,, is under from two
to fifteen feet of water. Between
twilight Tuesday night and dawn yes
terday eleven lives were sacrificed to
the angry waters and damage which
no man has attempted to estimate mas
been done to property. Those VINO
were likely to have knowledge which
would enable them to form rough
estimate. when questioned, pointed
out over the broad eXpanse of de-
structive water and almost invariably
replied: Look! it's awful and
turned away. The town was democrat
lied, and with reason.
Probably never before in the his.
tory of the country has more val
liant fight by brave, unflagging men,
with defeat hourly staring them in the
face, been made to protect lives and
property from the devastating
clutches of tremendous flood than
has been made by the citizens of East
ST. Louis.
Since Thursday morning 5000 men,
under the leadership of Mayor Cook,
without sleep, with little rest, and
food snatched at intervals, toiled I'M
ceasingly strengthening levees, build
ing them up, erecting additional safe
guards and doing everything in the
power of man to save the city, but it
was fight that has so far terminated
half in victory and half In defeat.
And notwithstanding all this cease
less laL the arms of East st. Louis
were extended to those in distress and
refugees from adjacent flood stricken
towns were received and fed and
sheltered. Not wheel of industry is
turning in East st. Louis The smoke.
less chimneys of the manufacturing
plants stand lifeless and spectre-like,
as sentinels surrounding silent build.
ings while the flood whirls and sucks
at the foundations.
The vast railroad yards are made
apparent by hundreds of half sub
merged cars and here and there stand
locomotives only half visible.
Huge grain elevators stand sur
rounded by veritable sea.
But to the south, beyond the rail.
way yards are thousands of homes,
the greater number humble cottages
owned by laborers and containing
their all. submerged to the caves.
In northern East St. Louis the de.
scription is repeated, but not on Sc
large scale.
The business portion of the city and
the district containing the better resi-
dences is still intact. But for how
long?' is the question being repeated
in the mind of every citizen tonight
Broadway. running from Eads bridg
east to the limits, a wide street bull
of sand and walled with stone ffteel
feet high, divides the city in halves
Over ten feet of water is pressing
against Broadway from the sG:lth ant
in many places is sweeping through
in streams as thick as a mans body
DISASTER At. SEA.
Steamer Liban Goes Down With Over
Hundred Lives.
Marseilles, June S.-A terrible ship
ping disaster occurred a little dis
lance from this port at noon yester'
day, when two passenger steamers
the Insulaire and the Liban, both be-
longing to the Fraissenet Steamship
company Of Marseilles, came into
collision. The Liban sank and over
one hundred of her passengers and
crew persisted. n 4j =. -,5-..
The steamer Liuan left Marseilles
in the morning on her regular passen.
ger trip to Bastia, Corsica, and was
run down and sunk by the Insulaire
off the Marie islands. The collision
was witnessed from the pilot boat
Blechamp, which was about two miles
distant. The Blechamp Immediately
repaired to the spot to render assist.
ance. The force of the collision had
cut great hole in the Liban's side
and she already was making water
rapidly. Her captain saw the only
chance was to run the steamer
aground and the Liban was headed
full speed for the shore; but within
seventeen minutes Of the collision and
while still in deep water the forepart
OF the steamer plunged beneath the
waves and few minutes later she
had entirely disappeared.
-