Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-06-11
DEATH DEALING FLOODS
East St. Louis and Clifton Arizona Swe D1
By the Waters

ST Louis, June 11.-AlmOst two.
thirds of the territory embraced by
East St. Louis, ILL.,, is under from
two to fifteen feet of water. Between
twilight last night and dawn today
angry waters, and damage which no
man attempted to estimate has been
done to property.
Not a wheel of industry is turning
in East ST. Louis, but the flood wa
+ers whirl and suck at the founda-
tions of many great buildings that
have been deserted, and the vast rail
road yards can on1y be located by
hundreds of half submerged cars and
locomotives. Huge grain elevators
stand surrounded by running water.
To the south, beyond the railway yard,
are thousands Of cottages owned by
laborers and containing their all,
submerged to the caves.
In northern East st. Louis the con.
dition is not SO bad.
The business portion of the city
and the district containing the better
residences is still intact, but for how
long is not known. Broadway, run
ming from Eads bridge east to the
city limits, wide street built OF
sand and walled with stone, fifteen
feet high, divides the city in halves.
Over ten feet of water is pressing
against Broadway from the south, and
in many places is siping through in
streams as thick as mans body,
Traffic over certain portions of this
thoroughfare has been prohibited. II
Broadway breaks the water will rush
over much of the city until Missouri
avenue, parallel one block, is reach.
ed.
Along the river front to the west
a levee Of sand bags two feet to six
feet high and two miles long keeps
the river out. Last night the river
suddenly began to rise. Tired men
worked with energy to strengthen the
sand bag levee. The city was safe
along the river front, but word was
received that the Illinois Central en-
bankment, skirting the river along
the southern boundary of the city
was about to give way. Couliers were
sent to shout warnings to inhabi-
tants Of the southern half of the city,
and hundreds of laborers and citi-
zens fastened to strengthen the en-
bankment. Locomotives rushed car.
loads of sand bags to the place and
work was hurriedly begun Accus.
toned by this time to warnings of
impending danger, the inhabitants did
not leave their homes. Higher and
higher crept the water, until thin
stream began to pour over the EN-.
bankment, and suddenly it broke
The break occurred at II: 40 o'clock |
ID. H. Sherwood laborer, was swept |
away and drowned. A section of the
embankment was torn out and
stream twenty-five feet wide rushed |
through. Another section of the en-
bankment went out a few minutes
later and then that portion standing
between the two streams went down
and the river poured through. It is
believed that many men, especially
negroes, were drowned.
The alarm spread like wildfre, and
whistles were blown, bells rung, shots
nred and cries of warning we're
sounded, but even with all this pan
demonium many of the inhabitants
failed to leave their homes.
Within an hour the houses stood in
water that reached to the roofs of
the one-story cottages. Many fled to
large brick buildings Rescue boats
today found many people in second
stories and on housetops.
There is grave fear that when all s
he living have been transferred tC |
and the boats will then bear bodies
II dead from the flooded cottages and {
he desolated quarter. /
!