Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-08

into st. Louis today. 1t arrived at Union
station three hours late.
The Southern railway managed to hold
It's own pretty we'll until Sunday night,
when it encountered difficulties at East st.
Louis. while a number of its cars are now
tied up.
The Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern.
whose depot is situated on high ground
| across the river, is stopping all trains at
East st. Louis.
The Mobile and Ohio has taken a brief
respite from work it's east side terminals
being under water and some 800 freight cars
awaiting delivery. Its passenger trains are
running into East st. Louis from the south.
| connecting at Sparta, over the tracks OF the
Illinois Central.
The western roads are experiencing SINH
| lar hardships. The Wabash, Chicago and
! Alton and Burlington practically have
| ceased operations between here and Kansas
| City.
The Missouri Pacific and the Frisco are
| the only lines actively operating between
| the two cities. The Missouri Pacific is
handling west-bound business for its Grip
| pied competitors. Freight tonnage has been
reduced to a minimum and only the most
imperative shipments can be made.
Rising Flood Broke Barriers.
At O'Clock this morning the combined
forces of the Missouri river and Cahokia
creek broke the barriers at the Relay de-
| pot, at East St. Louis. The Relay depot
was surrounded by water, but the embank-
ment of clay and sand bags made by the
! workers Sunday saved the city from the
rush of water. Trains continued to pass on
the tracks around the depot, but at S:45 the
| east-bound Southern train was stopped on
| the bridge incline. The water had risen so
! high that the engine could not pass through
| without dying"
An army of men is working along the
tracks that reach from the northern eX-
tremity of the city to the south and now
form the eastern bank of the Mississippi.
East St Louis city authorities expect to
hold their embankments until Monday
night. hoping that by that time the crest
of the flood will have passed. In order to
do so, the different plants of East St Louis
have sent their men to work for the city.
Elliot's frog shops have been converted in
to a commissary department. East st.
Louis women, under the direction of DR..
]. l.. Virgins, have worked in the COM
missary night and day giving food to the
workers on the leVee.
Seep water has entered the cellars and
| easements in the central portion of the
| town, and the men not at work on the
! levees are removing goods to higher places.
! After daylight this morning water began
| to break through at Cohn station in the
| railroad yards west of Summit avenue
| The several breaks were stopped before
the water gained any great headway.
Three blocks south of Broadway the
water Is three feet higher than Main street
the first street east of the tracks. 1t is
kept back by an embankment of clay top
ped with sand bags. 1t seeps through con-
stantly, but does not break the bank, be-
cause 1T has little current and is not
beaten by the winds. Rush City. Denver
side and the portion of the town east of
the Southern tracks and south of Broad
way are under water. Residents of that
part of the town have left their houses
and gone to the northern part of the city.
Owners of different halls and large build
ings In East St. Louis have proffered them
for the use of the flood sufferers.
Guards are on duty at the canal bridge
on the Illinois Central tracks at Center
vile station, seven miles southeast of
town. The authorities have closed the
space beneath the trestle
Backwater Flooding Farms.
Backwater from the river has flooded
farms to the southeast, and the farmers
in that section of the country threaten to
cut the timbers blocking the water. Should
this be done the waters would back up
Pittsburg lake, which at present reaches
to the city limits of East St Louis and
gain another point of attack on the city.
The Associated Press received the follow
ing dispatch from the National stockyards
at East st. Louis today:
NO market here today account high
water"
This indicates that the meat supply of
ST. Louis, which comes chiefly through
these yards will be cut off until the river
falls considerably.
Police Guard Property.
The conditions in East st. Louis continue
the same as last night, when squad of
twenty police were sent over from here at
the request of Chief of Police Purdy to
assist in guarding lives and property. All
the available men that could be spared
were sent over today
John Buehrar who lives on Chouteau
Island, twelve miles north of st. Louis re-
ports that eighteen people on the island
cannot get away. He wanted assistance,
but was unable to secure aid as all tho
boats at present busy and cannot reach
the island.
With all east side terminal points between
Alton and st. Louis in the embrace of the
flood and the Merchants and Eads bridges
accessible to only few lines, ST Louis
passenger and freight traffic both incom-
ing and outbound. is temporarily paralyzed
No attempt has been made to transport
freight between this city and East st. Louis
and relief from this critical situation is NOT
expected within the next twenty-four hours
1t is estimated that the flood disaster has