Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-06-12
Not Since 1858 Has Water Reached
Mark Touched by Present Flood
other Cities Along River still In
Danger Death Lists Probably
Higher Than First Estimated.

The crest OF the flood has passed st,
Louis and any further destruction to
be wrought will be from the possible
crumbling of undermined buildings.
and to the country below this point.
danger of which is lessened by thu
spreading of the river over the low
lands.
Rapid falling of the water, it is ex-
pected, will quickly drain the inun.
dated section on the Illinois side,
where the property loss will be heavi-
est and repairs to the damaged prop
erty will soon be possible.
Death List May he Larger.
Reports are coming in from Madison,
Granite City and Venice, which indi-
cate the death list may be larger than
first estimated. It is known that>at
least 20 people have been drowned in
that vicinity. A report was received
early Tuesday from Newport, small
town three miles from Granite City,
that school building in which are
sheltered 50 children was tottering and
threatened to collapse at any moment.
appeals were made for assistance, but
there was no way TO reach them from
st. Louis or East St. Louis, the only
places that can render aid.
City Attorney Robert Hagneur, of
flooded Venice, is reported by his rela-
tives to be missing and they fear he
persisted when the city was over
whelmed. Deputy Coroner William
Ballhorn, of Madison county, and his
son, who lived in Venice, have been
given up as lost. Louis Kisher and
wife, who lived in Madison, are believed
80 have been drowned in the breaking
Of the levee that flooded that town.
William Anchor and Mrs. Clifton and
her infant have been missing for sew
eral days and it is thought they per-
ished.
And SO reports are coming in, but
they cannot be verified until order shall
have been restored, and that will not
be until the flood shall have subsided.
IN one party of refugees near Ed
wardsville four cases of smallpox de-
veloped Monday and the discovery
struck terror to the minds of the un-
1ortunates. The officials of Madison
are doing all in their power to isolate
the cases and prevent spread of the
disease.
Numerous families, penniless, and
having no friends to whom to go, re-
fuse to leave their flooded homes.
They live in the second stories and
subsist entirely upon what food hap
pened to be at hand when the food
came. In many cases these people
are actually starving and food will be
furnished them by men in skiffs at
once.
At seven a. M, the official gauge
registered 37.4 feet, decline of all Of
q foot since Monday morning, when
the crest Of the flood, s7.5 feet, was
eeached.
Many I'm Danger.
In the tri-cities, Madison, yenicean
Granite City, it wasestimated Tuesday
morning that at least 1000 men, wom-
en- and children were in precarious
condition. They are awaiting rescue,
many in the second stories and on
tops Of houses and other points above
the flood, less in danger of death than
starvation. Immediate steps are being
taken to remove these people to places
of safety and comparative comfort.
In East st. Louis, where the railroad
cards and that part along the river on
both sides of the Eads bridge is flooded,
the conditions are the same as Monday.
All night men were at work strength
ening the levee that is keeping the wa
ter back from the business and resi-
Gence sections of the city. The rail-
road situation shows no improvement.
Very little has been said about the
condition of the river below here.
From St. Louis to Cape Girardeau, a
distance of 140 miles, the Mississippi
has attained an average width Of four
miles. The steamer Cape Girardeau,
which has arrived in St. Louis, brings
accounts of the immense damage in
eicted on the farmers located on the
Mississippi lowlands south of here.
Entire Grain Crop Ruined.
"The entire wheat and corn crop in
the valley has been ruined" said w. r.
Wilkinson, commission merchant in
st. Louis, who was one Of the passen-
gers. II estimate that goo, 900 acres IN
corn and 100000 acres in wheat will be
lost. As we came up the river we saw
sights that amazed up. Some houses
were completely submerged. Others
showed only the roofs. We saw many
persons standing on the tops of houses.
They waved to us for assistance, but on
account of the uncertain conditions of
the river we were unable to go to them.
] do not know what will become of
those people, but as they have had flood
experiences dare say they will be
able to take care Of themselves.
II did not hear of anyone losing his
life, although it seems probable that
some We're drowned.
The damage to houses and barns
and live stock will reach into thou
sands, but the loss in wheat and corn
VIII be the greatest item in the disas-
ter. ] will venture to say that s., 00o,-
600 will not cover the losses on cere-
ais"
MT. Wilkinson says that in the bot
tom lands below Cape GiTardeau the
water has reached an expnnse Of 20
miles from biu1 70 blur