The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-09

Undermined Buildings and Many
Deaths From Drowning Are
Reported.
Stencil From Backwater Now Men.
ace to Health-River Thieves
at Work.

ST. Louis June s.-The crest Of the flood
has been reached and the MISSISSIPPI Is
| falling.
Reports from. along the Missouri river
indicate that 1t is falling rapidly and the
Mississippi Ia stationary at Hannibal and
falling steadily north Of there.
Mayor Cook of East st. Louis this
morning said that the flood had been con-
quered and East st. Louis was safe. The
levees have been so thoroly strengthened
that there Is no further danger Of in
undation.
That the worst Is over cannot yet be
seen by the observers on the banks. At
a rate OF eight to ten miles an hour the
| Mississippi river over half q. mile wide
and ninety feet deep in the channel, is
| pouring past st. Louis toward the gulf.
For week the river slowly at first and
then gaining In speed crept out Of It's
ordinary confines until on June 8, 1908,
it had established a high water mark of
BIS feet, the highest food tide since the
same mark was unofficially established
| in 1858. Thirty feet above low water
mark is the danger line for St. Louis and
the river rose seven and one-haf feet
above the danger line.
The crest Of the flood has passed st.
Louis and any further destruction to be
wrought will be from the possible, crum-
bling of under mined buildings and to the
y
is lessened by the spreading Of the river
over the low lands.
Rapid falling of the water, 1t Is ex-
pected. will quickly drain the Inundated
section on the Illinois side, where the
property loss will be heaviest and re-
pairs to the damaged property will soon
be possible.
The Death List Is Large.
}, Reports are coming in from Madison,
NIL n f..I
the death list may be larger than first
estimated. It is known that at least
twenty people have been drowned in that
vicinity. report was received early to-
day from Newport, small town three
miles from Granite City, that a school
building, which sheltered fifty 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 now render aid.
, | City Attorney Robert Hagnour Of Venice
is reported by his relatives to be missing,
and they fear he persisted when the city
! was overwhelmed. Deputy Coroner VIII
! liam Rallhorn 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 to have
q been drowned In the breaking OF the levee
: that flooded that town. William Anchor
: and Mrs. Clifton and her infant have beer
missing for several days, and it Is thought
J. they persisted.
n In one party Of refugees near Edwards
), vile, four cases Of smallpox developed
u yesterday. Tho officials Of Madison coun.
:. ty are doing all in their power to isolate
: the cases and prevent a spread Of the dis
. ease. Numerous families, penniless, ana
>. having no friends to whom to go, refused
to leave their flooded homes. In many
% cases these people are practically starv
e ing and food will be furnished them b!
means Of skiffs at once.
River Thieves and Foul Odors.
; River thieves are looting the various
% vacant houses. Men in skiffs have beef
u seen to enter half submerged houses il
Is Venice, Madison and Granite City ant
/ carry away everything of value they coult
,, find.
The stencil arising from the backwater
% on the surface Of which floats filth, is of
fensive. This Is a menace 20 health. Tn
70 sanitary department will make every eff
III fort to cleanse the district as soon as Tn
flood has departed.
> In st. Louis the rising water has no
caused any material increase in damage
Re Levee saloons continue 20 do business de
tie spite high water. Spectators demand bev
I'd erages and are content to crawl alon
i planks thru doorways two feet high an
al drink from the improvised bars IN
IN crouching position with their heads touch
e ing the ceilings.
Of Below Eads bridge is moored the steam
Id err Dubuque, which came down the rive
ne from st. Paul. So swift was the curren
Sc and so high the stage Of the river tina
n the Dubuque was carried under Merchants
lie bridge at high speed and both smoke
tn stacks were swept to the decks
We It's a Slow Fall.
ne At Z a. m. the official gage registere
~; u 37.4 feet, a decline Of L Of foot fro1
yesterday morning when the crest of tn
flood, 37.5 feet, was reached. The ten
dency of the river this morning SCENE
n to be to rise, but the great volume {
he water was spreading out and did not max
'ly itself apparent on the gage by adde
ot inches.
!, ef In the Flooded Cities.
~ In Madison, Venice and Granite City
ev was estimated this morning that at lea!
~ 900 men, women and children were
90 a precarious condition They are await
nd ing rescue, many in the second storie
N and on tops Of houses and other poin
~ above the flood, less in danger of deaf
nd by drowning than by starving Immt
at date efforts will be made to remove the:
Int people to places of safety and compare
of tive comfort.
itv In East st. Louis where the railros
ch yards and that part along the river {
,aI both sides of the Eads bridge are floode
the COnQ1C1OnS are the same as yoSLerOa
ALI Of last night men were at wol
strengthening the levee that is keepir
led the water back from the business al
raj residence sections of the city. The raj
SEQ road situation shows no improvement.
~, IA Destitute Flood Sufferers.
for From police reports it is learned the
not are $50 flood sufferers in st. Louis ref
liz gees from East st. Louis, Madison, We
the ice Granite City and Kaskaskia. All a
hat destitute. There were over 1000 refuge
ap- in the city, but the remainder have eth
Ind secured transportation to other cities
on. are begin cared for by relatives and frien
the in st. Louis and it's environs. The 8
are being cared for by relatives and frien
the Der have become Ill from exposure.
re- There were 1900 flood refugees in E
the wardsville. ILL.,, last night from the t
one cities and Newport Because Of the CO
on gestion 1t was found necessary to d
full tribute the sufferers in the cities and v
ck- lagos along the Wabash as far north
vs. I.itchfield. Four-fifths Of the 5000 inha
ore itants Of Granite City remain within t
ght limits of the town. One half ofsthem q
ISL homeless. 7rss
- The officials of Granite City and tho
who have been most active in relief VIC