The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-09

ports Of DroWnings Can
not Be Obtained
Accurately.
4 ST. LOUIS, June $50 great an ex-
tent OF territory is covered by the nooo,
SO constantly changing are the conditions
as the water creepS higher, rendering
the situation the more chaotic as the
5r,mors OF the devastation come to hand,
that an accurate estimate Of the loss OF
property and lives cannot be obtained.
o-night information from apparently
the most reliable sources showed the
situation to be as follows:
River stag, 375 feet; stationary,
Probably slight rise by morning when
the highest stage shall have been
rea clled.
twenty lives known to have been lost
over 100000 acres OF rich farming
lands under water
All OF Venice and the greater part OF
Madison and Granite City under water.
Twenty-Five thousand people rendered
homeless.
Freight traffic completely paralyzed
and passenger traffic practically 80.
The shipping and manufacturing dis
trlct OF East st. Louis for three miles
along the river front under from to
feet of water.
Hundreds and probably thousands OF
head OF stock drowned.
East st. Louis threatened with inun-
dation.
st. Louis flooded only along the water
front. ;,
Entire property loss estimated at 3d.
G0o. 600,
wing ustnorth OF East ST. Louis, and IN
cluding Venice. Madison. West Madison,
Newport. Brooklyn, and Granite City.
are under from ten to eighteen feet OF
water. which is still rising. Very little
confrrnatory OF the reports OF drownlngs
can be had. as these places are all CUT
OF from railroad service, and telephone
communication Is uncertain at best. the
Weather Bureau promises relief atter
the river shall have risen to about IS
feet.
THE DEAD.
So far IS known the casualties are as
John crttenden, aged ten drowned
near the Merchants bridge. In Venice
A woman and seven children swept
from a fence by the food In sight OF the
Terminal Railway operator at Madison.
who was attempting to save them. :
"a woman drowned In Madison near the
American Car Works.
A woman and baby seen clinging to a
telegraph pole In Madison. The pole turn
ed in the water and both disappeared
Manager Shpley, of the Madison Car
Works, reports seeing seven employees
OF the American Car and Foundry Com
pany drown.
near Granite City. His wife was res
cued.
The harbor boat Mark Twain and pri--
yate yacht Annie Russell, with several
tugs have gone to Madison and Granite
City, where the floods have caused a
number of deaths. and where scores OF
families cut off from escape are at the
mercy OF the rising water.
BROUGHT FROM HOUSETOPS.
Dummy trains of the Terminal Asso-
citation, connecting with skiffs. commenced
to-day the work of bringing across the
river more than 100 persons, who spent
Sunday afternoon and night on the tops
of houses and at other points OF eleya-
tion above the food In Madison, Venice
and Newport. Four drownings We're re-
ported by the refugees. but none knew
the names of the victims, One said that
father mother and child had been drowned
while trying togreach point OF safety.
and another told of the death of a man
under like circumstances.
In East st. Louis. on order of Mayor
Cook, business is suspended, the saloons
are closed and everybody Is at work on
the levees In desperate effoxt to save
the city, which Is from one to four feet
below the level of the water that presses
un against the embankments. A hastily
constructed levee Of sand bags and mud
is all that stands between the city ana
almost complete submersion. II the levee
gives way all the main part of the city
viii be quickly flooded. and not street
in the business section will be left out OF
water.
TRAFFIC TIED UP,
Train service in every direction Is Ide-
layed by high water. and no freight bus
ness is being done at all In the East
Side. Two roads-the Missouri-P Pacific and
'Frsco-are the only ones running trains
between here and Kansas City, Pasen-
ger traffic and the most urgent freight
business is all that the railroads will
estimate the damage, which. however
will run into the millions, and the loss
due to the interference with business
This afternoon the viaduct connecting
East St. Louis with the Eads bridge was
condemned as unsafe. The street cars
the bridge The water of the Cahokia
Creek has been washing against the Via
duct for several days, and 1t has been
strained to Its utmost by sightseers who
Use it as vantage point to view the
flood
The report was current that nrteen
work,nen In the ST. Louis Car Works had
been drowned. but later II was found that
while the car employees had not lost their
lives, thirteen others had perished,.
Every effort was made to force
steamers against the heavy current four
miles north to the stricken town of Madi-
son. nut 1t was noon before two steamers
Tapped together and their engines wprk-
Ing under every ounce of steam after five
hours of battle of current were able to