Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-09
mississippi Does Great Dam
age Below Alton.
HOMES ARE WRECKED
MANY FAMILIES LOSE ALL THEIR
BELONGINGS.
Fears for Missouri Farmers on oppo-
site Shore-Headwaters OF the
Ohio Rising.

sT LOUIS Mo-, March 9.-one Huiiui c"
families living below Alton, H., nave peeh
rendered homal ess and many nave iosl
their belongings as result OF the rise Al
the Mississippi river. The river aiso TN ca
ems to inundate the fine farming linus oi'
Missouri Point, across the river ana iar ii-
ers and stockmen are preparing to."ose'
Hundreds of farmers living III the io"
lands about Harrisburg, ILL., have been
forced to move by the rising OF Saline anu
Rankston creeks. some abandoning stock
to the flood. For miles the country there-
abouts Is a vast sheet of water.
Renorts from Hannibal, Mo-, state that
the Mississippi is sending down great vol
umes of water, and the river Is higher for
this time of the season than for years.
NEW ORLEANS, March 9.-The officlal
river gauge today marked 1S.1, rise or
half a foot In the past twenty-four hours
The absence of crevasses Is taken as cyl
tence of the marked Improvement In tne
levee system, and little anxiety Is Ielt.
Planters have placed forces on the front
throughout Louisiana watching the EN-
bankments. 1T.
The New Orleans levee board today ship
ned several thousand sacks of earth TO the
river points to be used in Strengthening
weak places.
Ohio's Headwaters Booming.
CINCINNATI, March 9.-Contrary to ex-
pectations raised by the heavy rain of Sat
urday and Saturday night. the Ohio river
began falling again last night, and was still
falling today at the rate Of tenth Of foot
an hour. Bassler the forecast official, says:
1.-THE Ohio is rising from Pittsburg to be-
low Portsmouth. The Kanawha and other
tributaries are rising. More rain Is expect,
ed and 1t is impossible to predict the totai
amount of rise anywhere at this time
Tuesday the river will be rising at Gin
cinnati and will continue to rise throughout
the week.
The rise at Pittsburg since yesterday was
bs feet; at Point Pleasant. "a; at Catletts-
burg. 90: at Portsmouth, 0.5. River men
here predict the stage at Cincinnati VIII
not exceed "a feet, which will cause but
little, Ii any, interference with railroad
traffic.
Danger Line at Nashville.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, March 9-The Cum
berland river is nearly foot above the
danger line. Distress prevails among the
lowland inhabitants. The crest of the rise
Will pass Nashville today, but no material
damage to property is expected.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, March 9.-The
rainfall here in the past forty-eight hours
was 21s inches, and is general over the
Tennessee river system. Tributaries above
here are swollen.
.,
river Is rising here at the rate of about an
inch an hour, and rapidly approaching the
high-water mark Of two years ago. 1t Is
far out of it's banks and has already iso-
lated a number Of houses and factories In
the Hats on both banks.
Reports from up the river as far as Port
land say that the danger Is over. The
weather continues mild.
Bridges in Danger at Superior, Neb.
SUPERIOR, Neb.. March 1.-TWO big iron
bridges over the Republican river at this
city are In imminent danger Of being
swept away. The river is out of its banks
and rising and is full Of floating ice. The
ice guards on the west bridge are gone and
cakes five to sixty feet square are crashing
against it. The guards on the east bridge
are gone also, and the bridge has been
knocked two feet out of line. Already one
gorge has formed and broke, and another Is
believed to be forming. A bridge at Hardy.
Neb., has been swept away. and several big
mill properties are in danger.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. March 9.-The river
gauge is steadily moving upward again.
and at noon today marked the highest
water of the present rise, BAT feet. Reports
from the overfowed districts indicate dis
tress among negro farmers.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. March 9.-The Ohio
river continues to rise here and today APP
peared like a vast lake In front of the city.
The rainfall In twelve hours was 249
inches, the heaviest In twelve or thirteen
years. Many bridges have been swept
away and other damage done In southwest
ern Indiana.
Ohio Stationary at Louisville.
LOUISVILLE. KY, March 9.-The Ohio
river was stationary at noon today, with
the gauge five inches above the danger line.
A further rise Is expected. The water
crept up into 4th street during the night,
flooding many Easements and cutting off
the entrance to the Kentucky and Indiana
elevated railroad.
dispatch from English. Ind. reports
much damage done by the Blue river.
The English Stave Company lost several
thousand feet of lumber and the merchants
of the lower part of the town have suffered
heavy losses.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, March 9.-Re-
ports from Ionia say that an ice gorge has
formed there. backing the water UP for
miles. Damage is feared when the gorge
breaks.