The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-24
UNDER WATER FOR MILES
Citizens Of Mississippi River Towns
Driven Out by Floods.
MANY SAVED FROM HOUSE TOPS

MANY SAVED FROM HOUSE TOPS
Widespread Havoc Around St. Louis -
Volunteers Worked on the Embank-
ments to Prevent Further Disaster -
River Forty Miles Wide at One Point
damage to Property Enormous.
st. Louis, Mo.-The flood has claimed
everything on the east side of the Mis-
sissippi here except East ST. Louis.
Only a few inches more of water and
the flood would top the row of sand
bags, plastered with mud, that stood
the sole barrier that protected the city
from ruin.
Every able-bodied man in East st.
Louis at Mayor Cooks command
worked with might and main strength
ening the barrier as much as he can.
1t was feared that East st. Louis might
suffer the same fate that overlook Ven
ice, Madison and Granite City when
the SlSQiSOu leNSe DFOhe.
There are at least seventeen dead in
the tri-cities, and two dead in East st.
Louis If accounts received are reliable,
but there have been no bodies recov-
cred and it is possible that some of
those supposed to have perished have
simply been unable to communicate
with their friends. twenty-five thou
sand persons are homeless and railroad
traffic is paralyzed.
Several hundred refugees were
brought to St Louis on fat cars across
the Merchants Bridge. Several hun
dred more were rescued from house
tops and carried to places of safety in
Granite City, where some of the land
Is still above the food level.
Opposite Carondelet and lower down
the river has spread many miles over
the lowlands. In the vicinity Of Cape
Girardeau 1t Is forty miles wide.
The damage is extremely hard to es-
innate, and few persons have under
taken the task. But from all accounts
the property losses are as follows:
Loss.
st. Charles. ....... ......... 100000
Alton ........ .............. 1UU,UOU
Mitchell ...... ......... oo,VOO
Trl-citleS 5000. .......... .4,UOO,OOu
East st. Louis. .............. .1,OOO,OOO
st. Louis. ....... ............ $4,000
The loss to farmers in the bottoms,
where the crops have been completely
ruined, is at present beyond computa-
ton, but certainly will amount to
many hundreds Of thousands of dollars.
The damage in st. Louis itself is
slight. because it IS confined entirely to
the river front, and there was ample
time for preparation to remove stocks
from buildings in danger Of flooding.
! Kansas City, Mo.-The loss to the
State of Kansas and to this city as the
result Of the recent food was over ST.
100000. Of this $5000,000 is the esti
mated damage to crops in Kansas, S.
100000 represents the damage done In
this city and the suburbs and the other
100000 is distributed among Kansas
towns, as follows:
North Topeka, S25O.OOO; Lawrence,
S5OO.OO0; Saline, 100000; Manhattan,
$150,O0O; Wamego. $4,000; St. Mary's.
$4,000; Blue Rapids, $1,000: Clay Cen
tire, $4,000; Enterprise, $30.000; Con-
cordia. S35,00O; Junction City, $780,.
600; Solomon, $4,000: Abeliene, $780,
600; Ellsworth, $4,000; Lindesburg,
100000; Hutchinson, 100000: Mime
apolis. 100000; Emporia, S65, 900; Flor
ence. $4,000: Lincoln Centre, $4,000;
Atchison, $4,000: Burlington. $4,000;
Hill City. $4,000; Beloit S30,000; Ar
gentine, S2,0O0.O00.
No account has been taken Of the
smaller towns. although nearly 200 of
those were affected by the foods.
The estimate Of the loss to crops Is
considered conservative. Owing to the
lateress Of the season and the condi-
ton of the soil it Is very doubtful if
any profit will be drawn during the re-
mainder Of the year from the farms
which were inundated. AS q conse.
quence there will be great deal of in.
dvidual want and suffering among
farmers upon whom the blow fell
heaviest.
The extent Of the damage to the rail-
roads operating in and out Of Kansas
City caused by the food can scarcely
be estimated. Beside the very consid-
cradle loss Of freight in cars and build
ings, nearly all lines out of Kansas
City suffered severe losses in washed
out track and destroyed bridges. The
loss in freight flooded, burned or lost
down the river may amount to two or
three million dollars.