New-York tribune., 1903-06-11

and nuIed myself out Of the water. D. IL -Sher-
wood a laborer standing at my side, was s"epe
away. and / saw him drown. In an instan. ,, oi,e
,,-s5er had cut a section of the enbankment oui
sns . stream twenty-five feet wide was rushlns
through I saw another section of the emoalk-
,nert go out few minutes later ana thei @ ma
,n-+;,y. l,e-,yeen the two torrents went down,
and the river poured through IN all lts 1uis !
believe many men. especially negroes w. w.
drouned know that several negroes. worn
,,,t had been permitted to nap and they Were
aying asleep right in the path OF the pie2A-
They certainly were crowned
Middleton escaped by running along the en-
bankment back 10 the city
The alarm snread like wildfre and whistles
were blown. bells rung, shots fired ana cries "h
warning were sounded, but with all this pance-
.-,orj,,Y1o the majority OF the aroused inhapi-
sanfs did not leave their homes Within an hour
The houses stood in water that reacheo 10 the
roofs Of the one story cottages 1t IS kho"h
that numbers of people fed TO the Central Holei'
a four story brick structure and TO the large
brick buildings of the Washington and traih1ih
high schools. But none Of these pulloliiss 10
6av contained more than go persons, ana
,noush tbe rescue boats found many people in
sAcond stories and on housetops, there are rows
,,ron rovs of cottages that early this morning
did not show sign OF life
MANY DEAD MAY BE FOUND.
There is grave fear that many dead will be
to,,nd in the flooded cottages and in this section
,.f the CITY 1t has been practically lmpossipie
"a learn of authenticated deaths, but from the
most reliable sources it is believed that eleNeh
nersons were drowned last night, four OF "hoil
ne-ished on the north side early IN the evening"
II WAS currently reported to-day mat seven
negroes caught looting houses last nlsh', were
shot While this was not confirmed, IT is known
80 49, ,ras heavy firing or the north side
oa-,,- last night where these negroes are salo
10 have been killed
The dea hs of John Koolish. asPolish cerpeh-
ter and RS three children. two boys aseu f
and seven years respectively and a girl 1WeINe
,,ears old were caused by trying to save three
kegs OF beer.
a. fost as scows could be secured they were
launched. and volunteers started on rescue N
s,ons A company of naval reserves from Al
,o- which rowed to the city yesterday in a cut
7er. rendered splendid service
eascuers began work as soon as 1t was hehl
enough 10 see and continued their Work tar
into the night; Word was sent out generais
for more boats. and the government Fesponeeo
through United States District Attorney Dyer
IN ST Louis who issued an order TO connscdte
tsrnpnrsrily all boats seen in and around the
eify regardless of ownership, and rush IneLu ~
Fae. 81 I,ouis The st. Louis Fire Department
at once rendered its hose and coal wagons ~
furnished and soon scores Of craft Were Feseu
ing food sufferers
TRIED TO SAVE FURNITURE.
The frs. boatloads contained refugees and
some furniture. The order was then issued that
II snv more furniture were brought it would be
thrown into the water. If a man thought more
of his furniture than he did of his neighbors, De
must lose the furniture. After that no furni-
fure was transported.
When boats were rOwed alongsloe houses
y here the occupants were marooned IL seconq
stories and on roofs, in the great hla3oIl1S 3S % %
cases the occupants could not be induced 10
leave. They said that to leave meant tnat thelr
belongings would be left TO the mercy OF river
thieves, and they would remain ana stana
guard. Strangely. the we7nen were those most
unwilling to be rescued, though some of them
vent in terror They were assured that thor
cugh boat patrol would be established, with or
Gers IN xiii river thieves on sight and finally
the unwilling householders were persuaded to
go to land. AS wives entered boats that were
were sent ahead they wept and clasped each
other in ab5ect fear that some further calamity
might separate them forever At the landings
weeping women were assisted from the boats
and throughout the day scores of boats rescued
hundreds of refugees
In the eastern extremity of the city at Wash
ington Place and Rock Road, on vacant area
of high ground two hundred tents utilized
in erecting Camp Refuge, and commissary was
established. From the Broadway landing to
Camp Refuge the flood sufferers were trans
ported in wagons. Each family has tent. The
City Hall. churches, school buildings and other
structures thrown open and temporarily
turned into relief stations. T. E. Dempcy, who
has charge Of Camp Refuge. said tonight:
We must have food. East St Louis is cut off
from sources Of supply, and what she had has
been largely drawn upon during the last week.
Large amounts Of food were destroyed by the
water last night, and we in need Of addi-
tional food TO for the suffering people.
Food must be secured in some manner or people
already in distress will suffer
The belief that the river rising con-
frrned by the government gauge tonight. The
gauge registered 1896 feet, a rise of 0.15 of a
foot IN twenty-four hours. No attempt is made
to explain this rise except that the wind is fore
ing water from lowlands into the channels Of
The Mississippi and Missouri rivers
Riot guns were collected by Chief of Police
Purdy to-day, and were given out tonight 10
guards TO patrol the streets where furniture is
stacked and TO patrol the sandbag levees.
Thieves or possible levee cutters are to be shot
down instantly Martial law has not been pre-
claimed officially. but East St Louis is prac-
tioally TO be governed under such condition
during the food, and there is no place for idle,
curious persons