The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-11
All Industries Closed and the Angry
Waters PeriIing the Foundations
Of Factories and Elevators.
RAILWAY YARDS SUBMERGED
TOPS OF CARS AND LOCOMOTIVES
VISIBLE ABOVE THE WATER.
Seven Negroes Reported to Have Been
Shot for Looting Houses-The
Work of Rescue.

ST. LOUIS, June 10.-Almost two-thirds
of the territory embraced by East ST.
Louis, ILL.,, is under from two to fifteen feet
of water. Between twilight last night and
dawn to-day eleven lives were sacrificed to
the angry waters, and damage which no
man to-day attempted to estimate has been
done to property. Not wheel of industry
is turning in East st. Louis, but the food
waters whirl and suck at the foundations
of mary great buildings that have been de-
serted.
The vast railroad yards are made appar-
ent by hundreds OF half-submerged cars
and locomotives. Huge grain elevators
stand surrounded by running water. To
the south. beyond the railway yards. are
thousands OF cottages. owned by laborers
and containing their all. submerged to the
dition Is not so bad.
The business portion of the city and the
district containing the better residences is
still intact. but for how long is not known.
Broadway. running from the Eads bridge
east TO the city limits, wide street built of
sand and walled with stone fifteen feet
high. divides the city in halves. over ten
feet of water is pressing against Broadway
from the south and In many places Is seep-
ing through In streams as thick as a mans
body. Traffic over certain portions Of the
thoroughfare has been prohibited. and even
pedestrians nre not allowed to traverse
these threatened portions II Broadway
breaks the water will rush over much Of
the city until Missouri avenue. running par
allel, one block north. is encountered.
Along the river front to the west a levee of
sandbags from two to six feet high and two
miles long keeps the river out.
HASTILY WARNED.
Last night the river suddenly began to
rise. Tired men worked with energy to
strengthen the sand-bag levees. The city
was made safe along the river front. but
new danger menaced. Word was received
that the Illinois Central embankment skirt
ing the river along the southern boundary
OF the city was threatening to give way.
COurterS were sent on HOTScDdCh anu dlOot
10 shout warning to the citizens OF the
southern half OF the city and hundreds OF
citizens hastened to the embankment. Lo-
comotives rushed carloads Of sandbags to
the place and the work was hurriedly be-
gun. Accustomed by this time TO warnings
of impending danger the inhabitants did
not leave their homes. Higher and higher
crept the water until thin stream began
10 pour over the embankment and suddenly
IL broke.
The break occurred at 11:40 o'clock. ID.
II. Sherwood, a laborer was swept away
and drowned. The water cut a section Of
the embankment out, and a stream twenty
FIVE feet wide rushed through. Another sec
ton of the embankment went out few
minutes later. and then that portion stand
ing between the two streams went down.
and the river poured through. 1t Is believed
that many men, especially negroes, were
drowned.
The alarm spread like wildfire. and whis-
ties were blown. bells rung. shots fired, and
cries of warning were sounded. but even
with all this pandemonium many Of the in
habitants failed to leave their homes. With
in an hour the houses stood in water that
reached TO the roofs OF the one-story cot
taees Many fed to large brick buildings.
Rescue boats to-day found many people In
second stories and on housetops, but there
n grave fear that when all the living have
been transferred to land the boats will bear
bodies of dead from the flooded cottages and
the desolated quarter.
In the turmoil IL has been impossible to
verify reported deaths, but from apparently
reliable sources IL is gathered that the fol-
lowing eleven persons were drowned last
night: John Koolish and three children.
drowned on North Side; unidentified baby;
Lawrence Day; two unidentified women
two unidentified men.
NEGROES REPORTED SHOT.
II was currently reported to-day that
seven negroes caught looting houses last
night were shot TO death. They were all on
a raft and were surprised by guards, who
shot them down and threw their bodies into
the water While this was not confirmed
Il Is known that there was heavy firing on
the North Side last night. where the negroes
are said to have been killed.
The deaths OF John Koolish. a Polish car
penter and his three children, two boys
aged five and seven. respectively, and a girl
of twelve years, were caused by trying to
nave three kegs OF beer. The Koolish home
had been surrounded by water for several
days. The family had been living in the
second story. and last night decided TO go
70 land. Koolish took two sons and his wife
and three-months-old infant safely To land
He then returned for his other three chill
dren Getting them safely into the boat. he
stopped at a submerged house to take of
three kegs OF beer. as requested by the own
er a friend. In trying 10 load the kegs into
the boat the craft was overturned. and the