The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1903-06-12
Loss of Life Will Reach over a Hun
dred-People of Black Walnut Dis
trict Rescued-Cities North of ST.
Louis in Grip of the FIood-Men Can
Not Be Hired at Any Price.

reported, are imprisoned on section
of the levee that is slowly crumbllng,
and all means of escape has been cut
off. Word has been sent to the st.
Louis side to rush a private yacht to
the rescue.
A steamer from st. Charles sue
ceeded in reaching Black Walnut, and
the 1000 imperiled people were taken
from the island in safety. All were
rescued.
Mississippi Still Rising.
st. Louis, June 9.-Like a mill race
the swollen Mississippi is surging past
st. Louis with a stage of S6.9 feet,
making a rise of one and one half
feet in "a hours.
Black Walnut is located in a broad
and fertile valley of the Missouri and
the lands surrounding it are said to be
the richest wheat land in the state.
All Venice, Madison, portions of
Granite City and $4,000 acres of rich
bottom farming land are in the grip
of the flood north of East St. Louis
Houses have been swept from their
foundations and sent adrift. The dam
age already done is enormous and hour
ly the flood reaches farther inland,
more and more Gripping railroad traf-
fic and engulf1ng additional homes,
farms and factories. The east approach
to Merchants bridge is reported
severely damaged.
Reports of loss of life have been re-
ceived Men who were viewing the
} food from the bridge approach told
of having seen a man on the roof of
a floating house. The house was over
J turned by the current during this af-
ternoon and the man disappeared.
| Near Madison a dyke broke and a
wall of water rushed through. Three
: women, endeavoring to escape, were
; seen to crouch bewilderedly behind a
fence. The wall of water three feet
: high swept the fence away and only
! after a strenuous effort were two of
5 the women saved. The third, Mrs. An
= tone, wife of a saloonkeeper, clasping
her infant in her arms, was according
to witnesses, swept away and drowned.
2 East st. Louis was unable to secure
5 enough men to work on the levee.
g Men apparently needing work refused
}, offers of 30 cents an hour to pile sand
I bags on the levee. Levee officials and
even prominent men sprang into the
: breach and worked with will to keep
the water out of the city, while crowds
of men apparently needing employ
= ment stood about and refused all Of
e fers of work. Policemen invaded sa-
/ looms to secure workmen, but although
S the saloons were crowded a very small
percentage of the patrons were willing
+ to help protect the city.
> The turbulent Missouri is doing
great damage at ST. Charles and vi
! entity, 25 miles west of ST. Louis. Sew
e eral deaths are reported. All the
l farmhouses and barns occupying the
4 lowlands across the river from St
Charles have been swept away with
but few exceptions. All day people in
; skiffs we're busy trying to save prop
erty. Three women in one farm
house refused to leave until they had
= ripped a new carpet from the floor. The
j. men in the rescue boats, left them
and before they could return the cur
rent was eddying about the house
{ swiftly and the boat could not reacf
it, and the women were left to theil
fate. From a clump of willows house
top and some planks drifted out, anC
4 there was a distinct sound of wo
mans voice calling for help, but wheI
a boat reached the spot the housetoI
u had turned over and was floating ava!
% and all was silent.
- T..,o Mar KiIIad