The Monticellonian., 1903-06-11
BATTLE N|IH !AE FLOODS.
Tie Combined Forces of the Missis- sippi and Cahokia Creek Break
 Their Barriers.
FIFTEEN DROWNED AT GRANITE CITY.

Louis and Every Able-Bodied Mnn at Work in Desperate Effort to Save the City From the Floods RaYases.
 St Louis. June 9-1he harb0r boat Mark Twain and the yacht Annie Rus sell left the St. Louis wharf at nine | o'clock Monday morning on q relief expedition to Granite City, where the flood has caused number of deaths | and where scores of families, cut eff | from escape, are at the mercy of tioot and famine.
 The number of deaths at Granite City is reported at 15. The entire group of east side cities and towns north of the East St. Louis National stockyards is under ten to eighteen feet of water.
 The breaking of the cross-levee and the north leyee. protecting the entire territory, admitted the water with such rush that time was left only for flight to roofs of dwellings and the upper stories of business build- ings.
 From accounts received in St. Louis from refugees from Venice, West Mad ison, Newport. Brooklyn and other in undated communities, it is believed that the loss of life has been as large in the other towns as at Granite City. All Business Suspended. The flood situation in East St. Louis became so desperate Monday that at nine o'clock Mayor Silas Cook ordered every saloon and business house closed.
 Every strong man in East St. Louis is needed te fight the floods.
 The business and saloon men began at once to observe the mayors order, and within comparatively short time business was.entirely suspended
 The railroad embankments. which have been protecting East St. Lonis from the food. are reported in gool condition, and able to withstand the predicted rise of B feet unless a break should occur at some unexpeet- ed point
 Every possible precaution is being taken to prevent the overflow of the embanllments or the breaking of them
 That East St Louis is in gave dan ger is indicated by the mayors action in ordering business suspended until l the food danger has passel.
 Causunitips nt Granite City.
 The most reliable information from Granite City was received by F. |. BiXbv, district manager of the Ameri can Car and Foundry Co. and by Rus sell Gardner, owner Of the Annie Rus sell, from Manager ShipleY of the companys big plant at Granite City.
 Railroad service to Granite City has been abandoned, and telephone and telephone and telegraph eommunica- tion is very uncertain.
 Mir. BiXby received a message early Monday morning from Mr. Smpley. stating that he had seen five persons l drown and that the drowning of ten others was reported.
 \ sixth ease in the immediate vicin- ity of the companY's plant was re ported by ]. R. Elder, an employe who said that he saw q woman floating | down the street on a telegraph pole clinging to her infant The rolling of the pole caused her to let the babe fall. and the woman was rescued few minutes later.
 Maroon"d on Chouteau Island.
 \ later message to Mir Gardner stated that a father and two children were marooned on Ghouteau island. signaling for rescue. Dummy trains of the Terminal as sociatiGn. connecting with skiffs. com menced, Monday morning. the work of bringing across the river more than 700 persons who spent Sunday after noon and night an the tops of house., and at other points of elevation above the flood in Madison, Venice and New port.
 The women and children were rowcI to the east end of Merchants bridge. where they were transferred to box ears and transported to the west end of the bridge There many relatives awaited them, and the ioy- ful reunions of families who had lost their possessions were interspersed with the anxious and distressed quer- ies of those whose families and rela- tiyes did not appear.
 Flood Came With n Rush.
 The water around the houses of the refugees was from ten to eighteen feet high. Those who had taken the precaution to store provisions in the upper stories of their houses were the only exceptions to the general fast which those on roofs were com Felled to observe.
 Four drownings were reported by the refugees, but none knew the names of the victims One said that a father. mother and child had been drowned while trying to reach point of safety, and another told of tie death of man under like cir cumstances.
 All declared that the water came with rush, which ma1 flight for long distance impossible.
 In North Venice not less than 300 persons were on housetops. In West Madison and Newport the number was large.
 The breaking of the cross levee. waich let in the flood upon Granite City .~1 AFsl:za4. vy=a. f,..,l.f.,f f,,.