The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-06-18
CHANGED
Water at East st. Louis Practically
Stationary, But City Still
at Its Mercy.

at Its Mercy.
THOUSANDS ARE WATCHING THE LEVEEs
Cold Might Causes Much Suffering to
HomeIess-Chief of Police Says No
Drowpings Have Resulted Directly
Through Humiliation OF City-Ref-
ugees It Belleville.
st. Louis, June 12.-The situation
in East st. Louis remains about the
same. The flood on the south is still
being held back at Missouri avenue,
where the levee is watched unceas.
ingly, as elsewhere; by thousands Of
workers ready with bags of sand to
stop any break that may occur. A
decline in the rivers stage. of a frac-
tion of an inch since Wednesday
night does not make any apparent
difference in the height of the flood,
but shows that the river has a ten
dency to fall. The stage at seven
a. m. was 37.9. This may relieve the
situation greatly during the day if
the fall continues, but until there is
a decided decline in the flood the
city will be at the mercy of the wall
of water that surrounds it on three
sides.
The night was cold for this time
of the year and there was consider
able suffering as a result among the
thousands of homeless persons on
the east side, most of whom, how
ever, we're taken care of in compare
tivev comfort in tents and other
modes of shelter.
Drinking Water Scarce.
Lack of drinking water is n of
the worst inconyeniences suffered by
the East St. Louisans who were
caught in the second stories of their
dwellings, by the flood. Many are
compelled to drink of the water that
surrounds them on all sides, and
much sickness is likely to result if
this continues.
Congressman w. A. Rodenburg,
who has charge of rescue work in
East St. Louis, sent hundreds of men
out early with boats through the
submerged district, taking off people
from the second stories and roofs of
houses and removing them to places
of safety. sa
Three thousand flood refugees
from Venice, Madison, Granite City
and East st. Louis are being shell.
tered and cared for in ST. Louis,
Fully 1000 of these were provided
for by various charitable ~associa.
tions working in conjunction with
the Merchants exchange relief com
mittee, while the remainder have
found. places in the homes of rela
tives and friends.
Government tender No. 3, manned
by a crew of Virgins ferry EN-
ployes, brought 200 refugees from
the flooded district of East st. Louis
Several hundred others were brought
over in different ways.
Statement Of Chief of Police.
East St. Louis, ILL.,, June 12.-"No1
one person has been drowned by the
inundation of this city," said CHIEF
of Police Purdy Thursday. ."Seyera
persons have fallen from rats an6
from overturned boats and beer
drowned by accident, but not a life
has been lost by the inundating wa
ter. If all the bikes surrounding
East st. Louis we're to break at once
there would be no loss of life, ant
the city would not be flooded in The
residential district, while there
would not be more than two feet.o
water in the business portion. PEG
pie have been so thoroughly warned
that they would escape from thu
most dangerous places at the frs
menace of danger, and even if thu
water came in it could not come il
an Overwhelming deluge. However
the bikes are more than sufficient tt
protect the city from damage, and
the crisis is over. The impression
has gone abroad that martial Law
has been proclaimed. I want to as
sert that martial law has not beer
proclaimed, and will not. be. Wesars
amply able to preserve order in the
ordinary police manner, ard although
there are militiamen here, the sol
diers are under my direct orders ant
are simply doing police duty"
East st. Louis, which has for {
week been thrown into a turmoil, is
rapidly regaining normal condition:
in the business districts not under
water, although it will be weeks be
fore the effect of the food is offset
In order to prevent curious outsid.
ers from idly collecting in the city
and to protect exposed property
from thieves, the police department
issued passes by the hundred to ac
credited citizens. No others are al.
lowed to pass into or from the city
without q special permit.
1t was impossible to get water
Thursday except on an official order
signed by the city clerk. This meas.
ure was taken by the mayor in order
to prevent waste of the scant supply
of disable water.
Water still seeping through
Broadway, but that thoroughfare,
which is made ground, still holds and
it is believed will not break.
Refuoe Mt ReIVayflya