Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-06-17
THE FLOOD
IS SUBSIDING
After Six Weeks Of Exile Settlers Are
Beginning to Return to Their
Devastated Homes.
LOSS OF LIFE EXAGGERATED
Most Of the Deaths Resulted From
overturning Rats and Boats
No Estimate Of Property Loss.

st. Louis, Mo-, June 1l.-That the
crisis of the food situation has pass.
ed, so far as this city Is concerned,
was generally accepted as a fact by
the citizens of East st. Louis tonight.
Boat crews which yesterday strained
their energies TO the point of exhaus-
ton in rescuing the prisoners OF the
food, today occupied themselves in
saving property, and bringing to high.
er ground belated refugees who pre-.
viously had not believed themselves
in immediate danger. Since the dis.
astrous break in the Illinois Central
levee, the food has made no dangerous
inroads; although a portion OF the
Baltimore & Ohio embankment gave
way last night and the food area was
further announced by seepage today.
Tonight water continues to seep
through Broadway in four places,
flooding the lowland between that
street and Missouri avenue, the street
north, by from two to six feet OF
water. This section of the flood ex-
tends to between the two streets for
miles, interrupted occasionally by en-
bankments-some water has also
tween Missouri avenue and st. Louis
avenue. People In this district, how
ever. have o been compelled to
leave their homes.
With the stress Of the situation re.
lieyed. it was possible today to make
a survey OF the flooded district. A
trip of several miles showed only q
picture Of Kansas City and Topega
over again-a vista of deserted sec.
ond stories Of houses, or perhaps Just
their roofs, with the perspective
heightened here and there by brick
buildings and factories looming Sc.
cure above the waters below. In some
of the larger buildings people were
still living. No one could be found
today with anything like a definite
idea of the property loss. Vague men.
ton OF millions of dollars" was the
nearest ven the best informed cit
liens would come to Ii.
There was a general disposition,
however, to accept minimum reports
of loss of life, rather than the stories
originating in the excitement of the
moment, when the food poured in.
One prominent undertaken averred
that there had been no loss OF life
directly in the flood, although there
had been deaths later, due Indirectly
to the overflow. There were no re.
ports of drownings, nor were any bod.
les recovered.
The work today was that of caring
for the refugees. This the citizens of
East st. Louis are doing with tireless
energy. The supply Of food seems
ample. During much of the day the
city was under quasi military rule,
although Mayor Cook and his CHIEF
Of police were the guiding heads 1.
was found before night, however, that
this order OF things, necessitating, as
II did, the issue of permits for visiting
threatened portions of the city. was
working a hardship on many citizens
and the discipline was retracted to
all free transportation between here
and the Missouri side.
Not one person has been drowned
by the inundation Of this city," said
Chief of Police Purdy of this city to-
day. Several persons have fallen
from RATS and from overturned boats
and been drowned by accident, but
not a life has been lost by the inun.
dating water.
IF all the dykes surrounding East
ST. Louis were to break at one, there
would be no loss of life and the city
would not be flooded in the resident
districts, while there would not be
more than two feet of water in the
business portion. However, the dykes
are more than sufficient to protect
the city from damage and the crisis
Is over. Martial law has not been pro.
claimed, and will not be. We are
amply able to preserve order in an or
binary manner, and although there are
militiamen here, the soldiers are un.
der my direct orders and are simply
doing police duty"
East st. Louis is rapidly regaining
normal conditions in the business dis
tricts not under water, although It
will be weeks before the effect Of the
flood is Offset. Only accredited citi-
zens are allowed to pass into or from
the city without a special permit. II
is impossible to get water today ex-
cept on an official order signed by the
city clerk. This measure was taken
by the mayor this morning in order
to prevent the waste Of the scant sup
ply of disable water.
Water is still seeping through Broad
way, but that thoroughfore, which is
made of ground. still holds and 1t IS
believed will not break.
Three thousand food refugees from
Venice, Madison, Granite City and
East st. Louis are being sheltered
and cared for in St. Louis. Govern.
ment tender No. 3, manned by a crew
of Virgins Ferry employees. brought
200 refugees from the flooded districts