The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-12
DOOM LEAPS OUT
OF MURKY NIGHT
ME- lEFET7
The Mississippi Bursts Over East St. Louis,
Sweeping Eleven More or Lives
Into the Beyond.

/ Unknown baby.
E. H. SHERWOOD.
LAWRENCE DAY.
Two unknown women.
/ One unknown man.
SEVEN REPORTED SHOT.
/ 1t was currently reported today that
seven negroes caught in the act of loot
/ ing houses last night, were shot to death.
1 While this Is not confirmed it is known
that there was heavy firing on the North
side last night. and some are thought
to have been killed.
The death Of John Koohsh, Polish
carpenter, and his three children. boys.
aged and 7, respectively, and a girl
of II years. were caused by trying to
save three kegs OF beer. The boys bodies
We're recovered today.
AS fast as seows could be secured they
We're launched and volunteers started on
rescue missions. A company of naval re-
serves from Alton, which had rowed to
the city yesterday, rendered splendid ser
wee IN rescue duty. Rescuers began work
| as soon as it was light enough to see and
continued their work far into the night
Word was sent out generally for more
boats and the government responded
through United States District Attorney
Dyer IN st. Louis, who issued an order
to confscate temporarily all the boats
seen IN and around st. Louis. regardless
of ownership and rush them to East ST.
Louis. The st. Louis fire department at
once rendered its hose and coal wagons
and the boats were brought to the desc
lated city.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
VOLUNTEER oarsmen promptly manned
every boat and soon scores of craft were
rescuing food sufferers.
| The first boat loads contained refugees
and furniture.
| This order was issued peremtorily:
If any more furniture is brought it
viii be thrown into the water If a
man thinks more of his furniture than
he does of his neighbors he must lose
the furniture"
! When boats were rowed alongside
| homes where the occupants were maroon
| ed in second stories and on roofs the great
majority OF these occupants could not be
induced to leave They said that to
leave meant that their belongings would
| be left to the mercy of river thieves
L
Strangely the women were those most
unwilling to be rescued although some
of them wept in terror They were as
sured that thorough boat patrol would
be established with order to kill river
thieves on sight and finally the unwill
ing householders were persuaded to go to
land. AS wives entered boats that were
too full to carry husband or children and
were sent ahead, they wept and clasped
each other in abject fear that some
farther calamities might separate them
/ forever.
| At the landings weeping women were
assisted from the boats and throughout
the day scores of boats rescued hundreds
of refugees.
| In the easern extremity OF the city at
| Washington place and Rock road, on
a vacant area on high ground two hun
dred tents were utilized in erecting camps
for refugees and a commissary was estab-
lished From the Broadway landings to
\ Camp Refugee the flood sufferers were
transported in wagons. Each family was
given a tent. The CITY Hall, churches,
school buildings and other structures We're
thrown open and temporarily turned into
relief stations.
I'VE MUST HAVE FOOD"
Attorney T. e. Dempsy, who has charge
of Camp Refugee, said tonight:
1--WE must have food East St. Louis is
cut off from sources of supply and what
she had has been largely drawn upon dur
1 ing the past week. Large amounts Of
! food were destroyed by the water last
night and we are in need OF additional
! food to care for the suffering people. The
viaduct is unsafe and wagons cannot
reach St Louis Railroad traffic is cut of
and the situation confronting us is grow
ing grave. Food must be secured IN some
manner or people already in distress will
suffer more"
AS night drew on another fear con-
fronted the inhabitants. The water that
had been steadily pouring over the Broad.
way embankment was believed to be under
mining that bulwark, and it was declared
that the street could not stand the press
ure without giving way before long.
That the river was rising was confirm
ed, by the government gauge tonight
The river tonight was 1895, a rise of Is
of a foot in "a hours No attempt is
made to explain this, except that the
wind is forcing water from lowlands into
souri, and swelling the torrent.
THREE 3 SLUG 3 THREE
Denver Side, suburb of East st
Louis, was completely inundated today
and Alta Sta. farther to the East was
half flooded. If the river should rise even
"a little more the water must swamp Alta
Sita
PRACTICAL MARTIAL LAW.
News of the inundation excited the peo-
pie of st. Louis early today Rumors Of
many deaths started thousands of sight
seers across Eads Bridge But the au
thorities appeared to turn back an influ2
of curious people. At both ends of the
bridge ropes We're stretched and police
were stationed with orders to allow no in
gress into the city of spectators who woul(
only hinder the work of rescue East st
Louis is practically shut off from tn,
world. Even refugees who wanted to e,
to st. Louis were stopped, and unless the.