Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-09
Mississippi Threatens to
Break Through Levees of
Mud.
LIVES ARE LOST
Towns on Illinois Side of River
Above ST. Louis Are Inundated
Business in East ST. Louis Is sus-
pended-strussle to Save Levee.

~. LOUIS, hO., June o.-l1c Slitli Z
group of east side cities lying just
north of East st. Louis, including
Venice, Madison, West Madison, New
port, Brooklyn and Granite City are
under from ten to eighteen feet of wa
ter which is still rising. Deaths from
drowning are variously estimated at
from five to twenty Eight thousand
people were driven from their homes.
Very little conflrmatory reports of
drowning can be had as these places
are all cut off from railroad service
and telephone communication is I'M
certain at best. AS far as is known
the casualties have been as follows.
JOHN CRITTENDEN, aged ten.
Woman and seven children swept
from fence by the flood in sight of
the terminal railway operator at Mad
ison who was attempting to save
them.
Woman drowned at Madison.
Woman and baby seen clinging to
telegraph pole at Madison.
Manager Shipley of the Madison Car
works reports seeing seven employees
of the American Car and Foundry Co.,
drowned.
Business Suspended.
In East st. Louis, on the proclama--
tion of Mayor Cook, business has been
suspended. The saloons are closed.
Everybody is at work on the levee in
desperate effort to save the city,
which is from one foot to four feet
below the level of the water that
presses up against the embankments.
The hastily constructed levees of sand
bags and mud is all that stands be-
tween the city and almost complete
submersion. If the levee gives way
all the main part of the city will be
quickly flooded Not a street in the
business section vii be left out of the
water.
Bridge Condemned.
This afternoon the viaduct connect
ing East st. Louis with the Eads bridge
was condemned as unsafe Street
cars were stopped and not allowed to
cross the bridge.
Naval Reserves Ordered Out.
Springfield, H., June 8.-Acting
Governor Northcott today directed
Adjutant General Smith to order the
Alton division of the Illinois naval re-
serves to patrol the Mississippi in the
food districts in the vicinity of East
St Louis and protect life and property
wherever in danger.
Hope for Improvement.
st. Louis, June S.-According to the
weather bureau relief seems to be in
sight for the flooded districts in the
vicinity of ST. Louis According to the
bureau report the Missouri is falling
except over it's extreme lower portion
and the Mississippi is falling north of
Hannibal. At st. Louis the stage this
morning was 37.5 feet showing a rise
since Sunday morning of IL feet, but
the water will probably come to q
stand sometime today in the neighbor-
hood of SO feet. 1t will continue to
rise below st. Louis. Communication
with Madison. Granite City, and
Venica, H., lying few miles
north of ST. Louis is still interrupted.
There is no confirmation of the re-
ports of loss of life in those places late
last night 1t is known, however, that
the people were in great peril from
several breaks in the levees. 1t is re-
ported that eighteen people are on
Chauteau island twelve miles north of
here without boats in which to leave
the flooded island.
Efforts to reach 200 persons impris,
1oned on low island at Black Walnut,
rs miles north of here, have been un-
aTailing, and as the imperiled people
have not been heard from, they are
Ebelieved to have perished. Word Yves
lracefWed Saturday night that at that
time r&scue must be effected imme--
dfately Nor they would probably be
swept aMags by morning. The river
has spread out around the island un-
TIL it Is a Eeritable sea, with a swift
current, and although every effort has