The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-06-11
FLOOD AT ITS WORST
rhirty-fve Dead and $4,000 Home
less in Vicinity of St. Louis.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT $4,000 900
At Venice Only Roofs Of Houses Are
VisibIe-Desperate Efforts to Save
East ST. louls-Families Rescued
From House Tops and Trees.

From House Tops and Trees.
st. Louis, June $50 great an ex-
tent of territory Is covered by the
flood. so constantly changing are the
conditions as the water creeps higher
and renders the situation the more
chaotic. and so unreliable are the var
ious rumors of the devastation that a
substantial summary of the losses OF
lives and property cannot be obtained,
but information from apparently the
most reliable sources showed the stu
alton to be as follows:
River stage 375 feet. stationary
Thirty-five lives known TO have been
lost.
Over 100000 acres of rich farming
lands under water.
All of Venice and the greater parts
of Madison and Granite City under
water
twenty-five thousand people render
ed homeless.
Freight traffic completely paralyzed
and passenger traffic practically so.
Hundreds and probably thousands
of head of stock drowned.
East St Louis threatened with COM
plete inundation.
st. Louis flooded only along the
water front
Entire property loss estimated at
100000.
In East St Louis. on proclamation
of Mayor Cook. business is suspended,
the saloons are closed and everybody
is at work on the leyees in a desper-
ate effort to save the city. which is
from one to four inches below the
level of the water that presses up
against the embankment. A hastily
constructed levee of sandbags and
mud is all that stands between the
city sad almost complete submersion.
II the levee gives way all the main
part of the city will be quickly flooded
and not a street in the business sec
ton will be left out of water. The
relay station is now surrounded by
water
Relief boats were sent to Venice,
H., which Is completely flooded as a
result of the break in the levee Just
south OF the Merchants bridge. Only
the roofs of houses are visible and
the 500 inhabitants are homeless.
Many persons were obliged TO fee
from the flood only partly clad. The
Methodist Church was lifted from its
foundations and carried three blocks
In the school house. which is Of brick.
200 men. women and children have
found refuge. Unless there ia a rise
of another foot or so they are safe,
but they have no food supplies. Sew
eral business houses were carried
away in the terrific current and stock
valued at thousands of dollars was de-
stroyed.
When the Venice levee burst the
current swept northward to the ter
minal yards The citizens had barely
time to leave their homes. One wo-
man who lived close to the river put
her three children in a washtub and
waded through the waters. which kept
increasing. They escaped.
John Arnold, who escaped from
North Venice. brought the report that
house containing 13 occupants was
swept away and all were drowned
River thieves are footing the various
houses.
The climax of the food came by
the breaking OF levee near Granite
City. A wall of water six feet high
rushed down upon Madison. sweeping
houses from their foundations and
drowning IS refugees who were vainly
fleeing for their lives. The report was
current that IS workmen in the St
Louis car and foundry works had been
drowned. but later 1t was found that,
while seven employees had lost their
lives. 13 others-men. women and chill
dren-had persisted. Hundreds Of per-
sons were forced to the roofs OF their
floating houses and an appeal was sent
to st. Louis for assistance.
For the balance of the day and into
the night the work Of rescuing refu-
gees from floating houses. tree tops
and various high places proceeded.
and, there being no place to take them
nearer than St Louis, they are pour
ing into the city by hundreds. wet
hungry ond Identified