The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-12
ALL THE CITY MENACED'
Five Thousand Men Battling With The Encroach-
ing Walers--- Seven Negro LOoers Re-
ported Sho---The Cry of Hun
ger Rises From The
Stricken City.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press)
st. Louis. June 1O-Almost two-thirds
of the territory of East St Louis. illinois.
is under from two to fifteen feet of water
Between sunset last night and dawn to-
day eleven lives were sacrificed to the
waters and damage which no man today
attempted to estimate, has been done to
the property.
Probably never before in the history of
the country has more valiant fight been
made by brave men, with defeat staring
them in the face. to protect lives and
property than has been made by the
citizens OF East St Louis. When the
rising Mississippi began to threaten the
city last Thursday morning, Mayor Silas
Cook ordered several men to construct
temporary levees at once. The river rose
higher and more men We're employed
Citizens of all classes and avocations work
ed side by side. Since Thursday
morning FIVE thousand men, under the
leadership OF Mayor Cook, without sleep,
with little rest and food snatched at in
tervals, have toiled Increasingly 10
strengthen levees. and to do everything
possible TO save the city. Not wheel
OF industry is turning in East st. Louis.
The smokeless chimneys of manufacturing
plants stand hfeless while the food whirls
at the foundations.
The vast railroad yards are outlined by
hundreds of half submerged cars, and here
and there stand locomotives only half
visible.
Huge grain elevators stand surrounded
by a veritable sea.
To the south beyond the railroad are
thousands of homes, mainly humble cot
tages owned by the laborers and contain
ing their all, submerged to the caves.
In Northern st. Louis the description
is duplicated but not on such large
: scale.
ALL THE CITY THREATENED.
The business portion of the city and the
district containing the better residences
is still intact but for how long?" is
the question tonight, Broadway, running
from the Eads bride east to the city limits.
a wide street walled with stone fifteen
feet high, divides the city in halves. More
than ten feet of water is pressing against
Broadway from the south, and in some
places is sweeping through in streams as
thick as a mans body. If Broadway shall
break the water will rush over much OF
the city unit. Missouri Avenue, running
parallel one block north is encountered.
Along the river front to the west levee
of sand bags from two to six feet high
and two miles long, keeps the river out.
without warning the river suddenly be-
gan TO rise. The city was made safe along
the river front, but suddenly new danger
menaced Word was received that the
Illinois Central embankment skirting the
river along the southern boundary of the
city was threatening to give way.
Couriers were sent on horseback and a-foot
to shout warnings to the inhabitants OF
the Southern half of the city. Carloads
of sand bags were rushed to the place and
work was hurriedly begun. Accustomed
to warnings the inhabitants did not leave
their homes. Higher and higher rose the
water until a thin stream began pouring
over the embankment and suddenly 1t
broke.
THE LEVEE BREAKS.
Thomas Middleton volunteer in charge
of gang of men who were working at
the point where the embankment gave
way. gave a description of the break TO
the Associated Press agent. He said:
THE break occurred at 11:40 o'clock
last night. My gang was hard at work
with the others. The water was pouring
over the top OF the embankment in a
sheet, even after all our work. Suddenly
with a roar the water shot over the bank
at my feet 1t was with difficulty that
got myself out of the waters. One of the
men near me was drowned. The water had
cut a section of the embankment out and
the stream IS feet wide was rushing
through | saw another section of the en-
bankment go out a few minutes later and
the portion between the two torrents went
down and the river poured through in all
its fury I believe many men. especially
negroes, were drowned. I know that sew
eral negroes worn out, had been per.
mitted to nap and they were lying asleep
right in the path OF the food. They were
certainly drowned
Middleton escaped by running along the
embankment back to the city
The alarm spread like wildfire and whis-
ties were blown. bells rung shots fired and
cries of warnings were sounded but with
all this pademonium, the majority of the
aroused inhabitants did not leave their
homes
LIST OF THE DROWNED.
Within an hour the houses stood in wa
ter that reached to the roofs of the one
story cottages. 1t is known that numbers
of people fled to the Central Hotel four
story brick structure and to the large
brick buildings OF the Washington and
Franklin High Schools. None of these
buildings today contained more than CSC
persons, and on housetops there are rows
and rows of cottages that early this morn
ing they did not show sign of life
There is grave fear that many bodies OF
dead will be found in the flooded cottages
and this section of the city. It has beer
practically impossible to learn of the au
thentic deaths but from the most reliable