The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1903-06-01
aeoIpgNTS Or PORTIONS or DEs
Mo.NEs ROUTED OUT ~
THE RAGING WATERS.
mEsnnlDlE SUFFERING As 4 REsull
nuMpREps or PEOPLE WITH
OUT sHeLTER WITH MER-
Curry NEAR FREEZING.

Oos Moines. June -Four feet O
water was cours!ng through . large
section Of Des Moines' business dis
trict at daylight. due to the rise in tht
river OF = foot over al past record'
and the carrying away Of q section O
the levee and dam at Center street
Thirty-nve thousand people In East
Des Moines. 5000 In South Des Moinei
and 1000 In North Des Moines are
practica ny cut on from communities
ton with the main section OF the city
Absolutely no attempt Is made tc
transact business The street railway
company does not expect to be able
to start cars for q week. Six thou
sand persons are homeless. 80 per cent
Of whom are practically without shell
ter ana have been unfed for twenty.
four hours. during which time they
have been exposed to the constant
heavy rain. with the thermometer
close to the freezing point. Many wo
men and children shivered all night
long In rain soaked garments, unable
to lind . dry place on which to lie,
Box cars were placed In reach Of
many Of the refugees during the morn
Ing. In which they could find shelter
from the rain. but relief work is in q
deplOrable condition and far behind
the needs.
Inestimable suffering prevails. The
ouddenness of the flood left no time
for preparation or organization to
combat it. Levees all over the city
are yielding. In many places the
Dcs Moines river is two miles wide.
The damage cannot be computed be.
cause OF the fact that close TO 1000
buildings are submerged and 1t can
not be told whether they will be car.
ried away. Great damage was done
BY the breaking of the levee alcne
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
tracks, which inundated the
principal Factory castrict
Several hundred thousand dollars'
worth OF machinery Is under water. A
dozen icehouses have been washed
away. resulting In an approximate
loss OF 100000. The plant Of the
Daily Capital Is flooded and boats are
plying through the business district In
that vicinity. To get to the North
western hotel at 8 q. m. it was neces
oary to use 4 boat The waterworks
and electric light and power plant, by
heroic efforts, were kept In operation,
Although the water was entering them
- last as the engines could pump It
out. II they should cease the city would
be without light or water and many
big plants using electric power would
shut down. OF the seven bridges In
The city but one IL open for traffic.
Railway service is practically sus
Dended. Water Is over the Northwest
orn. Wabash. Burlington and Rock
Island tracks In many places In the
city limits. From Fort Dodge, above
here. the Des Moines river IL reported
to be two feet higher and still rising
The weather forecast Is for continued
Pains. The Raccoon river above here
= at . standstill
At 10 O'Clock al trafiic across the
pas NOines and Raccoon rivers was
buspended. East, North and South
Des N0ines are completely cut on
trom the main part of the city. The
ttver Was 22.7 feet above low water
mark ct this time, q foot and halt
1b0ve al past records. The state fair
buildings and churches all over the
tity were thrown open to aood refu.
tees.
Z AT Ottumwa. with less than two
{eet to high mark, the Des Moines
ftver has Hooded the lower portion Of
TIE. city. driving scores OF families
from their homes.