The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-11
OVER EAST ST. LOUIS
THE MISSISSIPPI HAS SPREAD ITS
RAGING FLOOD.
MANY PERSONS DROWNED
AND AN IMMENSE PROPERTY LOSS
Is CAUSED.


Them from an Unexpected Quar-
ter-HOmes and Streets Submerged,
and People Had to Flee for Their
Lives-WOrk of Rescue Goes on.
Boats Seized for It-PracticaIIy
Martial Law Prevails.
ST. Louis, June 1O.-Almost two
thirds of the territory of East st.
Louis. ILL.,. 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
to-day attempted to estimate, has
been done to property.
Probably never before in the history
of the country has a 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
river began 10 threaten the city last
Thursday morning, Mayor Silas Cook
ordered men to work to construct sand
bag levees at once.
The river rose high and more men
were employed. Citizens of the best
classes worked side by side with the
laborers. Since Thursday morning 81
900 men, under the leadership of Mayor
Cook. without sleep, with little rest,
and food snatched at intervals, have
toiled increasingly to strengthen levees,
and TO do everything possible to save
the city.
Industries Have Ceased
Not a wheel of industry is turning
in East st. Louis. The smokeless
chimneys of manufacturing plants
stand lifeless, 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 surround
ed by a Veritable sea. To the south,
beyond the railway yard, are thousands
of homes. mainly humble cottages,
owned ythe laborers and containing
their all, submerged to the caves.
In northern East st. Louis the de-
scription is repeated but not on such
large scale.
Partitions Stiu Intact.
The business portion of the city and
the QlSIGlCl COiltdllilllS Tie DeilSI 1851
dences is still intact, but for how long
is question tonight. Broadway,
running from Eads bridge 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
breaks, the water will rush over much
of the city until Missouri avenue run
ming parallel one block north, is en-
countered.
Along the river front to the west
a levee of sandbags from two to six
feet high and two miles long keeps
the river out.
Without warning the river suddenly
began to rise The city was made
safe along the river front but sud
denly a 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 afoot to shout
warnings to the inhabitants of the
southern half of the city. Carloads OF
sandbags were rushed to the place and
work was hurriedly begun. Accus-
toned to warnings, the inhabitants did
not leave their homes. Higher and
higher rose the water, until a thin
stream began pouring over the en-
bankment, and suddenly it broke.
story of the Break.
Thomas Middleton, a volunteer in
charge of a gang of men who were
working at the point where the en-
bankment gave way, gave descrlp-
ton of the break to the Associated
Press agent. He said;
1.-The break occurred ut 11:40 O'Clock
last night. My gang was hard at
work with the others. The water was
mourning over the top of the embank-
ment in sheet, even after all our
work. Suddenly, with roar a jet OF
water shot through the embankment
almost at my feet. / was carried away
but soon pulled myself out of the wa
ter.
zone of the laborers standing by my
side was swept away, and l saw him
drown In an instant the water mad
cut a section of the embankment out
and a stream 25 feet wide was rushing
through [ saw another section OF the
embanlment go out a few minutes
later and then that portion between
the Two torrents went down, and the
river poured through in all its fury.
Il believe many men, especially ne
groes, worn out, had been permitted
to nap, and they were lying asleep
right in the path of the flood. They
certainly were QrOWHeu.
Middleton escaped by running along
the enbankment back to the city.
The alarm spread like wildfire and
whistles were blown. bells rung, shots
fired and cries Of warning sounded, but
with all this pandemonium the ma
jority of the aroused inhabitants did
not leave their homes.
stood in Deep Water.
Within an hour the houses stood in
water that reached to the roofs of the
one-story cottages. II is known that
numbers of people fled to the Central
Hotel, a four-story brick structure, and
to the large brick buildings Of the
washington and Franklin High
Schools. None OF these buildings to-
day contained more than $50 persons,
and although the rescue boats found
many people in second stories and on
housetops. there are rows upon rows Of
cottages that early this morning old
not show a sign Of life.
There is grave fear that many
bodies Of dead viii be found IN the
flooded cottages and ia this section Of
the city. n has been practically im-
possible 10 learn Of authentic deaths,
but from the most reliable sources n ~
believed eleven persons were drowned
last night four 81 whom persisted On
the north side eariy in the evening, as
follows,
The Dead-John Koolish end hrae
children. drowned 0n north vide. nm
known baby, y. H. sherwood, Law