The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-06-17
MANNINC,S G, WEDNESDAY. JUNE17 1908

failed TO convince them and most OF
them fled without any effort to save
property.
Messengers were sent to the main
portion of the city telling OF the dam
ger and the greatest excitement pre-
vailed. As the bottoms filled and the
river gained a larger entrance the
terror in the business section Of the
city grew intense. 1t was all the
greater because Of the darkness and
fear that while guard was maintained
in one direction the torrent would
break through at another point and
engulf the luckless inhabitants he
tween two floods. BY the thousands
they began to desert their homes and
run yainly up and down the streets
seeking a place Of succor.
FLEE IN sCANT ATTIRE.
Hundreds Of families from the
choicest residence portions of the city
carrying trunks, grips, bundles Of
clothing and valuables began to cross
Eads bridge towards st. Louis. Most
of the refugees were Scantily clad.
Strong men carried aged women in
their arms. Barefooted children were
in the procession which continued
steadily over the bridge. Hundreds
of others sought protection in the
second story of the public library
building. AS the water encroached
about many dashed through the shall
low overflow to find a more secure re-
fuge. In terror Of the rising tide,of
water refugees in hundreds thronged
the streets crowded the cars and be-
sought public officials. At the city
hall alone, 500 homeless persons with
scant belongings as they had been
able to seize on short notice were as
sembled. Provisions for the time be-
ing were supplied them.
Business is totally suspended. The
streets are filled with almost panic
stricken inhabitants. Women with
children in arms, men carrying house
hold furniture, horses, dogs and other
remains of once comfortable domestic
establishments parade the streets.
The common direction Of all move
ment is toward the bridge over which
the refugees are hurrying to St. Louis.
All traffic to East St. Louis from the
west side has been suspended and
policemen turned back all who at
tempted the trip.
DEAD NUMBER THIRTY.
At9 o'clock Wednesday Congress
man w. A. Rodenburg estimated that
thirty lives were lost on the flooding of
the lower portions Of East st. Louis
early that morning. While general
alarms were given by the police and
rcureating leyee workers with shouts
an,i pistols there was not time to call
1t every house in the thickly settled
district and it is believed many fari-
lies in first story cottages awoke only
when it was too late to escape. LeYee
workers who laid down to rest on en-
bankments worn out with hard labor
were caught and drowned by flood
like rats. 1t may never be learned
how many died in this way.
Among the drowned Wednesday
night previous to the break in the
Illinois Central levee was f. D Sher-
wood and John Collish and three chill
dren. They lost their lives by the
overturning Of boat in the northern
part of the city. A negro was DROWN
ed at o'clock Thursday morning IN
the waters which are climbing up the
side Of the embankment supporting
Broadway East St. Louis. The man
was trying to get his team to higher
ground and remained in the rising
waters until the swift running cur
rent upset the wagon. The team was
drowned. Everything Obrainable is
being uSe0 in the rescue OF unfortunate
people from the second stories OF
dwellings in the submerged district.
Rats are being built, boats improvis-
ed and wagons even are put into use,
the horses Of which founder around
with onlv their heads above water
while on their errands of mercy.
NAVAL MILITIA BUSY.
The naval militia Of st. Louis and
Alton are on duty. Lieutenant Gray
commanding the St. Louis Naval
militia, has his force spread out along
the embankment, guarding against
levee cutting and depredations by
hordes of negroes and buns that are
to be seen everywhere. Arms are
stacked at police headquarters where
reputable citizens may obtain carbines
and ammunitation to guard their prop
erty. A large number of arrests have
been made by the police who are
marching their prisoners across the
bridge to St. Louis as there is no
place to keep them in the flood city
The East St. Louis city Jail is also
being emptied and the prisoners
taken to The -Four Courts in St. Louis
for safety. There is no place in East
St. Louis to feed and pay off the
hundreds of men who have been at
work strengthening the leveeS about
the city. 1t was found necessary
Thursday morning to march them
over to St. Louis for their meals anc.
then back again to work.
BROADWAY UNDER WATER.
Broadway, running east and west
through East St. Louis, divides thai
city in Two. 1t is built up in places,
standing Is feet above the surround
ing country. 1t is first thought this
street would serve as protection to
the northeast half of the city but the
flood that covers the southern part
has broken through in small stream
between Sth and 9th street. Should
the embankmentS formed by Broad
way give way rs it is threatened it
will send a wall of water l5 feet higher
over the remainder Of the city. The
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