Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-08
Towns of Madison and Granite,
Illinois, Are Surrounded
by Flood Waters
NINE DROWNED AT MADISON
Water Six Feet Deep Running Thru
Hedges Hotel at That Place, While
the Guests Are Imprisoned in the
Upper story-River Still Rising at
ST. Louis.

ST. Louis, June S-aCcoEuiils W eis
local weather bureau, relief seems III
sight for the flooded districts in the
vicinity of st. Louis This morning the
stage recorded by the government
guage is 37.5 feet, rise during the
past twenty -four hours of 1.3 feet. This
breaks all records but that of 1874 1t
is expected the river will rise very
slowly from now on until tonight or to-
morrow morning and that the predicted
stage of thirty-ei eight fees will be barely
attained. Then, after remaining sta
tionary for short time. the govern
nent officials say, the river will begin
falling Tuesday evening or Wednesday.
but will continue rising below here. The
Missouri is falling, except over It's ex-
treme lower portion. The Mississippi is
falling north of Hannibal. Inability to
secure communication with Madison
and Granite City, H.. lying few miles
north OF St Louis, where number OF
people late last night were reported In
danger Of losing their lives from the en-
croaching flood, caused great anxiety
here. At Madison. nine persons are re-
ported drowned, either on the crum-
bling leyee or in unsafe buildings.
From Ferdinand Cole. president of the
board of levee commissioners of Madi-
son county. living at Venice. comes A
report of lives lost thru the collapse Of
the brick hotel at North Venice or
Newport. Communication between
Granite City and Venice is impossible.
Two men are said to have braved the
food. by swimming from Venice to
Madison, being forced by the water
from the roof of the house they We're
living in Six feet of ws ter is reported
sweeping thru the offices Of the Hedges
Hotel at Madison, with the guests i'm
prisoned in the upper stories. Residents
of Granite City are in great peril from
sevegi breaks IN the leyees. Persons
living about the manufacturing plants
in which they were employed are re-
ported fleeing from the food that comes
from the north and fresh break In the
abutinents to the west. Adjacent farm
lands are being flooded dTd residents of
Of the lowands are seeking safety Eff
forts are being made in various ways to
reach these places by water and land
afford help. Conditions in East ST..
Louis continue the same as last night.
when squad of twenty police was sent
over from here to assist In guarding
lives and property John Buehrar, who
lives on Chouteau Island twelve miles
north of st. Louis. reports eighteen
people on the island can not get away
He wanted assistance. but was unable
to secure aid. as all beats are Mt present
busy and can not reach the island.
With all East side terminal points
between Alden and ST. Louis. In the en-
brace of the flood, and merchants and
Fades bridges accessible only TO a few
lines, st. Louis passenger and freight
traffic. both incoming and outbound, is
temporarily paralyzed No attempt has
been made to transport freight between
this city and East st. Louis Relief
from this critical condition is not ey-
pected within the next twenty four
hours. 1t is estimated that the flood
disaster has already cost the railroads
s2,0o0,000. All incoming eastern pas
senger trains are marooned in st. Louis.
The Vdndalia is the only line which
started train to the east today but
there L. no assurance that it will make
anything like schedule time, even if it
succeeded in getting thru East St
Louis. The Wabash. Burlington. Big
Louisville and Nashville, Alton Toledo
and Sf. Louis, and Kansas City are
suffering heavily. All trains on the
clover leaf have been annulled. The
Big -Four and Alton are carrying pas
sengers 10 Alton by boat, where con-
nection is made for northern and east
ern points. The Burlington will not
accept passenger business south Of AL
ton. The Wabash is completely checked
on the outskirts of East St,Louis. The
Illinois Central Is the only Chicago
train to make ST. Louis. today. South
ern and western roads are experiencing
similar harships. The Wabash Chi
cago and Alton. and Burlington, have
practically ceased operations between
here and Kansas City. The Missouri
Pacific and Frisco are the only lines
actively operating between the two cit
les.
AT O'Clock this morning the COM
bined forces of the Missouri river and
Cahokia Creek broke the barriers at
the relay depot In East st. Louis. The
relay depot is surrounded With water,
but tae embankment of clay and sand
bags made by the workers. Sunday,
saved tie city from the rush of water.
An army of men are working along the
tracks. that reach from the northern
extremity of the city to the south, and
now form the eastern bank OF the Mis-
sissippi. East st. Louis city authori-
ties expect to hold their embankments
until Monday night, hoping that by that
time the crest of the flood will have
passed. In order to do so the different
plants of East st. Louis have sent
.heir men to work for the city. Elliotta
frog shops have been converted into a
commissary department. East st.
Louis women, under the direction of DIR.
]. l.. Virgins, have worked in the COM
naissary night and day giving food to
the workers, on the levee. Deep water
has entered the cellars and Easements
in the central portion of town. and
men at work on the levees are removing
the goods to higher places.
This afternoon the yiaduct connect
ing East st. Louis with the Fades
Bridge is condemned as unsafe. The