Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-06-09
Hundreds Flee to Higher Ground, Leaving
Homes to Destruction.
EAST ST. LOUIS FIGHTS DESPERATELY
Entire Population Battles with Waters
Striving to Build Up LeveeS
THIEVES LoOTING VACANT HOUSES
Armed Men watch Dams Anxious to
shoot MarRuders, who, However,
work silently and wen
Away from Guards.
Falling ut st. Louis.


The crest OF the flood has been reached
and the river is falling AT 1880 this morn
ing the gauge registered 81 feet, indicat-
Reports from along the Missouri river in
dicate that 1t is failing rapidly. The high
water mark of the great Hood OF 1908 is
established at ST. Louis at SIS feet
ST. LOUIS, June $50 great an extent
OF territory is covered by the food, 50
constantly changing are the conditions as
the water creeps higher and renders the
situation the more chaotic. and so un-
reliable are the various rumors OF the
devastation, that substantial summary
of the losses of life and property cannot be
obtained, but up to g tonight information
from apparently the most reliable sources
showed the situation to be as follows:
a.. River stage 37.6 feet, stationary; prob
ably a slight rise by morning, when the
highest stage viii have been reached.
(2). Twenty lives known to have been lost
CD. More than 100000 acres OF rich farm
lands under water
"a. All Venice and the greater parts Of
Madison and Granite City under water.
90. Twenty-Five thousand people home
less.
(6J. Freight traffic completely paraIyzed
and passenger traffic practically stopped.
CO. The shipping and manufacturing dis
trict of East St Louis for three miles along
the river front is under from three to eight
81; Hundreds and probably thousands of
cattle drowned.
(s) East ST. Louis threatened with COM
plete inundation; ST. Louis flooded only
along the water front
GO). Entire property loss estimated at
S3,OOO,OOO
Houses Are swept Away.
The food has probably reached the
zenith of Its power and the situation Is
appalling. The climax came last night,
when, by the breaking of levee near
Granite City. wall of water six feet high
rushed down on Madison and deeper en-
quilted the already stricken city, sweeping
houses from their foundations and drown
ing fifteen refugees who were vainly fee
ing for their lives.
The report was current that fifteen work
men in the St. Louis Car and Foundry
works had been drowned, but later IL was
found that while seven employees had lost
their lives. thirteen others, men, women
and children,s had perished.
Hundreds of persons were forced to the
roofs of their floating houses and an appeal
was sent to st. Louis for assistance. Every
effort was made to force steamers against
the heavy current four miles north to the
stricken town, but It was noon before the
steamers Mark Twain and Annie Russell
lashed together with their engines working
under every ounce of steam were after five
hours of battle with the current able to
reach Madison.
For the balance of the day and far into
the night the work of rescuing refugees
from floating or flooded houses, tree tops
and various high places proceeded and.
there being no place to take them nearer
than St. Louis, they are tonight pouring
into the city by the hundreds. weak and
hungry and displrited.
It is more than probable that the esti-
mate Of twenty lives lost is far below the
actual number. On all sides persons are
telling OF having seen houses turn over
plunging lone occupants beneath the water
and men struggling In the flood too far
from land to receive assistance, who from
exhaustion gave up and sank or OF women
being drowned under various circumstances
But these stories were so varied that con-
firmation is impossible
| John Arnold who escaped from North
| Venice, brought the report that a house
containing thirteen occupants was swept
away last night and all were drowned.
Thieves Loot Vacant Houses.
| River thieves are lootng the various
! vacant houses. Men in skiffs have been
seen to enter half submerged houses I'm
| Venice. Madison and Granite City and
carry away everything OF value
Railroad men working along the leyee
! from the flood by climbing on the roof OF
| his house. A man in a skin rowed close TO
him this afternoon and said: Have you
| got any money!"
! mo" replied the refugee.
Then stay where you are." was the
/ heartless retort, and the skin was pulled
| away. Later the refugee was rescued and
told his story.
Throughout the entire flooded district
men with riot guns are patrolling the
levees to prevent cutting who are anxi 1us
TO try their craftsmanship on river thieves,
but so far the robbers have confined their
efforts TO houses far from the levees. where
they are safe from detection.
East st. Louis Desperate.
At East st. Louis today the situation is
desperate. Mayor Cook has issued a procla-
nation ordering all business suspended and
| calling on every male citizen to lay aside
his employment and render service In pre-
! venting the inundation of the city. Mayor
Cook went about seeing that signs were
posted Offering men 81 cents an hour to help
build the levees, but the offers OF employ
ment were ignored by the majority OF the
throngs of unemployed negroes and white
workmen that stood idly about
The situation is growing 50 desperate that
for time it seemed possible that men
might be made to work with rifles.
The water is steadily creeping up. inch
by inch, to the tops of the hurridly erected
sand bag levees and is already two feet
above the higher portions of the city. a
break in a dixie would mean vast destruc-
tion TO property and possibly loss Of life
Citizens are now. however. hurrying 10
the work of saving the city and the inspira-
ton has spread until idle workmen join the
throngs on the levees and the sand bags
are piled higher and higher fast as
freight cars can bring them, and tonight
the city is still dry. although not yet safe.
Several amateur photographers came 20
grief. Their cameras were jerked from
their hands and hurled into the water and
they were told that more trouble would
follow II they persisted in taking pictures