Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-06-11
Levee That Defended the City
Broke at 1 O'clock This
Morning.
THOUSANDS DRIVEN OUT
River Higher Than at Any Previou,
Time, and Militia Have Been Sent
For to Assist in Protecting
Life and Property.

| terminal point for railroads from.
| NORTH east and south, is partly under
water and will probably be totally sub
merged by noon. The southern half Of
the city is deep in the flood, and $500
levee builders have fallen back on Mis-
| remainder of the city, menaced by
l swelling water from three sides.
| Broadway has been abandoned to the
\ food. Seven miles of water, pressing
| from the south and southeast. over
came the city's line of defense and
| shortly before l o'clock this morning
| 5000 persons were driven from their
| homes.
| Numerous reports of drownings have
| been received, but the East st. Louis
| police have thus far learned no names
| of victims.
When the Levee Broke.
A thousand men were working on the
part of the levee which broke. For
several hours before the break they had
| the active assistance of hundreds of
women and children. The break came
vt the St. Louis valley crossing of the
| Illinois Centre! embanl1ment, two miles
south of the relay depot. While as
many men, women and children as
| could stand on the embankment were
| heaping sard-bags between the rails to
prevent the menacing waters from
mounting over the top, the resistless
current broke through the lower part
| of the wall of earth and spurted III
| riNulets in the faces of those carrying
| sandbags UP the bank. Bags thrown
into the openings by dozens of mell
were tossed by the waters like feathers;
| then the workers fled from their useless
task and the alarm was given by the
ringing of bells and blowing of whistles
| In every part of the city.
o1rny Pan, ff,,,t
the streets; when they We're ready to
leave with their hurriedly collected
stock of necessities the flood was at
their sills All fled to the north. Wash
| ington school was the nearest point of
safety. Many made for the high
ground near the Illinois Central tracks.
An Appeal for Troops.
| An appeal from Mayor Cook to the
| governor of Illinois for state troops to
aid in guarding poperty was answered
| by q promise of details of militia to be
sent to East st. Louis Immediately.
A few hours before the break Of the
levee Ned Roberts, a negro employed
! as levee builder, was killed by MEM
| bers of the leyee patrol for attempting
to tear down portion Of the dixie. Hi:
act was caused by anger because he
was not allowed to draw his pay a
once.
Il
for East st. Louis early this morning.
Congressman Rodenburg has issued an
| appeal for aid for the flood sufferers.
Food. he says, is mostly needed, and
means must be had for delivering 1t tr
persons who are in upper stories of
their homes, or in box cars.
| At a. m. the water was threaten
| ing the north and east sides, preserved
| temporarily by the Baltimore and Ohio
| railroad embankment, and had reached
| to the viaduct, only seven blocks east
of the city hall. All low points of the
city We're under water.
| When the break occurred warnings
We're sent through the city by mes
sengers who discharged firearms, blew
horns and shouted in stentorian tones
| the news of the foods arrival. Lights
cleaned in houses where the occupants
had retired in confidence the embank
ment would hold, Persons scantily at
| tired emerged from their homes and in
| Il few moments the whole populace OF
| the lower district attacked, six miles
in area. were fleeing to higher ground.
| All efforts to assure the Inhabitants
| there was sufficient time to escape un-
less the gap washed through the en-
| banlelnent failed to convince them, and
| most of them fled without any effort
| 10 save their property.
Darkness and Panic.
l AS the bottoms filled and the river
| gained larger entrance the terror ir
the business section Of the city grew
| intense. 1t was all the greater because
of the darkness. Hundreds of families
| from the choicest residence portions OF
| the city, carrying trunks, grips and
bundles of clothing and valuables, be-
| gan to cross the Eads bridge toward
| st. Louis. Most of the refugees wer
scantily clad. Strong men carried agec
women in their arms followed by wo-
men with babies. Barefooted children
| were in the procession which continued
steadily over the bridge.
Hundreds Of others sought protection
in the second story of the public
croacled about 1t many dashed through
the shallow overflow to find more Sc.
cure refuge. In the city hall alone So
| homeless persons with such scant be.
lodgings as they had been able te
seize on short notice We're soon assem-
bled. Provisions for time being have
| been supplied them and they We're made
as comfortable as possible.
Business is totally suspended. The
| streets are filled with the almost panic
| stricken Inhabitants of the invaded
| districts. The common direction of al
movement is toward the bridge, ovel
| which the refugees are hurytng to st
Louis.
At sunrise the bridge was practically
| the only means of crossing the river
| All traffic to East ST. Louis from the
| west side was suspended. Policemen
| turned back all who attempted the trip
| Caholia creek viaduct is In precarioui
| condition and lis not expected to stand
| long.
1t is believed that when the warning
was given that the levee had broken
| many families in cottages awoke only
| when IT was too late to escape. Levet
| workers, who laid down to rest on thu
| embankment, worn out with hare
labor. are said to have been caught IL
| the flood and drowned, like rats. Be.
| fore the break occurred, D. H. Sher
| wood, John Koolish and three childrei
lost their lives by the overturning of
boat Everything possible is beini
used in the rescue of people in the sec
ond stories of dwellings in the sub
| merged district. The naval militia o.
| st. Louis and Alton are rendering val
liable service, rescuing people, trans
| porting them to places Of safety, and
guarding the levee against depreda
tons by horde of negroes and buns
The flooded district in East st. Loui
| is a mile wide south from Broadway
| which runs east and west and divides
| the city in two and four miles long
| and it includes the Second and Thiri
4 wards, known as Illinois-Town and
| Denver Side.