The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-11

renee Day, two unknown women, one
unknown man, one unknown negro la
borer.
1t was currently reported to-day that
seven negroes, caught in the act of
looting houses last night, were shot to
death. While this is not confirmed it is
known that there was heavy firing on
the north side early last night, where
these negroes are said to have been
killed.
The deaths of John Koolish. a Pol
ish carpenter and his three children,
two boys, aged and I, respectively,
and girl of Il years, were caused by
trying to save three kegs of beer. The
bodies were recovered to-day.
Rescue Work Began.
AS fast as scows could be secured
they were launched and volunteers
started on rescue missions. A COM
pany of naval reserves from Alton,
which had rowed to the city yesterday,
rendered splendid service in rescue
duty.
Rescuers began work as soon as it
was light enough TO see and contin-
ued their work far into the night.
Word was sent out generally for
more boats and the government re-
Attorney Dyer, who issued an
order to confiscate temporarily
all the boats seen in and
around ST. Louis, regardless of
ownership, and rush them to East ST.
Louis. The st. Louis fire department
at once rendered its hose and coal
wagons, and the boats were brought
to the desolated city. Volunteer oars
men promptly manned every boat fur
foF
rescuing flood sufferers.
The first boat loads contained ref
ugees and furniture.
This order was ISSUED peremptorily:
IF any more furniture is brought
it will be thrown into the water. If
a man thinks more OF his
furniture than he does of his
neighbors he must lose the
furniture"
Camp for Refugees.
When boats were rowed alongside
homes where the occupants were ma
rooned in second stories and on roofs
in the great majority of cases. the oc-
cupants could not be induced to leave
They said that to leave meant that
their belongings would be left to the
mercy of river thieves, and they would
remain and stand guard.
Strangely the women were those
most unwilling to be rescued, although
some of them wept in terror. They
were assured that a thorough boat pa
troll would be established with orders
to kill river thieves on sight, and final
ly the unwilling householders were per-
suaded to go to land.
AS wives entered boats that were
too full to carry husbands or children
and were sent ahead. they wept and
clasped each other in abject fear that
some calamity might separate them
forever.
At the landings weeping women were
assisted from the boats, and through
out the day scores of boats rescued
hundreds of refugees.
In the eastern extremity at WASH
ington Place and Rock Road, on a va
cant area on high ground, 200 tents
were utilized in erecting Camp Refuge,
and a commissary was established
from the Broadway landings TO Camp
Refuge. The flood sufferers were trans
ported in wagons. Each family was
given a tent. The city hail, churches.
school buildings and other structures
We're thrown open and temporarily
turned into relief stations.
Food the Great Need.
Attorney T. E. Dempsey, who has
charge of Camp Refugee, said to-
night:
1--WE must have food. East st. Louis
is cut off from sources of supply, and
what she had has been largely drawn
upon during the past week. Large
amounts of food were destroyed by
the water last night, and we are
in need of additional food to care for
the suffering people The viaduct is
unsafe, and wagons cannot reach St.
Louis. Railroad traffic is cut off, and
L. -s4 s,,ar fe
ing grave. Food must be secured in
some manner or people already in dis
tress will suffer more"
AS night drew on another fear con-
fronted the inhabitants. The water
that had steadily been pouring through
the Broadway embankment was be-
lieVed to be undermining that bulwark,
and it was declared that the street
could not Withstand the pressure with
out giving way before long.
The belief that the river was ris-
ing was confirmed by the St. Louis
government gauge tonight. The gauge
registered 1896, a rise of 10 of a foot
in twenty-four hours. No attempt is
made to explain thse rise, except that
the wind is forcing water from the
lowlands into the channels of the Mis-
sissippi and Missouri rivers and swell
ing the torrent which passes st. Louis
Denver Side a suburb of East St
Louis, was completely inundated, and
to-day Alta Sta, further to the east,
was half flooded. If the river should
rise even little more, the water must
swamp Alta Sta.
Sightseers Not Wanted.
News of the inundation excited the
people of St. Louis early to-day. Thou
sands of sightseers started across Eads
bridge. but the authorities prepared to
turn back an influx of curious people.
At both ends of the bridge ropes were
stretched and police were stationed
with orders to allow no ingress into
the city of spectators, who would only
hinder the work of rescue East st.
Louis was practically shut off from the
world. Even refugees who wanted to
go to st. Louis. were stopped, and I'M
less they could show that they were
sure of being taken care of by friends,
they were turned back to the relief Of
fered by the city.
Newspaper photographers and per-
sons with small cameras were dealt
with unceremoniously
Guns were given to guards by the
Mayor to-day to patrol the street
where furniture is stacked and to pa
troll the sanding levees. Any thieves
or possible levee cutters are to be shot
down instantly. Martial law has not
been proclaimed officially. but East
st. Louis is practically being govern
ed under such a condition during the
flood. and there is no place for unscru-
puloLs persons
few hours before the break in the
levee early to-day Ned Roberts. me-
gro employed as a levee builder, was