The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-04-30
It is Not Thought Now That the
Crest Will Go Beyond Thirty
Four Feet at St. Louis.
The PEOPLE ON The EAST Side
Are SOMEWHAT MORE HOPEFUL.
Are Not Relaxing Their vigil
ance, However,, and Are Mnktn&
Preparations to Fight a HisheF
Stage by Getting Fifty Thousand
Earth Bags Ready.

st. Louis, April 2~7.-Sunshine has
come at last to cheer h hearts n
brighten the hopes of the chilled and
apprehenhive East Side cities which
seemed threatened with another disas-
trCus food.
The estimate made at the St. Louis
harbor office was that the flood would
reach it's crest at midnight at a stage
something over SO feet. The river is
rising but slowly, and at noon stood
at 1928, with the waves tapping the
pillars at the elevated railway and
crawling over the tracks at the top OF
the levee. The reading was 81 Tues
day night and 1928 at seven o'clock
Wednesday morning.
Refugees from the threatened dis
tricts of East st. Louis, Granite City,
Venice, Madison and Brooklyn are re-
turning to the scene of danger and Ia
boring with a will to avert any fur
ther catastrophe.
Mayor Leads TN the Work.
At East ST. Louis Mayor Silas Cook
led the "cheer-up" movement by get
ting on the scene of action bright and
early, attired in hip boots, and ready
to take a hurried survey of the situa-
ton. He reported everything in safe
condition.
The Illinois Central embankment,
which acts as a dixie on the south of
the city. and which broke at a critical
stage last year, has been adequately
strengthened by a force Of 40 men.
with two steamshovels and a pile
driver.
The Wigs Ferry tracks, both above
and below the city, are nearly car
wheel deep under water, but Mayor
Cook declared his belief that the stage
would not go over "a feet, and that lit
tie damage was threatened.
At Alton. Wednesday morning, a SALE
of cattle driven from the West Altor
lowlands was held, and many cattl'
are being moved to the city from pas
lures on the east side. The river 1
within six feet of the highest stage a
Alton last year, and is steadily rising
The nearest approach to a genera
overflow has been along the east sid
of the river at Granite City and Mad
ison. At the latter point the eve
broke. leaving an outfit of levee grader
marooned and unable to reach Mitchell
bv land. The steamer Spread Eagl
went up the river from st. Louis an
brought off 200 men and 100 horse
and mules. A herd of horses in pas
ture near Granite City was ais
/ brought to the city by the Sprea
; Eagle.
{ Snnd Bags to Strengthen bikes.
Much bottom land outside the proteC
ton of the main Madison levee is sur
merged. and crops are ruined.
Thousands of men rave been at Wor
along the railway entertainments aooV
I the tri-cities, these entertainments serN
! ing as dikes of great value. Mayo
Cook of East st. Louis neither antlcl
mates nor fears a rise to the 36-1o<
= stage. but as a measure of precautlo
= is having prepared $4,000 bags OF san
t and CLAW for use in Strengthening dixie
It is estimated that $50 families hay
deserted their homes in the Missou'
: river bottoms, and that 10000 acre
Il are inundated.
g At Alton 20 families, forced to ne
S from the bottoms, we're given refuge
the city hall.