The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-09-22
4 GREAT FLOOD
IN MISSOURI
Every Stream In the State Out Of
Its Banks, Sweeping Away
Fine Corn.
THE Loss, IT IS ESTIElTED,
WILL Be MANY MlLLllNs
The Missouri, the Usage, Gasconade,
Charlton, Grand and other Rlv-
Merame valley FIooded-Hapid
Rise of Mississippi mt st. Louis.

81
Rise of Mississippi mt st. Louis.
st. Louis, Sept. 1S.--The most de
strlctiye food the state of Missouri
has ever known is sweeping down its
rivers. The heavy rains Of Friday and
Saturday from Omaha to st. Louis,
from southern Missouri to central Iowa,
are the cause of it. The rains above
Kansas City filled the Missouri river
hank full, and now the walls Of water
that have poured in from the Usage,
'Gssconade, Charlton and Grand rivers
has sent the Missouri out over thou
sands Of acres OF fine corn. The sur
face of the Big Muddy is covered with
drift of every description, and the car
rent is ripping out farms, and playing
havoc from B~oonville to its mouth,
Rapid Rise ut st. Louis.
At st. Louis the Mississippi was only
10 feet Sunday morning, but Monday
morning it was % feet, a rise Of 10
feet in "a hours. AT 6 p. n. Monday
lit was 2S feet, and still rising. Thou
sands of dollars worth of merchandise
along the wharf could mot be gotten
away, and 1t went down he river.
Rich Valley Devastated.
The Meramec river is sending a wall
of water 90 feet high down its rich
valley. The great cornfields along its
course for $50 miles are doomed to de-
structlon. This IS one of the richest
valleys in the state.
News from Versailles, Mo, is that
the Usage is several miles wide, and
has destroyed corn for over $50 miles
along its curse. Every small stream
tributary to the Usage has torn out
cornfields in the bottom grounds.
From Rolla, Mo-, comes the report
that the Gasconade is sweeping every
thing before it. Cornfields, farms,
farm buildings and live stock are gone.
The Big Piney poured a 3o-foot wall
Of water into the Usage, and scarcely
a stock Of bottom corr is left along
both streams.
The finest corn crop grown on the
bottom grounds in southern Missouri
is ruined. II is washed out, or lies fiat
and viii rot. No one can approximate
the loss.
Every stream in state On Rampage.
A dispatch from Jefferson City says
the Missouri extends from bluff to
bluff, and that corn Is covered with
16 feet of water. Every creek and river
in the state is out OF its hanks. Rail-
road traffic is delayed or abandoned In
every part of the state. Towns are UNI
der water, bridges are gone, and fine
farms ruined.
AT Carrollton, Mo, lis inches of rain
fell in 4S hours, and the only way te
get out of town is in boats. The bust
ness part of the town is abandoned
Only the top of corn is seen above the
backwater.
At Marshall six inches Of water
caused a small stream neal the town
to become two miles wide.
Men On Horseback Rescue Babies
At Fredericktown Saline river flood
ed a portion Of the town. Men or
horseback rescued IA babies from diff
ferent houses.
A wreck occurred on the Iron Noun
tain, near ~Ironton, caused by a wash
out. Two people were killed and Il
injured.
Reports from different portions Of the
state show that almost a dozen lives
have been lost. Later reports vii
doubtless increase the number,
One newspaper, from Information
gathered from various sections Of th'
state, estimates the loss at $6,000,O0O
A Special Warning.
A special warning has been sent gu
by the weather bureau to points alons
the Missouri from Kansas City to tn
Mississippi, and from Alton, Ill, t
Chester.
No alarm is felt at East st. Louis, a!
that city can now stand a iO-foot rise.