Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-13
BIG RIVER
ON RAMP AGE
MISSISSIPPI ovERFLows RICH
FARMS NEAR kEoKuk AND
QUINCY.
LEVEEs ARE BREAKING

Danger-Alexandria, Mo-, Is Flooded
and Hannibal and keokuk Fare
Badly.
The Des Moines river stood at
4 10 feet and 8 inches above on the
guage at the Market street bridge
in this city at Q O'Clock this after
noon having fallen 2 inches since
s o'clock this morning. The river
rose about foot Sunday night.
No further rise is anticipated at
the present time unless there
should be more heavy rains.
Des Moines, June 12-(gpectaI.)
The Des Moines river here has
fallen two feet since Saturday
night and no more danger 70
feared by the local weather OBJ
server.
Keokuk, June IL. - After reaching
the eighteen foot mark the Misstssfpm
river here ia now falling. The Des
Moines river is also falling after
reaching the highest mark ever known
for it here, breaking the levees To
three places and flooding the town OF
Alexandria, Mo- The river is ten miles
wide, extending from Warsaw, Ill, to
the bluffs Of the Missouri side. Hun
dreds of acres Of growing crops are IN.
undated. A farmer named SmaIlwopd
was drowned near Alexandria and sew
en- other person are reported missing.
-
The Wabash is the only line at Keo-
| kuk that escaped damage. The flood
which raised the waters of the Missis-
sippi eight and half feet In six hours
swept away three miles of the Burling-
ton track The Rock Island bridges
are said to be- gone as far west as
! Eldon.
Alarming reports come from Major
j M. Meigs, government engineer who
made a trip to Lima Lake levee on the
lIliipois side of the river yesterday He
says water already Is seepfng through
/ the levee, and, although hundreds OF
men are working day and night to
strengthen the weak places, the hs-
sures are large enough to permit the
passage of a good sized fish.
!. J. s. Rebe, an observer of floods for
forty years, said:
with the Des Mofnes pouring over
the levees above the town-levees that
a few days ago lowered like high walls
above the waters and with the Mis-
sissippi backing into the lower portion
of the town, and as far as the eye can
see q vast expanse of water, believe
the loss to farmers alone in this vicin-
ity will reach million dollars"
At Quincy, ILL.,, the river is five to
eight miles wide Water is seepfng
through the Indian Grave levee Just
north Of the town. and another twenty
foot rise is anticipated. There is
scarcely hope that the banks will
stand the strain. The Sny district Is
l still safe, but break would bring de-
struction to thousands of acres OF rich
crops. Wheat and corn alike will suf.
fer.
Hannibal in Danger.
All records for rapid rising Of the
water in the Mississippi river at Han
a nibal. Mo-, are being broken. Begin
!. ming with stage Of 11.3 feet. which
. was maintained Saturday afternoon
a the water passed the danger line o
= 13 feet during the night and last nigh
9 had reached stage of III feet, max
!. ing a rise Of almost 6 feet in twenty
4 four hours. The river was rising las
q night at the rate Of two inches 81
hour.
Across from Hannibal In Illinois tn
water is tapping the Sny leyee th'
r mighty barrier which protects the Sn.
district, embracing 100000 acres o
fertile land Hannibal ferry-boats ar
landing at the Wabash railroad track
in Shepherd, III.
Islands Inundated.
, All the islands in the river In tina
: locality are inundated and the low
lands on either side Of the river. whicl
are unprotected by levees, are bein
laid waste.
Telegraphic reports show that tw
bridges and two miles of track wer
y swept away at Viewer. and that an
S other bridge was carried out at Viele
l. The track at Alexandria, Mo-, is inur
dated and the officials fear that par
has been swept away as the Egyptial
levee broke at that point yesterda
Q and the water Is sweeping through tn
Il town. Parts of the track betwee
q West Quincy and Canton also are sui
merged. Telegraph lines are ais
!. down and communication with differ
:. : ent towns is completely cut off excer
: by boat.
d Flood in New York Subway.
l. New York, June IL. - Undergroun
a. traffic in New York was practically a
d a standstill today for more than mil