Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-22
PEOPLE FLEE FROM FLOODS
Six Hundred Persons Have Left Shawnee
town, Ill, Fearing Disaster.
LEvEE HOLDS, BUT DANGER POINT is NEAR
Residents Strengthen the DefenseH
Against River and Bank May
Hold Until the water
Rises Five Feet.

bdAWNEETOWN, ILL.,, Jan. n-The
Ohio river continues to rise slowly, the
rapidlty of the rise the past few days hav-
ing been somewhat checked by the cold.
clear weather The levee is still intact but
people continue to move to the hills. Owing
to the prompt supply of necessities, there
is very little suffering among the refugees.
Business is at a standstill
ST. LOUIS. Jan. 2L-A special TO the
st-Dispatch from Shawneetown says: A
statement OF conditions prevailing in Shaw
neetown, which Is threatened with destruc-
tion by floods, was made by Mayor c.
kratz this morning. He stated that 500
persons have fed from the town, including
the members of his own family, who have
gone to Evansville, Ind. Forty families,
he said, are living in tents. All residents
whose homes are still tenable are occu-
pying the second stories and business is at
standstill.
"At 9 o'clock this morning the stage Of the
river reached forty-eight feet" said Mayor
KratN. 'T believe the levee which pro-
tects the city from the Ohio river will
| hold until the stage reaches hfty-three
feet. II that figure is recorded we cannot
| tell what will happen TO Shawneetown.
1T is impossible to say now just when
the crisis will be reached. 1t has not
rained here since Saturday. but the river
| Is steadily rising We are making every
effort to fortify the levee and, after ex-
amining It this morning, 1 am confident
that it will hold until the river reaches
| hfty-three feet.
Crest Passes Cincinnati.
| CINCINNATI, Jan. H.-The high water
| is receding, having reached sixty-fve-foot
stage tonight. Ii is thought that all dam
ger will pass with this week. The cold
weather, which largely assisted In stopping
| the high water, caused much suffering
among the thousands OF homeless people
No estimate of the property damage Is
possible, but It will be immense.
The Ohio river at this point has stood
at e51 feet for several hours and It is
believed the end Of the flood is in sight and
and that possibly the river will so no
higher 1t will recede slowly, however.
the immense body of water below holding
back the flood. and the cold weather
which has helped to stop the flood
will occasion greater suffering by those
whose homes are in the flooded SEQ
tions and who are temporarily housed In
schools and vacant buildings and are be-
ing fed by nelghbors and charitable or
ganizations.
| The water crept up today to more than
fifteen feet above the danger line and is
still rising slowly Several fatalities were
reported today. but II is possible some of
them believed to be drowned may have
been picked up down the river.
| Apparently the crest OF the food was
reached at this point at noon, when the-rive
| began to fall. the stage being given as 65.1
feet, a drop Of one-tenth OF a foot from the
previous hour. Forecaster Basiier said the
river would probably remain stationary
for the rest Of the day and then fall slowly,
but that it would not go below the danger
line until Thursday or Friday.
Rising at Louisville.
! LOUISVILLE, KY. Jan. A.-The river
continues to rise and this morning regis
tered 4o1-twelve feet above the danger
line.
of over a foot and this will probably put
the Seventh street railroad station out OF
commission
The cold weather has added to the misery
Of the homeless, who are existing in ware.
houses school houses and other buildings
Kansas Floods RecedinE.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Jan. A.-Reports
from the flooded districts of the southwest
tonight. indicate that most of the swollen
rivers and streams are receding, that the
weather is clear and cold and unless an
other rainstorm follows soon the danger
of serious food damage is remote.
Mississippi Rising at st. Louis.
ST. LOUIS. Mo, Jan. 21-The Mississippt
river is rising steadily and tonight the
stage registered twenty-six feet. which is
within four feet of the danger line. The
low lands above and below East St. Louis
ILL.,. were flooded. Oven should the danger
line be reached and passed, very little
damage can result in St. Louis owing to