The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-07-15
Flood was Fright al pattonsburo

in it's history.
The call for aid sent out early in the
day has been responded to by st. Joe,
Kansas City, Galatin, Jameson, Cameron,
Cofeyyille and other neighboring
towns, and at 8 o'clock tonight many of
the people of the town are safe in the
school house, which is on high land
above the reach of the flood, the mill
and the hotel.
Only two deaths are reported, George
Palmer, a harnessmaker, drowned in the
street this morning, and Harrison
Walker, section man. The missing
are D. Bowner and wife, E. G. Nelson, a
grocery clerk, and man named Scott.
People who have two-story residences
are prisoners on the second floors and
roofs, waiting for rescue, and as dark
ness approached tonight the call for
help could be heard in many directions
above the boom of the torrent which is
tumbling through the main street of
the town, eight feet deep.
More than 100 persons who live in
one-story houses were caught by the
flood last night shortly before midnight.
and stood il the water all night, many
of them up to the waist, until they
were rescued in boats, which reached
here from st. Joseph.
| The forty boats now in commission,
are being hurried about among the
roofs of the houses in the rescue work,
but there are still hundreds marooned
on the roofs in the second stories and
in trees. The swift currents and dark
ness intensified by drilling rain
makes rescue work slow and dangerous.
Since 10 o'clock this forenoon there
has been no rise in the waters, and
this evening fall is reported of nine
inches in Grand river, four miles above
Pattonsburg, and fall Of eight feet in
Big Creek at Bethany, twenty one
miles from here. The worst of the
flood is believed to be over and unless
there is more rain the situation is ex-
pected to be much improved by morn
ing. Nearly every store in town has
from five to seven feet in it.
Lime set fire this morning to the
North Missouri Lumber Company yard,
which was totally destroyed, with a
loss of about $4,000. Two residences,
one large, the other small, also we're
consumed.
The loss in the country cannot be es-
timated, but hundreds of head Of live
stock have been drowned. Cattle,
horses and hogs come floating through
the town at all times, but nothing can
be done toward recuing them.
The St. Joseph rescuing party, which
came over the Burlington, reached a
point about two miles from town and be-
gan to launch boats and steam launches,
and commenced the work of rescung
persons who had been kept prisoners
all day. By o'clock the work of rescue
was we'll under way. Refugees were
taken from second stories and from
places of danger to the school house,
the mill and the hotel. The ST. Joseph
party brought nearly carload of pro-
visions.
Aside from st. Joseph, Gallatin, Jane
) son, Kansas City and other places sent
, rescue parties. Tents are being pitched
. on the high land to take care of those
who cannot be looked after at other
places. Hundreds of persons are COM
ing in from the high country in the
neighborhood and are doing everything
possible for the comfort of the flood
sufferers.
The flood is the worst in the history
of the town. The outlook this evening,
however, is better than since any time
today and the worst is believed to be
over.
fire at II o'clock, and the family, includ-
ing two children, IA and is years old
walked out into the water, where they
stood all night. When rescued at II
o'clock today the flood had crept up tc
their arms and they were clinging tt
trees to keep from being carried dowr
the stream.
w. W. Smith and five other men at
ten pted to come into town from the
: west on an improvised raft Of six incl
poles. A swirl Of the current sent the
raft swishing in every direction, ane
the men were forced TO float with the
food until they came to a grove o
trees, into which they climbed and sa
for fourteen hours. They were rescued
4 today about noon, numb from head K
foot from the chill and crampcd position
they were forced to maintain.
The Grand river is five miles wide al
this point and rising at the rate of sly
inches an hour. 1t Is Che first time il
the history Of the town that water ha:
ever reached even the Wabash railroad
tracks. Big Greek, Grindstone anC
Grand river all meet here and from the
point Of confluence it is estimated to b,
four miles to dry land.
Eight hundred Of the 400 residents
of pattonsbnrg will lose everything
they have. IL viii DO ten days afte
the water recedes before they can ge
back into their homes and with thu
river still rising there is no tellinf
when the streets will ba clear. Mayo
r. &. Mauphin is asking for assistance
provisions, boats and clothing at once
At Barnard, Avenue City, Platte Cit,
n and other towns the lowlands are flood
y ed.
. At Gallatin the Grand river is fiv
: miles wide aud the lighting plant i
submerged.
Life 100000 Years Ago.
Scientists have found in cave j