The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-07-08
The FLOOD
IS RECEDlNG.
Danger Is Thought to be Over Around
Here Unless Rains Set in
Again Very
Soon
IA THREE FOOT RISE
Took Place in the Mississippi Yes
terday and the Stage this
Morning Was
1873 Feet.
"a THREE FOOT RISE

Morning Was
1873 Feet.
It looks as though the river reached
its highest point yesterday for during
last night there was only rise Of one
tenth Of foot while during the day
the stream rose two feet and six
inches or more than an inch an hour
for the twenty four hours. Yester-
days mark has been outdone already
this year, as early this spring the
stream stood at 1879 it. or 6 Of a
foot higher than yesterdays mark
The flood stage at Keokuk Is fifteen
feet and with the water at the stage
1t was yesterday there was no cause
for alarm around here. 1t Is in the
lowlands south Of here where the
damage is done by the treacherous
Des Moines river and there is much
suffering caused there nearly every
year.
Since Monday morning there haa
been a total OF three and eighty-nine
hundredths inches OF rain which has
caused the Mississippi to rise four and
one tenth feet. or from nine and two
tenths feet on Monday morning to
thirteen and three tenths feet this
morning. On Monday with 2.37 inches
of rainfall the river rose only 3 Of q
foot while on the next day, Tuesday
with a total precipitation Of 1.20
inches the stream swelled I. and yes
terday with 32 inches Of rainfall the
river rose more than on any other day
Of the rain, 2.6 IT.
The sDes Moines has been raising
correspondingly and much back water
from 1t is the couse for the rise in
the Mississippi. TIL Quincy Wing
has the following to say Of conditions
near there:
Down Near Quincy.
With one of the worst floods in re-
cent years in the Des Moines
river valley and the stage Of
the Mississippi at 14.6 at mid
night last night, and rapid
" rising, flood disastrous to the low
lands in the vicinity Of Quincy appears
to be close at hand A great volume
of water coming down from the
north, sufficient. the government OBJ
servers say. to cause the river to rise
for the next two or three days. With
continuance of widespread. heavy
rains. 1t is impossible to foresee how
great the rise and damage may be. All
jewellers along the comparatively low
lands should be forewarned and pro-
vided for all emergencies.
The Mississippi rose more than two
feet at this point yesterday. : BY Z
O'Clock this morning it probably will
have risen foot more.
The water yesterday afternoon had
already begun to encroach upon the
| fertile acres in the bottom lands. and
before It falls 1t will be impossible to
estimate the damage. principally tt
corn, that will be inflicted, These
conditions, however, prevailed In only
the lowest places yesterday, but farm
ers are growing more apprehensive
all the while as the river steadily ap
proaches the food stage.
| At 2:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon
the river registered 1871 feet which
was rise of five-tenths since early ir
| the morning. But at about s O'Clock
/ last evening it was nearing the IA
| foot stage, and many of the farmers ir
/ this section threatened with inunda
ton came over to Quincy In order tc
ascertain the government forecasts
and thus be prepared for what to ex
pect in the next twenty-four hours.
/ P. ]. Black, farmer In the bottom
lands of Missouri, was seen by ths
4 Wing man last night and he expressed
considerable alarm relative 20 the con
ditions. He said that wild repor
had reached the farmers in the bot
tom lands that the, river would reacl
stage OF Is feet, which, he said
would completely destroy the crops il
the entire bottom lands, and he wa
obviously relieved when told that thu
government observer at Hannibal ha'
placed the highest probable stage a
4 IA feet. Mr.. Black stated that whil'
some OF the lowest portions of thu
farm lands were already submerged
the damage would be small If thu
river does not go above fourteen feet
He gave as his opinion, however tina
i stage of at least Is feet WI have
been reached before the water begin,
4 falling. At fifteen feet the river is a
food stage and would destroy thous
ands Of dollars worth of corn alone.
The Water Backing Up.
Above Quincy to a point reachin'
the mouth of the Des Moines r.ver tn.
water is gradually covering the low
lands. and II the rise continues TIL
damage will be great In many place
at present the corn is submerged an
the crop is a practical loss, both o.
the Illinois and Missouri sides.
Farmers in the bottom lands mort
OF Quincy are apprehensive. but tn
most Of them say they can stand
rise of several feet before actual dam