The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-05-08
Fifty Million Dollars Of Loss Already in the South
and Millions More in Prospect on Account
Of the Flood
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS
Loss Of Life Has Been Great and Government
is Spending Vast Sums to Relieve the In
habitants Of Several States.

r1-nited Press Leased Wire Service.l
WASHINGTON, May S.-Fifty mil {
,;ons Of dollars of loss already done,
millions more in prospect.
This is the view government ex-
nar,s take of the flood damage in the
Mississippi river valley, to say moth
ing of the toll of human life exacted
and the lives that have been placed
in jeopardy
Department Of agriculture experts
estimate that the loss OF farm crops
and agricultural property has probab-
" reached the s5o,oo0,00o mark and
may finally double that sum. The
damage to the cotton crop alone is ex-
pected to be stupendeus.,
To furnish food for the thousands
of homeless people who have been
rendered temporarily destitute, the
war department has already expended
ss0olDo0. This represents the actual
amount spent since the river and It's
tributaries went on a rampage less
than month ago. The present pros
pect is that 1t will be at least month
before conditions are normal and u
this proves the case, department off
cials believe they will need about
100000 more to care for flood suf-
ferers.
Congress has already appropriated
almost s2,250,000 for relief work. To
finish the relief work already begun
it may be necessary to provide nearly
ss,o00,000 more. This does not take
into account repairs which will have
placed bars which must be recon
structed.
1t is estimated that the army has
provided 10000 tents to house flood
refugees. varying all the way from
canvas affairs that cost only st3, all
the way to costly tropical tents.
Millions of army sandbags have
been used to check the thrush of wa
ter where the leYees threaten to give
way. The vast relief work has been
in stretches from Cairo, H.. to New
Orleans, distance of 554 miles This
does not include territory In the ex
tended valleys of the Ohio and Red
rivers.
Although the navy department haf
no fund at its disposal which could be
used in rescue work, there is a good
chance that congress will grant it 8
small sum, so that it can work in 6
limited way in conjunction with the
war department.
The sending Of the battleship Ne
blaska, the gunboat Petrol, and the
militiaship Isla de Cuba up the rivel
70 save the lives of persons stranded
IN out of way spots in the flooded
YETI EgAry was done entirely on the re
sponsibility OF Secretary Meyer
The secretary heard from the cap
tain of the Nebraska, which has beer
near Baton Rouge, La, of the alarm
Ing conditions in tho lower Mississippi
valley and ordered the captain u
selp, 1t is expected that the launches
Oh the warships will be able to d;
very effective work reaching man.
sufferers in peril. The Nebraska ca,
80 up the river as far as Vicksburg
and the gunboat Petrol will IL nece.
sary establish a patrol as far north al
ST. Louis.
Appeals for contributions to enabl
tne Red Cross to extend relief hav,
not met with as prompt response a
the officials would like
Looks More Encouraging Today.
NEW ORLEANS, La, May s.-Ow
ing to the favorable weather Of tn
past forty-eight hours apprehensioi
OF further breaks In the Mississippi
ievees was somewhat less today an
reports from various points menace,
oy the rising waters we're more er
couraging. Attention OF the official
nas now been centered in the wor'
oi rescue being carried on in the II
Undated regions by motorboat.
pdrses and skiffs, manned by govern
ment employees.
fourteen more lives have been sat
liliced to the flood. Twelve negroe
drowned when a raft capsized in th
battle axe" district OF Point Coupe
parish. Two vromen drowned whe
.nelr skiff, which was being towe
oy government boat, capsized.
twenty thousand persons hay
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