Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-04
1000 HOMELESS AS
RESULT OF FLOODS
CONTINUED From Page ~

made a rise Of two inches In twenty
four hours.
Hickman, KY, In Dire Straits. y
Hickman, KY, April 4.-Flood re
fugees were cheered after an all night
vigil at the levees by the announce
me1rt that a train would reach Hick
man this afternoon bringing food and
! clothing. A.
/ The food situation this morning was
serious. There are 1000 refugees
here. The city borrowed $500 from 8
local bank to pay express charges on
200 government tents which arrived
on the first train since the levee broke
These and the seventy tents furnished
by the state are being erected in the
highlands this morning. They will re
lieve the congested condition of i'm.
Ioyerished sleeping quarters set up IN
churches, school houses, halls and
even barns.
Excepting those engaged in relief
work every able bodied man has been
impressed for service on the levee. A
deputy sheriff rode through town to-
day and ordered groups OF idle ne
groes to the levee threatening to
shoot those who disobeyed.
Disaster confronts some of the mer-
chants by reason of the loss Of their
stocks, losses in the cOntributary terri
tory and the idleness OF factory en-
ployes, who will be out Of work for
eeks. .'. - -a
River Still Rises at st. Louis.
St. Louis, Mo-, April 4.-The Missis-
sippi river registered 30.4 feet here a
rise of s feet in "a hours. 1t is pre-
dicted that the river will go to 81 feet
by tonight and will remain stationary
at 81 feet for several days.
From Hannibal where the guage
stood at 1875 feet today, a, rise Of 1.3
feet, in twenty-four hours, to- St.. Louis
the river is rising rapidly and has
spread over the lowlands. No great
property damage has been done by the
rise as the people were prepared.
The Missouri river is reported to be
falling slowly. sys
Main Levees Intact. .. rs.
Memphis, Tenn, April Awhile
showing the effects of the food, all
main line levees in Arkansas, Ten
nessee and Mississippi are today re-
ported intact, but it is conceded that
a hard fight must be made, especially
in the upper st. Francis district, to
save the entertainments. ..a
The Tennessee levee west of Hick-
man, KY, which protects the Reel
Foot lake region, is crumbling to some
extent and the water is washing the
crest, but it is thought the levee can
be saved.
At Star Landing, in Arkansas, OPP
posite Lake Cormorant, Miss, the
bank is caving near the base OF the
levee and government forces are be-
ing concentrated at that point. South
of Memphis the food has not reached
the acute stage. In Memphis the flood
ed area in the northern section OF the
city Is steadily increasing in length
and breadth. Organized relief for those
driven from their homes or thrown
out rof employment was taken up to-
day.
Only One New Madrid House Dry.
New Madrid, Mo-, April 4.-Business
is at a standstill here today, the same
as it has been since Sunday, because
of the unprecedented flood. No mail
has been received this week and the
two railroads into New Madrid have
not moved since Sunday.
Mayor Conrad telegraphed Con-
gresham Russell that government aid
is needed. One death, that of a negro
is reported. Only one residence in the
city has escaped having its first floor
flooded. On the streets the water Is
from six inches to five feet deep. The
public schools have been closed for in
struction but are open as places for
refuge as are the court house and the
churches. The two weekly papers OF
the city will not publish this week be-
cause their offices are flooded. -..
Murphysboro Levee Holds.
Murpnysboro, ILL.,, April 4.-The re.
port that the Fountain Bluff levee had
broken has proven untrue. .,..
Drainage district commissioners az
ter an inspection said this morning
that the levee would stand further
rise of six feet. i
Above Flood Stage at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, April 4.-The Ohio river
PASSED the flood stage here last night.
At 8 o'clock this morning the gauge
registered SOC feet, which was six
inches above the flood mark.
The local government weather fore
caster predicted that the river would
reach 81 or So feet before tonight but
owing to the fact that all tributary
streams above Cincinnati are torrents
he was not prepared to say how much
higher it would go. -...