Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-04
In Addition to This Numbel
Eight Thousand Have
Fled From Homes Threat
ened by High Waters.
LITTLE PROSPECT OF
RELIEF IS IN SIGHT
Government Forecasters at.
River Points and in Wash
ington See Further Rise;
Cairo in Dread of Flood,

The sunshine Of a balmy spring
day offered false hopes to thousands
of homeless persons in the great flood
stretches of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers today, for government iorecas-
ters at river points and in Washington
said they could not hold ont the prom.
ise of cessation in the constantly
rising flood above Cairo, Ill.
Today the anxiety over the next
development seem to be west OF Hick-
man, Ky, where the government lsvee
is holding off the wide reaching MIS-.
sissippi irom the fertile fields OF the
Reel Foot lake region In Tennessee.
There were numerous reports that the
leyee had been preached during the
day. Riders have hurried through the
counties OF northwest Tennessee,
warming the inhabitants to fee. Thou
sands have gone into the highlands
and from Hickman as far south as
Helena, Ark, residents OF the river
counties have moved to higher ground.
Cairo Surrounded by Water.
Cairo, nj. April 4,--Cairo iswithnutl
ItTaha wide ta1 B and @ia aa.ao6t No.,
ffohndSd by wxthr W. titA Draak Mn ri
Iearly today, OF the Mobile and Ono
| levee which protected the drainage
district. All railroads pass through
the drainage district which is now in
der from Ave to- fifteen feet OF water.
The lives of 500 workmen were en-.
dangered and property valued in ex-
cess of $5,00O,OO was submerged when
the Mississippi river tore creyase
125 feet long in the Mobile and Ohio
levee around Athe drainage district
north of Cairo.
The levee broke where more than
300 workmen had fought for five hours
| to fill depression seventy feet long
and five feet deep. Five hundred men
were fighting ON the Big Four levee
In an effort to stem the rise Of the
Ohio. Fearing that the Big Four leveo
would not hold unler the strain, the
tug Frances was ordered out with q
rescue party on board and succeeded
in bringing them in.
The levee broke at pointenear the
bridge junction. The river overfiowed
the ''Y' levee before reaching the
Mobile and Ohio embankment
Two leyee patrolmen who were di-
rectly in front Of the crevases escap-
ed death as If by miracle, the water
hurled them from their feet and it was
with great difficulty that they reached
the embankment
Manufacturing Plants Submerged.
The territory flooded is what is
known as the Cairo drainage district.
1t Is located just north Of Cairo and
comprises about 5000 acres Of ground.
The manufacturing plants In the drain
age district are the Chicago Mill and
Lumber Co., Greer Wilkerson Co. the
Pioneer Coal and Shaft Co., the Farm
ers Handy Wagon Co., which recently
purchased the plant of the Modern
Housebuilding Co.. the Sears-Roebuck
plant, the Indian Refining Co., and the
Weis Peterson Box CO. All are ex-
tensive plants.
Besides these plants the lumber
yard of Upham Agler, with millions OF
| feet Of hard wood lumber was SUBJ
merged. The Chicago mill also had Z
| tremendous stock Of lumber. 1t ID
estimated that the number of homes,
business houses and other structures
flooded in the drainage district num-
bered nearly one thousand.
Future City, negro settlement in
the flooded territory, has population
OF more IMAM a CnOuSduQ. UTOdHdalo,
with a white population Of about q
hundred with many wei! built homes,
reports. no loss OF life SO far.
Water S to is Feet Deep in Town.
Many OF the people in the district
saved their personal property as they
had been warned in time. After the
water broke through the levee it rush
led over the district with great rapid
| ity. and in short time was over q
great part of from five to fifteen feet
deep.
The city of Cairo proper is protected
from ehe flooded section by a system
of cross levees, and the big force OF
men who were at work on the drain
age leyees have been thrown around
the Cairo levee. This body OF men is
raising and strengthening the levee SO
that they will be safe against any
stage Of flood.
| It is expected that the entire drain
age district will be under water before
noon.
The gauge this morning registered
$50 feet, the same as last night. This