The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-04-11
MILLIONS ARE LOST
levEgs BREAK AND MISSISSIPPI
TORRENT SPREADS WRECK
AND DEVASTATION.
CAIRO A HEAVY SUFFERER
1000 Are Homeless at Hickman N.Y.
Where the Conditions eessar De
.erIption-Many Other cities Are
In Great Peril.

Chicago.-The great floods which
are sweeping down the MISSISSIPPI
valley have TO date caused tho loss OF
over s7.OOO,000 This is In property
values alone and does not include the
loss of wages to workingmen ana the
loss of time to the hundreds OF lac
tories and the half dozen railroads AZ
fected BY the great rush OF waters.
From evegy city on the banks OF
the Mississippi. ohio. Fox. Platte ana
Kankakee rivers comes additional
news OF the devastation caused by the
overlooking banks and the breaking
leyecs. and the indications are tht
the loss figures will double the amount
already suffered by the farmers. resi-
dents and manufacturers along the
lire OF the Hood.
All the rivers already affected oy
the spring freshets continue TO rise'
and no relief seems to be In sight Tor
the thousands made homeless by the
foods. Had the inundation peeh
caused by rains relief would nave
been a matter based only on the con
tinuance OF the downpours. TINS hooo'
however. IL from the hills. caused by
the great snowfall OF the past winter,
and shows no signs OF abating. IL VIII
be AT least a week before the anect
ed territory can return to anything
even resembling comfort and saiety'
Cairo. ILL.,, seems to be the worst nj
fected from n property loss stand-
point. The city is practically Isolated
as far as railroad service II concerned,
and oil food supplies are being taken
into the city by boats. The mobile
a Ohio and the Iron Mountain ROADS
have abandoned all efforts To move
trains. while the Illinois Central. II
present conditions last. cannot hope
10 continue more than few hours.
The lives OF 500 workmen were en-
dangered and property valued In e1
cess OF $1,000. 900 was submerged
when the Mississippi river tore
crevasse 1876 feet long In the levee
The embankment broke after more
than 900 workmen had fought for nve
hours 20 M depression seventy feet
long and I'VE feet deep Five hundred
men were fighting on the Big -Four
levee In an effort TO stem the rise oil
the Ohio. Fearing that the Big four
leyee would not hold under the strain.
the tug Frances was ordered out with
a rescue party on board and succeed
cd In bringing In the workers.
The territory flooded Is Just north
OF Cairo and comprises about 1000
acres. Nine big manufacturing plants
are located here.
Besides the plants the lumber yard
OF Upham Agler. with millions OF feet
OF hard wood lumber. was submerged.
The Chicago mill also had large
stock OF lumber. II Is estimated that
the number OF homes. business houses
and other structures flooded In the
drainage district numbered nearly
1000.
Future CITY. a negro settlement. has
a population OF more than a thousand.
Urbandale. with a white population OF
about a hundred. had many well built
homes
Hickman, Ky. faces the most dcs'
perate situation ever known during
any food in the Mississippi valley.
Four thousand are homeless and the
state is feeding the refugees. militia
companies are In command to prevent
vandalism. Three miles below the city
the great main leyee Of the Mississip
pi has broken and the back water In
already entering the outskirts OF the
city. In addition to the three to fifteen
feet already covering the streets