The Detroit times., 1912-04-03
RESIDENTS =0t=CAlRQ, ill.,
FLEE TO SECOND FLOORS
AS CURRENT INCREASES
Millionaires and Laborers Work
Together Strengthening
Threatened bikes
SUFFERING IN HICKMAN
Town Is Under Water and 5000
Are Homeless-Relief
Comes Today
SUFFERING IN HICKMAN

CAIRO. Ills, April 3.-Today may
decide the fate OF Cairo. Set in n
waste OF water so miles wide and with
the Mississippi river hourly threaten
| ing to go over the levee and food the
entire town, the citizens have made Il
tireless fight against the waters for
two days.
With the dawn. the few who were
allowed to 90 to their homes late last
night returned to the dikes today and
resumed their labor of strengthening
the walls All night long laborers,
millionaire merchants and farmers
worked shoulder TO shoulder in the
streets, filling sand bags and then
dragging them To the leyee and hosting
them 10 the six.foot wall that is being
added TO the natural height OF the
levee. AS far as could be seen toward
the Missouri shore there was nothing
but water.
The current has increased in veloc-
ity and Is today whirling by the town,
carrying barns, houses, fortunes in
stored up grains, and trees and drift
wood on its crest.
So far the citizens of Cairo have
saved the town from local damage.
Seepage from the levee has let con-
siderable water in the town and all
furniture has been moved TO second
floors.
But the disasters of a food have
been avoided. Late yesterday several
hundred women and children were
sent from the town on special train
that managed to make its way through
the flooded district. The women re-
naming today again joined the work
ers about the levee by keeping hot cor
fee and sandwiches constantly on
hand. Every business house in town
Is closed and the restaurants have
thrown open their doors to aid in the
common cause.
Thousands OF gallons of hot coffee
we're made and distributed free or
charge The women are formally or
ganized into relief corps. The bak'
cries have been working overtime In
an effort TO supply the demand for
bread. but when II became evident to-
day that they would not be able to
meet the demand, part OF the women
started the ovens In their homes. The
bread shortage is caused by the inter
rupted train service owing TO the high
waters.
The levees in the north OF the town
were in q precarious condition, but
tons OF sand were dumped behind
them and IL was hoped they would
withstand the awful crush OF the
waters.
The damage OF the food throughout
the entire valley is staggering. Farm
ers wealthy last week are today prac-
tically penniless Millions In grain
has been washed away. All seed corn
is lost and the water spread over farms
within radius OF so miles OF Cairo.
Some OF the farmers say il will take
years for the lowland TO dry out suffi-
ciently TO again be in condition. The
steamer Three States returned from
a rescue trip last night with $4,000
worth OF live stock, which had been
picked up at various points. The
steamer ploughed its way over rich
farms and found in the midst OF the
flood a man, his wife and baby hud-
died on a scaffold which had been built
near their house. The water was then
within two feet of the scaffold but
they refused TO leave their home.
Conditions at Hickman, KY, were
critical today. The tents sent by Gov.
McCreary and the government will not
reach there until this afternoon owing
to the delay of trains and the suffering
is intense The town is under ten
feet of water and IL is impossible for
the local authorities to care for the
1000 made homeless by the food.