Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-26

stars: NJ hercury, Venus, Saturn. MoTn- +.
ing stars: Jupiter, Mars.
Shelbyvllle, Logansport, Portland and
innumerable smaller towns are under
water, with many of the residents
driven out OF their homes and others
liTing on upper floors, dreading the
prospects brought by each succeeding
hour.
From many Of these places frantic
appeals for aid have been received by
the state officials, but lack of all means
of transportation and crippled tele-
graph service force the submerged
towns 70 rely entirely on their own re-
sources.
The helplessness Of the state and
city TO go to the aid of the outside suf-
ferers is accentuated by the hopeless
81, ats in which indianapolis finds il
self.
Judging from local conditions the
situation OF the smaller towns must be
I fast approaching the desperate stage.
DEATH IN LAFAYETTE RUIN.
/ At Lafayette the Wabash river, ris-
| ing at the rate of a foot an hour. pass
/ ed all previous high water marks.
| There a huge bridge went out. carry
| Ing two and possibly more persons to
death. Leland T. Woolery, a student
| at Purdue university, whose home is
| in Indianapolis, was drowned while
I trying to rescue two Of the men who
we're caught when the bridge was car
rled down stream. West Lafayette is
cut of from the world.
The total loss at Lafayette is esti-
mated at 100000; thousands are
| homeless. .----- .-...
LEAVES RICHMOND IN DARK.
Richmond on the White Water river
| is in darkness, the electric light plant
having been flooded.
More than 20 bridges in Wayne coun-
y have been torn down and travel in
ana out of Richmond is at a standstiu
a hundred persons were driven out OF
their homes.
Damage OF $500, 900 was done by Flat
Rock river at Rushville when the
stream swept down on the town, sub
merging the entire business and parts
of the residence districts.
Firebells warned the people Of the
onrushing water. but in many instances
It was too late. and only fast work
with boats saved many from death.
In many of the streets the current
vas so strong that It swamped every
boat that ventured out.
Thousands we're rendered homeless
and those whose homes are not flood
ed are confronted with the problem OF
housing and feeding the refugees. An
appeal has been made for state aid
there.
SOLDIERS HELP SAVE LIVES.
State troops patrolled the streets of
Kokomo night and day and notified
persons whose homes were threatened
to move to higher ground. More than
1900 are homeless. with water and
gas plants inundated The city is with
. CUT lights or fire protection and the
damage is more than $1,000, ,OOO
|, Schools and all business have been
suspended
Wild Cat creek is a quarter OF a mile
wide in the heart OF Kokomo. five feet
. above the previous high water mark.
b. Five hundred persons are living in
p the second stories OF their homes. re-
Ceiving provisions by boat This work
IS made difficult because the current
, is swift and RATS cannot be used.
there being only a few boats available.
DYKE BREAKS AT NUNCIE.
. The dyke at the water plant in Nun
= Gle broke and the employees had to
. fee for their lives. This left the town
without fire protection
r White river, with the onrushing
? foods from upstream. is constantly
? further euCroachinE on the town Ghd
] more persons are being forced to aban-
don their homes TO the water.
5 Just after a train had passed over
i il the Big -Four bridge there collapsed
: ana a Chesapeake and Ohio bridge al.
D 50 was destroyed Schools were dis
{ missed and all traction lines and most
OF the railroads are at a standstilL
. THOUSANDS FLEE AT ANDERSON.
y Green's branch at Anderson. ordi
= narily a narrow stream. is a torrent
e Thousands have been forced to desert
+ their homes Water burst through a
J. wall into the municipal light plant, and
e IN a few seconds was nine feet deep
the employees barely escaping with
} their lives.
L More than 100 homes at Marion are
T filed 10 the second floors through the
breaking Of the Nississinewa river
z levee. The city is extending aid tc
those in need and caring for the home
less
;. At Upton 100 families were driver
= ont OF their abodes and much suffering
= resulted
+ NoblesviIle reports White river Eigh
,. or than in 80 years. and II is said twc
!, persons were drowned. They are be