The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-31
Floods on Ohio River Wreck
Much Property, However.
Rapid Rises Are Registered at
Louisville and Cairo.
FEAR BREAKS IN LEvEES
Illinois Is Center of Distress
Caused by Waters.
Troops Hurried to the In
undated Districts.

Louisville, March 31-The stage of
the Ohio river here at o'clock this
morning was 4s.7 feet. a rise of 1e feet
in the last % hours
Reports from Ashland and MavsvilIa.
KY, and Madison, Ind. told of enor-n-
Gus property damage and much sut-
ter1ng among flood refugees.
From western Kentucky points came
reports of privation in the OUTLYING
loWlahds. Henderson, Paducah anu
OWensboro bulletins said the river con-
tinueu with rapid rise. but in those
cities proper. small damage was feared.
In Louisville, the Pennsylvania sys-
,, .eiI announced 1t was prepared to es-
taollsh regular service to Indianapolis
ana through sleeping car service to
ChlcaSo- Louisville d Nashville trains
from Cincinnati reached Louisville by
a western detour. Paducah, KY, to-
oay reported there was absolutely no
danger there, even if the river reached
stage of so feet.
Cairo, March 31.-The stage of tbo
, ClIlo river mere at 8 O'Clock this morn
ing was OIL feet, and the river still ia
rising The levee is fifty-five feet high
and as it is weighted down with sand
bags for two feet additional. there
seems no immediate danger Several
companies of Illinois National Guard
arrived this morning
The local weather bureau anno,,nce5
TO-DAY that stage of 54 feet was GER
tain, and possibly 81. 1t is believed ,+
can hold So feet. Traffic on the inter-
urban north of here has been discon-
tinued.
Water is now sweeping over tba ton
of the levees at Birds Point, Mo. law
ing waste great section of southeast
Missouri.
The number of workmen strengthen
ing the Cairo levee has been doubled.
Ic fllx ir1o~
to hold back the flood.
Four companies of the Illinois national
guard, those of Mount Vernon. New
ton, Sullivan and Olney already are
Ryman, of Effingham.
Crowds of refugees from southeast
Missouri have been coming to Cairo
all morning.
Laborers Are Fleeing
That the river is still rising and that
laborers who are needed to throw the
sandbags along the concrete levee to
increase the protection, are fleeing from
the city, was the information sent to-
day to Governor Dunno and Adjutant
General Dickson.
The governor and adjutant general
have ordered the troops to stack guns
if necessary and do work regardless
of military regulations. Whether to
declare martial law was not decided.
Sheriff Frazier informed Governor
Dunno there was disagreement
among the civil authorities as to mar
tial law and the governor promptly in
formed the sheriff that the civil auth
critics must agree before an order for
martial law would be given. No direct
word came from Shawneetown. Indf-
rect advfces were received that Shaw
neetown seemed to be in bad plight.
The inhabitants are reported to have
fed to higher ground.
The city flood committee this after
noon issued an order closing all sa-
looms and retail stores with the ex-
ception of bakeries and drug stores.
Many merchants are moving their
stocks to second stories.
Communication Cut Off.
Flora, ILL.,, March 31.-Railroad COM
between this point and
Ill. is interrupted, the
B. & o. tracks being open only as far
as Barnhill, 46 miles from Shawnee
town
The local national guard company
left here last night for Shawneetown,
and it is reported here everyone ex-
cept guardsmen has been ordered from
the place.
Roads between here and Shawnee
town are impossible. 1t is reported a
stone bridge over the White river at
Ind, Sc miles east of here,
collapsed today, causing the death of
four men.
Rising at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, March 31.-Spreading
over a vast expanse of territory in this
city, as well as an almost equal
amount in the various towns that lie
along the river on the Kentucky shore
the Ohio, which at this point is within
two feet of being as high as at any
previous time in its history, today
continues to rise. During the night
the central part of this CITY was
thrown into a semi-panic by a detona-
ton that could be heard for miles
The Union Carbide company plant at
Pearl and Elm streets, had been de-
Stroyed in an explosion caused SUD-
posedly by carbide coming in contact
with so much water. No one was in
jured.
The river reached the stage of 693
feet at noon and continues to rise at
the rate of two-tenths of a foot everw
two hours. The crest is expected IatS
today and ii is expected that the
dreaded 7O-foot stage will not be pass
ed By tomorrow night it is expected
the waters will begin to recede.
Lawrenceburg. Ind, March 31.-Prac-
tically the whole city is under deep wa
ter today and more than fifty build
ings are known to have been carried
away. The Knippenzurg carriage fac
tory burned during the night Owing
to the warnings of flood danger. how
ever, 1t is not believed there will be
any loss of life here.
During the fire the factory buildings
were torn from their foundations and
carried five squares. by which time the
buildings had burned to the waters
edge.
The drinking water supply is pIenti-
Iul for those refugees who fled to the