The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-06-04
MEN in BOATS
SPEAR FISH IN
FLOODED FIELDS
Twenty Founders Are Shot
and dubbed in LOwIands
South of City.
RIVER EXPECTED TO
REACH CREST TODAY
Missouri Beginning to Fall and
End of the Flood is
Soon Due.


ed over a large area of pasture land
below the city yesterday. Fish, at
tempting to get out of the current,
swan into the back water in schools,
attracting scores to the scene.
Small boats, RATS and even single
logs were used by men to tow them
selves out into the water, where they
gigged, shot and dubbed fish.
The fins of the fish extended above
the shallow water and they fell easy
prey to the armed fishermen. Pitch
forks proved convenient weapons for
landing large. cats. There were many
varieties, but the greatest number of
cat were captured.
The fish were so plentiful that the
men were able to select the kind they
wanted and the size. Fins could be
seen bobbing up and down over the
body of water. The large fish were
easily distinguished from the smaller
specimen. Their backs frequently were
noticed above the surface of the wa
ter.
Clubs were used with effective re-
suits in the raid on the fish. A man
in a boat would overtake a big fish
swimming slowly through the grass
and underbrush and would stun it with
stiff blow from the club. Before it
could recover from the shock the fish
was captured and placed in the boat.
Fish of many sizes and varieties
were taken from the backwater yester-
day, but there were at least a dozen
captured that would weigh twenty
pounds or more.
Farmers living on the Houck plan
tations south of this city, spent a busy
day trying to keep the river from
breaking over its banks and inundat-
ing their fields of grain. Temporary
levees were constructed along the
Gulf line tracks. The water began to
run over the railroad tracks late yes
terday evening and it is feared it has
carried away the improvised levees
and swept into the fields.
The barrow pits, which are located
about four miles south of this city,
were filled with overflow water yes
terday. These will be havens for the
anglers when the river recedes. Here
tofore the barrow pits, when over
flowed, have been literally filled with
fish, sometimes cats as large as fifty
pounds being captured. As soon as the
river gets back into its channel, the
fisherman will camp en- the banks of
the barrow pits.
One of the big dredge machines,
which was under construction several
miles below the Cape, was submerged,
yesterday by the overflow water. The
whole section under process of recla-
nation has been covered by the water
and the drainage work has been tenn
porarily suspended.
The big Mcclure farm, about five
miles north of this city, was swept
yesterday when the Mississippi broke
over the Illinois bank. 1t was reported
that heavy damage was done to the
growing crops.
The river reached a stage of 3212
feet above low water mark at Cape
Girardeau yesterday, the highest re-
corded in the past four years. The
Mississippi is still advancing, but it
is believed that the crest is near, prob
ably being reached late today.
Reports from St. Louis state that
the Missouri River began falling yes
terday, which will result in drop in
the Mississippi within day or two
unless more rain comes. No rain of
consequence has fallen in Missouri or
Southern Illinois this week, and it is
believed. that the greater amount of
the flood water has been carried to-
ward the gulf.