Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-22
FLOOD WARMING SPREAD
BY MEN ON HORSEBACK
Racing Ahead OF Oncoming Wall OF
Water, They Save Hun.
dreds of Lives.
WESTERN STATES ARE SWEPT
Ohshoot OF Gulf Storm Costs Eleven
Lives and Does Vast Damage to
Property-Death List in Texas
Now Stands ut 200.

81 LOUIS, August 21.-Eleven bodies
OF victims OF the flood that swept a
narrow section of st. Louis and suburbs
on Friday were recovered to-day. and
the death roll as result OF the Gulf
, storm that struck this section was in
creased by two.
or the eleven dead in st. Louis and
suburbs ten were negroes and one was
a white woman
The River Des Peres. tho rise in
which was responsible for most OF the
destruction OF property and all the de-
struction OF life on tho Missouri side
& the Mississippi. fell rapidly to-day,
ana normal street-car service to su-
burban towns was almost restored.
Several large factories along the
river were damaged badly by the flood,
and most Of them will be closed for
days.
An offshoot of tho storm which swept
Texas earlier in the week yesterday
did damage estimated at several million
dollars to crops and other property, Sc
r!ously impaired telephone and wire ia
cili,ies, caused eleven deaths and en-
Il,
Arkansas and Missouri. Six persons
arc missing and thousands are home
less
St. Louis. Its suburbs and neishbor-
ing Illinois towns suffered most from
flood. The Unprecedented downpour-
seven TO nine inches in twenty four
hours-converted brooklets into raging
torrents. which tore away bridges.
levces. dams, homes and everything in
their paths.
At East Alton. Ill. q 3oo-foot sec
lion of the new levee gave way and
wall OF water from the Wood River
rushed toward the towns OF Wood
River Ben Bow and East Alton. but
two ihorsemenSraced a hundred yards
ahead OF the oncoming water calling
out; Run for your lives"
THREE TOWNS COVERED
WITH TEN FEET OF WATER
In less than an hour the three towns
we're covered with ten feet Of water
Out not soul had fingered. Two
trains-a Chicago and Alton from Kan
sas City and a Bis Four from st. Louis
which were caught between two
branches of the food. gave shelter for
the night to scores who had been res
cued from roofs and upper windows
OF Hooded homes. The water began to
recede to-day. Washouts and land
slides We're reported all along the Mis-
souri, Pacific, Iron Mountain and ST.
Louis. and San francisco systems. \
dozen cities spent the night In total
darkness.
In ST Louis f,fty men toiled al: night
10 divert newly made streams which
had begun to undermine the water
big mains controlling the city's water
supply. This morning the Missouri
naval reserves and the First Regiment
of the Missouri National Guard joined
In the rescue work.
The crews Of stalled street cars near
the western city limits constructed a
hugo raft of railroad ties and carried
score Of families out Of reach Of
the water.
HEAVY DAMAGE DONE
TO OZARK PEACH CROP
Springfield. Mo. reported that the
damage TO the Ozark peach crop would
exceed 100000; the damage to corn
Is estimated At 100000; real estate
men believe the damage to St Louis
buildings Will reach $1,000. 900; and two
ammunition factories in East Alton
suffered $4,000 damage when the
Wood River levee broke.
De Soto. Mo. reported n landslide
on the Iron Mountain tracks at White
House. a 300-foot washout OF same
system tracks eight miles north Of
De Soto. and that tho village OF Black
we'll was under ten feet OF water.
Scores OF small towns and several
large cities were isolated last night
as wires were down and railroads
had either suspended trains or were
detour!ng to avoid high water.
The River Des Peres. which grew
during twentyfour hours from a ten
foot stream to a mile wide river,
began to fall at midnight. Other
swollen creeks began to recede to-
py, but with their decline the larger
rivers rose and official predictions were
for Hood stages on both the Missis-
sippi and Missouri.