Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-24
TWELVE DROWNED
NEAR VALLEY, MO
Meramao River Rises Rapidly in
Night and Drives Thousands
from Their Beds.
HUNpREp PERSONS ARE MISSING


ct. LOUIS, Aug. 23.-The Meramec
river. which rose swiftly Saturday
night and Sunday, flooding a large
rart Of the manufacturing and sum-
mer resort town of Valley Park, nine
teen miles southwest OF st. Louis,
foil rapidly today, making possible a
.areful inquiry to determine the ex-
.ent Of the flood damage.
Reports OF drowninss we're uncon-
firmed this morning, though the cor
cner last night said twelve drown
i1gs had been reported to him. None
was missing in Valley Park today. so
far as could be learned. though $500
persons we're driven from their
homes
Thousands Of acres OF farm iowlands
along the river were still under water
and Il was irnossIble 20 learn definitely
whether the scores. mostly white VINO
who had been reported missing last
hight had been accounted for.
The water stood In the streets OF VAL
ley Park today from two to four feet
deep. The MerAmec river fell slowly
because Of the high water In the Mlseis-
sppi The Meramec IL flooded along It's
entire course OF 100 miles through the
OEarks. More than 100 miles Of terri
tory In the heart Of the ozarks between
Springfield, Mo. and ~. Louis IL cut
'ff from communication with either city.
Heavy Damage I'm Illinois.
Equally distressing conditions prevail
throughout southeastern Missouri and
parts OF western Illinois. where the toll.
less severe in the number IT lives lost.
IL far greater In damage 20 property
and crops. Railroads. telegraph and teie-
phone facilities are demoraliEed, the
physical damage may aggregate $780,
20. and tens OF thousands Of farmers
and villagers are homeless.
The Merameo river rose during the
night while thousands OF campers and
picnickers slept IN the club houses and
summer cottages which dot the rivers
bank. From ? o'oloek yesterday morn
ing until last midnight the river rose a
foot an hour. The flood waters OF swol-
len Ozark mountain streams. which
empty into the Meramec, came rushing
down the Msrameo In layers a foot high,
tearing farm houses. club houses, bridges
and barEes from their mooringa and hurl-
Ing them against trees. telegraph poles
ana against each other in the mad rush
toward the Mississippi river.
ReGeuers Toll All Day.
Calls for help were sent 20 81. Louis
and hundreds OF resepers with motor
boats and other crafts wore on the scene
at daybreak. They tolled all day and all
last night and rescued 600 persons. This
morning men and IN few cases women.
who had climbed tree tops and roofs
sti'l were crying fer help. Most Of the
population OF Valley Park-2.5oo families
were driven from their homes a,,d large
manufacturing plants. about which the
town l. built. were rendered useless, prob
ably for weeka gr.,.-
Newport, Ark, IL Flooded.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Aug. fa.-White
river is coming over the Rock Island
levee at Newport and the town viii be
flooded, according to reports here today.
The $1,000 causeway just completed over
Newport lake has broken.
Hundreds OF volunteers today were
working on the levee ana negroes had
been forced At the point of shotSuns TO
Join them. The stevens steel ievee al
lnsleside. near Newport, has broken.
Reports were received here lest night
that q family OF five persona had been
drowned In the bottoms near OIL Trough.
In Newport ali business has been sus-
pended. The water and electric light
plants have boen put out OF commission
BY the water. The damage 10 crops In
White river bott5msl win be enormous.
as thousands Of iscres are flooded.
The steamers Muskogee and Mary q.
Lucas are running day and night res
cning families from tho overflowed dis
trtcts. many Of the jewellers OF the low
lands being taken from trees.
Hundreds OF head OF stock driven out
81 the bottoms by the water are roaming
Tho streets OF Newport and vicinity.
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