The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-19


(By the Associated Press)-
The Ievee of the MeredOsia
Lake drainage district broke
this afternoon, flooding 5000
acres of wheat lands and the
homes Of more than fifty iami-
lies.
All residents Of the district
with their livestock are said 10
have escaped before the leVee
broke.
Meredosia, H. April 19-(By The
Associated Press, )-Swept by a
high gale from the west, levees on
both sides of the Illinois river al
this point were threatened with de-
struction this morning.
Families and livestock have all
been Withdrawn from the McGee
Creek drainage district, which COW
ers territory ten miles along the
west bank of the river, and all but
a few families have fed from the
Meredosia Lake drainage district,
on the east bank. The protecting
levees are among the largest along
the entire river.
Directed by Mayor L. F. Berger
of Meredosia, 25 men were forced
several times to withdraw from
their levee on the east bank this
morning, but at s O'Clock it was
still intact. The l,vee on the west
bank, protecting $4,000 acres, Of
which 5000 is planted in wheat
was also holding at o'clock.
A force of 125 men is at work on
the MCGEE levee on the west shore,
assisted by an additional force sent
in by the Wabash railroad, whose
tracks here will be covered should
the levee give way. Twenty thoa-
sand bags of sand have already
been used in Strengthening it. and
the force of workers is supple
mented night and day by watchers
posted every quarter of a mile, the
length of the levee.
Remaining families in the Mere
dosia Lake district on the east bank
have been warned of the danger,
and have means of escape to safety.
The threatened farm land Of the
MCGEE district is half in Bond ana
half in Pike counties, but the town
of Meredosia itself, situated at the
county line, on an elevation, is not
in danger. Mayor Berger Volun-
teered his services TO McGee dis
trict and has worked with the men
two nights, and after today'g yest,
will return again tonight.
$50 Negroes MRrOOned.
Cairo, ILL.,, April 19-The steamer
Three States was scheduled to
leave here this morning for The
Dog Tooth Bend district, between
Cairo and FaysVille, ILL.,, to admin
lister aid to $50 negro families, who
are reported marooned by food
waters of the Mississippi river. Re
lief Investigators who made the re
ports after visiting the district, de-
clared that several families were
in famished condition.
Food, tents and medical supplies
were to be taken to the district by
the steamer. A civic relief com
mittee and representatives OF the
Red Cross. in charge of Glenn ).
Keis of Chicago, said they would
bring the more seriously i'll refl-
gees to Cairo. after moving the ma
rooned families to higher ground
and supplying them with proYts-
ions and shelter.
Flood Came Quickly.
The water was reported to be as
high as ten and twelve feet in
some parts of the district, which
was not protected by a leyee and
which is in the extreme low lands
1t was said the district was inun-
dated so Unexpectedly that most OF
the inhabitants were unaware OF
the oncoming waters and were IN
able to fee. They were reported TO
be taking refuge in the highest
parts of their shacks, which are in
danger of settling.
At Future City, another negro
settlement, 80 families were report
ed driven to high ground by tha
flood.
Five drainage districts in this
vicinity are slow being inundat-
ed by food waters let in by levet
breaks. Thousands of acres OF ag-
riculturaI land in Alexander, Union
and Jackson counties, are covered
by the water.
Refuge camps have been estab-
lished in Cairo and north Of Nc
Clure. Shipments of army supplies
are arriving here from the adjutant-
generals office at Springfield, Ill.
IN cara fnr the dopd sTffarara