The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-25
W artine Crop
Goals to be
Affected
Mississippi Hits
Highest Stage
in Century
(By international News service)


(By International News Service)
Flood swollen rivers carved q
wider path OF vast destruction in
six Midwest states today. giving
rise to new fears that the bread
basket OF the nation would not be
able TO meet Its wartime crop goals.
In Illinois alone. where new high
water danger points were opened
up along the Mississippi and iii.
nois River. a total OF 1851 ,BsS
acres OF crop land has been food
ed. Estimates by Dean II. p. Rusk
OF the University Of Illinois Col.
lege OF Agriculture showed that
36S.474 acres of wheat, corn and
oats have been destroyed In ths
state
Delays In planting and In pastur.
ing cattle. vast damage TO truck.
fruit and field crops and the re-
tarding OF polllnatlon were reported
throughout the siX.state flood
stricken areas OF Illinois, Indiana.
Missouri, Kansas. Oklahoma and
Arkansas.
Governors and commissioners OF
agriculture in the six states were
10 convene in St Louis tomorrow 10
formulate a program 10 speed up
food production in the food areas.
Highest In Century
Meanwhile. new food dangers
arose in southern Illinois and the
ST. Louis area where the swollen
Mississippi reached the highest
stage in. almost a century. New
breaks in the levee system sent
food waters rolling over addition
al acres OF rich farm land.
In the ST. Louis area the Missis-
slppi River crested at $685., the
highest sisce the great mood OF
1sH when peak OF I139 was
recorded.
More than $500 persons wers.
forced TO flee from their homes
in Union and Alexander Counties
OF southwestern Illinois. where the
mississippi River broke through
the Wolf Lake levee about Is miles
northeast OF Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The town OF Wolf Lake. Rey-
noldsville. Ware, Gale and Mcclure
In Illinois were threatened with
innndation. Approximately 81. 900
acres OF farm land lay in the path
OF the rolling food waters.
Jeeps Csed
About 50 amphlbian Army jeepS
were rushed TO the area 10 help
evacuate msrooned residents The
town OF Mcclure already had been
partly evacuated.
Another hood threat appeared at
Meredosia in Morgan County,
where the Illinois River broke
through the leyees for the nrst
time. An additional 10000 acres Of
farmland were in the path OF the
food waters. More than 10000
acres Of land in the Meredosia area
already were under water
The death toll in the stricken
areas totaled al least 30 since the
food began splitting over the levees
three weeks ago. Eight deaths at
tributed to the food occurred in the
St Louis area and FIVE in II linois.
Mai. Gen Eugene Reybold. chief
OF the T.. s. Army engineers who
completed an aerial survey OF the
food area. said the high waters
have caused tremendous damage
to agricultural lands az well as TO
transportation and communication
lines"
Bolster Flood Wall
Beardstown, H., where more
than two-thirds OF the towns popu-
lstlon OF $500 have been evacuated,
continued to bolster its great sea
wall az the Illinois River rose to a
point Of only s OF a foot below the
expected crest
Water already has reached the
three.foot superstructure atop
Beardstown's seawsl which is p
TO % feet high.
From Peoria. H. came enco1rsg-
Ing reports that the swollen Illinois
River had dropped .03 OF foot.
About 5000 employees OF the huge
Caterpillar Tractor Company there
built a ssndbag structure around
the huge war plant
New 6sekwash
Just as the danger from the back.
waters OF the wabash River at
Yincennes, Ind, appeared to have
subsidized, a new backwash rolled in,
sending the river up TO 1895 feet.
More than 225 families south OF
Nincennes were evacuated from