Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1882 — Tremendous Rain-Storm. [ARTICLE]

Tremendous Rain-Storm.

A rain-storm unprecedented in its widespread area and disastrous effects swept over the West, beginning about the 18th of February and ending about the 22d. The storm, it seems, began away out in Texas, and moved slowly northward, completely inundating the country as it progressed. At St. Louis we hear the first serious results of the deluge. For nearly forty hours it poured down a steady torrent, the rain-fall in that time reaching the extraordinary average of seven inches. All the water feeders of the Mississippi, in a large region of which St. Louis formed tho center, were soon raging torrents, and the Father ol Waters itself soon began to swell its volume 'at an astonishing rate. For twenty-four hours the great rivei rose at the extraordinary rapidity of six inches an hour. The levee was covered with large piles oljmerchandise, and all the available help in the city was called thither to remove the goods from the threatened danger, but with only partial success. A large amount of merchandise was swamped by tne waters and either swept away or seriously' damaged. The loss wili amount to many thousands of dollars. At Cincinnati and Louisville similar scenes were witnessed and similar losses are recorded. The Ohio river, swollen by the numerous tributaries, oveiflowed its banks in an incredibly short time, sweeping away hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of property, and business of every kind was completely paralyzed for the time being. At Cinciunatiall the rolling mills and foundries stopped work, and nearly all ttio factories located near tho river. In the foundries the damage is very serious, for the reason that it will require at least sixty days to dry out the molding floors and get them into proper condition for use again. Throughout Missouri, Central Illinois and Central and Southern Indiana the disastrous effects of the storm were felt. All the rivers, creeks and rivulets were flooded, and. Spreading over the adjacent country, swept away fences, and damaged the growing wheat. The losses throughout the West will reach into the millions. At New Albany, Ind., the damage was very great. All the shops and factories along the river were forced to suspend. Jeffersonville, Evansville and other points along the Ohio river also sustained serious damage from the -flood. Railroad traffic at many points in Illinois and Indiana was partially abandoned through the destruction of bridges. Along the Lower Mississippi immense damage has been produced by the breaking of the levees and the inundation of vast areas of country, and planters are enduring great hardship from the loss of live stock by drowning. The city of Helena, Ark., was completely drowned -out. The greater portion of the town was several feet under water and the streets were navigated in skiffs. Serious loss of life is reported in connection with the storm. At Paducah, Ky., five persons who lived on a flatboat were drowned, as was also a man named Little, who went oat in a skiff to their rescue. Near Helena, Ark., six children' were drowned on the plantation of tho late CoL Ellis. Chas. Washington, colored, when he found that the plantation would be overflowed, pnt his wife and six children in a dugout to take them to a place of safety. He had just started when the dugout capsized. AH the children were drowned. Washington and wife were saved by clinging to tho capsized boat. A man, named Green, was drowned near Helena, by the capsizing of a small boat. Near Carlinville, UL, two young man named Rhodes were in a house when the creek rose so rapidly that they were surrounded by water, and they attempted to escape, when one of the boys was drowned. The other managed to climb into a tree, and staid there all night in a snow-storm.