DISASTERS AND EVENTS
Alexander
County Illinois Genealogy Trails
MARCH 1913 FLOOD-CAIRO'S PART
Source: Excerpts from HORRORS OF TORNADO FLOOD AND FIRE, by
Frederick E. Drinker, 1918, pg 156-160.
INTRODUCTION
Following
closely the disastrous storms in the South, the first of a far worse
series of death-dealing and destructive cyclones and floods occurred on
Easter Sunday, March 23, when several tornadoes or cyclones with
terrific force and speed swept over Nebraska and parts of Iowa, Indiana
and Illinois. The city of Omaha (NE) was the worst sufferer.
Snowstorms and cold rains added to the sufferings of the homeless and
to the difficulties of the rescue work at Omaha and other places west.
For Dayton (OH) and other thriving cities and towns of Ohio and Indiana
an even worse fate was in store at the very moment that the nation was
filled with sympathy for the victims of the tornado disasters.
For several days rain and sleet had fallen in torrents over
the
entire Mississippi Valley, and with special heaviness over the States
of Indiana, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
CHAPTER XIII.
DESTROYING HOUSES
FOR CITIES' SALVATION
The Ohio and
Mississippi Levees
The wild rise of the
Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers which for a time threatened to exceed anything ever
known in the history of streams in this country made it necessary for
the authorities to adopt extreme methods along the water at many
points. At Shawneetown the levee was ordered cut and dynamite
was
used to form a breach, which relieved the pressure at Cairo, Ill.,
Evansville, Ind., and other river towns.
A survery of the condition along the rivers which was made with great
difficulty on April 1, is basis for the following report showing the
general situation:
The levee was ordered cut at Shawneetown near Cairo, to save life and
property. Dynamite was used to make a breach, with the result
that the pressure was considerably relieved.
The Big Four levee, which protected the "drainage district," and which
was abandoned, went out to the north. Cairo proper was not
affected, as the levee separating the city from the "drainage district"
remained intact.
Long before the Big Four levee went out the water had climbed up over
the railroad tracks, and the Executive Committee at Cairo, considering
further preventive measures useless, abandoned that district to its
fate. It was well wrecked last year, so far as dwellings were
concerned, and dozens of these since have remained unoccupied.
Several big commercial houses will unquestionably suffer
great
loss.
The Greenfield levee, on the Missouri side, a small affair, also went
out.
The levee in front of Reelfoot Lake Slough, below Hickman, Ky., was
reinforced with rock. The region was flooded last year.
A
break there it is said, would mean the flooding of about 14 counties.
It would give great impetus to the already swift current of
the
Ohio River and probably would mean great destruction along the lower
Mississippi levees.
Mayor G. B. Parsons, of Cairo, issued the following statement at the
critical hours:
"Prospects are favorable to successfully take care of approaching
floods at Cairo, now coming out of the Ohio River, which will greatly
exceed the high waters of 1912, provided levees to the South hold.
Citizens and soldiers are working to accomplish this end."
Flood Conditions
Flood conditions
along the Ohio
River levee were declared by the oldest citizens to be the most
desperate in their time. The water rose at the rate of one
foot a
day, and stood only two feet and eight inches from the top of the
concrete wall built at the levee. The rise was much faster
than
last year.
The city sent its women and children out on every train. Two
baggage cars were filled with trunks on one train and enough remained
to fill another.
The weather was beautiful. Business men acted as switchmen,
loaded baggage, unloaded sand, clay and lumber, while clerks and other
office employes handled shovels. Negroes were put to work
with
hand-pumps to keep the street clear of seepage water which came under
the concrete walls. The water rose in places to a depth of
six
inches.
The situation in the city later became very precarious, as all railroad
communication was cut off. First the Big Four Railroad went
out
of commission, then the Illinois Central and finally the Mobile and
Ohio and the Iron Mountain were shut off. A food famine
threatened as a result.
The inundation of the drainage district north of Cairo was complete.
The flood waters rose to a level with those in the Ohio
River,
and were prevented from flooding into Mississippi only by the Mobile
and Ohio levee. There were from 7000 to 9000 acres from 7 to
20
feet under water.
The greater number of industrial plants in the section were submerged
up to second-story windows and many houses were completely under water.
One of the most thrilling of the stories of Cairo was told by Captain
S. A. Martin, regimental quartermaster, and Captain H. A. Jamieson, of
the Sixth Missouri National Guard.
They were rescued in a launch from a section of levee which broke away
at Bird Point, Mo.
Thirty-six of their men, they said, were on the levee section, which is
200 yards long and ten feet wide, and floating down the Mississippi.
To Rescue the Missouri Soldiers
Commander McMunn, of
the naval
reserves, at once arranged for a steam launch, and started out to
rescue the Missouri soldiers. A pilot, who understood the
river
course, was taken along to guide the reserves.
There is a swift current in the river and the safety of the men caused
their commanding offiers much worry. The regiment was on
military
duty in the town, which has been threatened for several days on account
of the high Ohio waters, and the race after the men in a launch
furnished a thrilling adventure seldom equalled outside of fiction.
A large subway which was the only passageway from Cairo into the
drainage district was blocked to save the city. The place was
boarded up and dozens of carloads of sand bags placed to hold it
secure. When the workmen abandoned the Big Four levee to its
fate
they were brought into the city and set to work on the river front.
Rev. M. H. Love, of the Methodist Church, who has had charge of relief
work in former years, again was at the head of the Relief Committee.
He had about 20 assistants and a temporary hospital, which
was
arranged on a large wharf boat in the river.
Cairo is situated on lowlands fork of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
Its safety depends absolutely on levees from all sides.
There is no way by which people walking or on trains could
escape
except by gong back into the drainage district. Consequently,
hope is always placed in boats in case of great trouble.
About one-half of the population left the city at the first alarm.
At a meeting between officials of Alexander County, the city of Cairo,
and Colonel Daniel J. Moriarity, of the Seventh Regiment, I. N. G., it
was decided to place the entire situation in charge of colonel
Moriarity. All negroes and others who refused to work were
arrested.
To Help Reinforce the Levee.
As soon as authority
was given the
Colonel he detained squads of soldiers to go along the levees of the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers as far as the drainage district and compel
every one who is able to work and not already engaged to ehop reinforce
the levee. Engineers were called into conference and asked
for
descriptions of the weak points that special attention might be given
them.
The Seventh Regiment, I. N. G., which had headquarters in St. Mary's
Park, moved its equipment to a large wharf boat on the Ohio.
This
placed all the quarters of troops on boats. Two additional
companies, one from the Fourth Regiment and the other from the Fifth,
were sent to Mounds, Ill., where it was said a ciritcal situation was
developing. Nearly every home in the lowlands was deserted
and
wagonloads of furniture, trunks and household effects of every
description were taken to the railroad stations.
The State troops were sent out in squards of five each accompanied by a
policeman, to visit the rendezvous of men who were either unwilling to
or refused to work.
One of the purposes of closing all places of business which do not
handle goods needed for the comfort and necessities of the people, was
to give opportunity to get out the strongest working force possible.
Employes of closed concerns responded willingly for duty and
reinforced to a great extent the work along the river front.
|