Show CITY Of DES MOINES IS STILL PARTLY SUBMERGED Waters Have Begun to Slowly Slow-ly Recede DANGER POINT NOW PASSED Condition of Six Thousand Refugees Re-fugees Alfovialed So Far as Known but Seven Authenticated Authen-ticated Fatalities Have Been He portedRumors of Others I I I Des Moines la May 31At C oclock tonight water In the Des Moines river had declined fourteen Inches from Its maximum height of twentyfour feet i attained early this morning Notwithstanding I Notwith-standing the steady rain that has fallen for three days It is believed that I the danger of a further rise is past The river continues to be from a half mile to two miles wide effectually cutting cut-ting off communication between the main part of Des Moines from nest north and south Des Molnes and covers thousands of homes and business houses Railway and street car traffic continues to be tied up RELIEF FORCES ORGANIZE The condition of the sufferers has been slightly alleviated by tho better organization of the relief forces But Isolated instances of extreme need of food have been discovered and those who were living In ralnjsoaked tents have nearly all been removed to places of comfort In public buildings The need of bed covering is still Imperative TRAVEL DY BOATS Not a wheel Is turning in the factory district and no effort is made to open any business houses Boats afford the only means of communication between North South and East Des Moines and the main part of the city This IB l extremely ex-tremely perilous SEVEN FATALITIES So far as is known but seven authenticated authen-ticated fatalltirH have been reported Reports of a score or more have been received from that section of the city that Is cut off from communication but cannot be verified The Northwestern North-western operated one train out from the city limits today mull being conveyed con-veyed to It by boat The other lines are tied up Tho water and electric light and power plants are still running but It Is only by the employment of several hundred men to man the pumps and work on the levees MERCURY NEAR FREEZING For over two days It has rained constantly con-stantly and the mercury has stood close to the freezing point Scores of men women and children have spent hours ut a time In soaking wet gar Continued on Pago 0 I DES MOINES INUNDATED Continued from Page 1 ments sitting on the roofs of their homes awaiting the arrival of rescuers The last of these were removed at 10 oclock More fatalities will result from exposure than from drowning The property loss will mount up Into S the millions The situation at Ottumwa and other points on the Des Moines river below here Is little better PNEUMONIA FOR HUNDREDS Persons predict that hundreds of cases of pneumonia will result from the exposure driven posure to which those who were psure their homes have been subjected and tonight 100 sick and suffering are under medical care Reports of fatalities from the flood still come to police headquarters but so far It has been Impossible to verify any of them |