OCR Text |
Show Is East, St. Louis Ex-titlo4 to Sympathy? Sufferers from storms, floods, lightning or other violence of the elements are, as a rule, entitled to public sympathy and support, but in the case of East St. Louis it is a question as to whether the citizens of that place may justly lay claim to the sympathy of the people of other cities. Every spring the Missouri and Mississippi rivers reach the flood stage and threaten East St Louis, yet no steps have been taken to provide permanent safeguards against these annual floods. The bottoms across from St. Louis proper have been built up with factories. East St Louis itself is almost on the water level. But knowing that a flood is due every spring, nothing has ever been done in advance to protect East St Louis from the walls of flood water. So permanent levee has been built and not until the river begins to leave its banks and flood the city are steps taken ta-ken to check the advance of the water. Each year sees a repetition of this farce but still East St. Louis is left unprotected. In view of th?so facts it is doubtful if East St Louis is entitled to an overdose of public sympathy. , |