By DOUG WILSON
Herald-Whig Senior Writer

Gov. Rod Blagojevich visited Quincy Friday, praising those filling sandbags and pledging to help them flight the flood.

"You see the best of people" during a disaster, Blagojevich said during a visit to the Oakley-Lindsay Center, where about 600 volunteers had filled more than 60,000 sandbags between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Quincy Mayor John Spring told Blagojevich that river crest predictions have reached 32 feet by the end of next week, which would nearly match the record level of 1993.

As of 10 p.m. Friday, a new report had the river cresting at 32.2 foot --matching the record set in 1993.

Blagojevich has sent a letter to President Bush requesting direct federal assistance in order to help battle the flood. He already has issued a state disaster declaration for counties along the Mississippi River from Calhoun County to Rock Island.

He pledged state resources to help provide the 128,000 bottles of drinking water that he believes the city of Quincy may need.

The state already has sent 48 inmates from the Illinois Department of Corrections to help fill sandbags. An Illinois Department of Natural Resources patrol boat is helping with river security. Eight three-ton trucks have been provided for hauling sand and 53,000 bags have been delivered.

"We're going to do everything we can to shore up the banks of the river and protect the community," Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich arrived at about 4:30 p.m. after a visit to Lawrenceville, in extreme southern Illinois, where flood work also is under way.

Jeff Otto, a farmer from Novelty, Mo., helped fill sandbags from 9:20 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.

"My wife says 'get out of the house and get over there,' " Otto said.

Otto called the sandbagging site a smooth operation.

Quincy Director of Administrative Services Ken Cantrell called in the Central Services staff to sandbag and asked for any City Hall workers who could be spared for the day.

"We didn't know how many volunteers we'd have so we asked our people to help out," Cantrell said.

The sandbagging site was originally expected to close at 6 p.m., but Cantrell said it would stay open as long as people want to volunteer their efforts. Truck crews would stop hauling sandbags at 10 p.m., but will be in each morning.

"We really think we'll have even more people" working on Saturday, Cantrell said.

Erin Angell and Lauren Kerkhoff who work at the Quincy Police Department finished eight-hour shifts at the sandbagging site at 4:20 p.m. Angell had helped fill sandbags when she was a teen during 1993.

"It's a big deal for us to pitch in together," Kerkhoff said.

Spokesmen for the governor say state agencies are coordinating efforts. The State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield is working with emergency coordinators in Western Illinois and elsewhere to provide state assistance.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is monitoring river levels and forecasts, sharing the information with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

-- dwilson@whig.com/221-3372