The New York herald., 1867-04-08
THE FLooD's.


+ -
Tho Rise Of tho nIlsslsslppi- Cairs Sob.
, nscrged-Thc Towns AIsng the River UsAsR
Waser-Heavy Less Of Life and Property
All ef tho Trlbusaries OvssAs wed-Tsrribso
CoRditisH Or Affairs, 90. la-i sf
r94i ti aaa Msurms, Tenn, March n, 1857.
Painfully fresh In the memories Of thousands the
thrilling rscsais given Of unprecedented ssAss
Of the Tsossssss river the ed loss of if the grsaA
suffering and vide destruction o property entsled upsa
families obliged TO Zee The nsghbohng hills 80
friendly knols for sesy from tie fury Of the Aoo1
Disastrous - wss that food and FUN or gloomy hose
its moving details u b but the initial chapter TO VOL
be written of the Vide spsssd dsstrucssoa
Of human me- or the hundred fold 1svastaon Of pre-
pevsy and untold increased suffering 10 families caused
BY the present rising Of the Hssppf ana tribute
risa Tho story never can be haK toid-nsvsr will b
half knowA Nothing has bean abls 70 ssy hs prosro
Of the impetuous watera Bursting tanks ana swssD
ing away lsv6ss and every barrier assd y sot 10 cous
II has gone or 10 maddesed wsy-the gs6ius Of D.
sructon rampant A yet only the general results are
known There has been no opporsuhisy 10 GET The De-
tails and may b FOR weeks 70 coma m tact b ~
certain that the worst has been experienced
The river though calmly stationary yesterday and 70
dss may 90 up higher II may be the calm presasing
OF an extent OF disaster and destruction % which the
present dAuass ana los only drop IN ths bucket
Arriving hsse Yesterday morning mon Csiro on g.
Louis and Now Ossssas packet enables me describe
from personal observat,cs Ne condition OF the Msss.
sppi bsswssn here and the s-ss u,.ea For fsc,s D.
scrptive OF the river and towns below Msunhis and Ne
Orleans am indebted mainly to Mr.. A. M. Price. :
merchant Of this city juss arrived fron the Crsscens
City. Az already intmaed can only give the facts m
genel tsrms The fuller and saddsr details swst time
for their moro comp,ete revelation II s enough .
know that the msagre details already known, ~
fact that there has been such In the Mssia>
spp for twenty years. and the certain knowledge thas
many lives have bcen lost and large amount Of pro
perty destroyed coupled with the general destitution
prevailing through the South, gives the subject
citing, though most painful and melancholy interssk
The slightest OF Information seized at eagerly;
and Il is for this write with Cairo begin my
description, and thence proceed down the river
Ny rst Of reaching the great Father Of the
Western rivers and its confluence with tho Ohio apA
consciousness Of unusual rise in the waters Of saSn'
the approach TO Cairo, the track Of the ino
Central Railroad On either side Of the track the wa1et
gradually developed a. increasing area. rs---s' s
the railroad smbankmens slower the cars movea' VII
finally the train only advanced at saai-hks pace.
we're going through sesmirs sea OF water. inc uaS1
had whslly disappeared, ana wo were isenns our
along with water up 70 the axletrses o. the cara =
brsstvork OF Iccs fastened together BY strong ropss
srovs "a e,p ,ss waters u bay but wsl as the rs
sui, sboveA asssmpt-n the famed ansusssofa wssssm
orator--so dam the waters OF Niagara with knitting
needle The lower stories Of the dwellings and stores
in the lower sections Of the then under water
II was said few inches more rise In the connucnf
rivers would give tns disasrccabls mot destructive
edition OF the deugc In town the railroad track wss
clear or water and the buildings on the more elevated
ground untouched by h rising nood; but the general
low s,uason or the city and the threatening look Of the
,wo r,vcrs holding IL within ns cmbracs-sn embrace
ths, snv moment might prove one OF dsaih, rs here
thsre h NO high land 10 Zee 10 for refuge-suggescd
MssIssppi steamer In shape and size 70 my mind bun
vsrv much aer the model or the ark Of ancient Moan.
~ tbe fsss place of resort NY stay m Cairo was only
one day; bui 70 gratifying 70 know that tn tne s snrss
inches more nse in the rivers, which " was sa'd wouio
supmsrgo che town. has mot yet taken place. and 60
b hoped Il may not
We started down the river at dawn, having been de-
tanned ali night taking on freight The rain poured
down in torrents and there was a heavy wind whose
howiua blAsss ~ they swept past the steamer amoss
deadensd the OF the ponderous engines But tners
vns aay life on the misunderstanding chatting ana caru
uayine and al night music and dancing, while ownwaro
moved rivers cur: ent breaking over IN
new plaoes undermining new levses and ca!yng pov-
ertv ana starvation many households end 70 watery
graves consgnng others In striking contrast was inc
brilliantly lighted saloon and its gay inmates anu 'ne
eccure shelter warmth and comfor ala here enoyen 70
the storm Of rain and wind outside, and the ong
OF the npetuous river and the Thought That on
the further widening shores men, women and cnldren
their dwellings uptor and swept away BY the irresisti
bic food were ia the lonely darkness OF the night IN
the bltter cold and storm, struggling for NE Only
passinr thought ths Growing dawn showed wider ths
river ibsu either pilot or captain very few passengers
had sesp II before Al Intervals we're vast bays ON