Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-16
THE GAZING LETRRs.
Several New Crevasses Reported.
Passage of steamers Through the
.Couneil Bend Cut-9E


Memphis Avalanche, May IA.
: The river opposite this port has fallen
nearly ten inches in all; tn fall at Cairo
has been over three feet in the past week,
and from all upper country points the
cheerful news comes that the waters are
rapidly recedins. Within week it is be-
lieved the food win have subsidized within
the banks of the great aqueous highway.
Information from the Immediate valley
below this city Is less fiattering. the recent
cutoff at Council Bend and the flood from
the st. Francis having done serious HARM
Since the cutoff was made, the water in
the bend at Bledsoe's Landing fell IA
inches, relieving all threatened places in
that locality from further damage.
The current in the new inland lake or
bend has ceased, and the cutoff has
Widened so that the steamer City Of Vieks-
burg, bound down, passed through it last
Tuesday afternoon without trouble or ap-
parent danger. The steamer Phil Allin
came up the same way on Tuesday and was
twenty-seYen minutes making the rifle,
although the distance was only few hun
dred yards. A general Publication followed
this important achievement, she being the
first upward bound vessel to make the run
from Helena 10 this Fort inside Of so miles.
1t was an mp hill job while it lasted, but
the gay craft pulled through all right. Both
sides of the river from this port to the
month Of the st. Francis are now past all
danger of inundations The Arkansas lands
above Commerce bend have nearly all
cleared off. The river is falling at Walnut
bend, Austin, o. h. landing, Helena and
Friar's Point.
Opposite Helena, at Trotter's, new
break in the levee occurred last Monday
and half of the plantation was finder water
at last accounts, but the extent Of the
damage to the adjacent places is not
known.
The levee broke at the Nancy place, just
above Fort Pinney, Arkansas, opposite
Friar's Point. on Tuesday. The crevasse
was 25 yards wide, and about half OF the
Apperson place is already covered. This
farm had 500 acres of cotton up and half OF
it was ready for the scrapers. OF course,
all that is submerged will be destroyed and
will have to be replanted, If the water de-
clines In time to make crop.
The break in the levee half mile above
Friar's Point, occurred before daylight on
Sunday morning last, and the impetuous
force of the immense volume of water
which poured through, uprooted trees and
swept everything in its resistless course.
Soon after daylight the water rose rapidly
in the rear of the town and drove the peo-
pie of the vicinity to seek refuge in more
elevated localities. All day the back water
continued to rise from this and the food
from the crevRsse below town on the Mil
Ter place, and by Sunday night the water
was a foot deep in the main streets Of the
town, while the breaks caused decline of
four inches in the main river in front Of the
town.
The splendid plantation Of Col. j. G..
Miller has been converted into a turbulent
sea of water, and ruin has resulted both 10
ii, and the ID. B. Maynard place above.
The Friar's Point Delta issued an extra on
Monday, in which it says; "The Miller,
Maynard and ID. b. Rozell places are the
only ones in sight of which we can speak,
but we fear that all Others within range
of the flood will be subject TO more or
less damages. Much Of the stock will be
lost and a great deal of suffering will fol-
low.
The levee in the immediate front is now
our main protection, and every effort onthe
pat of the levee force is being made TO
anu lAtlCNS OH "O<Ah POAAt1-
The water now over il being backwater
from the lower crevasse has not much cur
rent, and its main damage is inundation.
But, if break were TO occur at any point
| in front Of the town, woe to the people of
this doomed village. The force of ere
vase would sweep away the houses like
feathers before the wind, and uprcot the
very foundation of the place.
Thu levee is cracked at YaZoo Pass. If
it should give way, the overflow will be-
come general and disastrous"
When the break on the Miller Place oc-
Cured that gentleman was about TO seiid
| his force to the aid of others. The break
first dubbed through small hole in the
| levee. Mr.. Miller stood near, ran his
hand through. and thus tried to stop it;
then larger place cayed in, when wheel
barrow was showed into the orevasse, and
next, Mr.. Miller jumped into it himself
| Suddenly the whole embankment for %
yards tumbled, and the water poured
through with grand rush.
THE CITY OF HELENA
has been saved from inundation, the citi-
gems turning out en- masse to work on and
strengthen the levees. A train of car
carried dirt from the bluffs to the river
bank, a steamer transported lumber, and
the pOpulace worked hard, so that barrier
was finally made firm enough to resist tht
efforts of the rising waters to breal
through. The cause Of all this trouble Is
evidently the heavy volume of water sud
denly inpelled down the decline, caused
by the Council Bend cut of, together with
that from the St. Francis, the latter receiv
ing its food by the impetuous force o
heavy volumes Of water carried across from
the breaks above Osceola. The eountrt
not already covered will now be apt tC
escape, as It has already been relieved b.
previous creyasses and general decline 0