The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-28
THE WATERS LET LOOSE.

| THE MISSISSIPPI OVER ITS BANRs-PLANTA-
TIoNS DEVASTATED AND PEOPLE HOMELESS
DANGER OF FAMINE AND RAILROADS OBJ
sTRUCTED.
Dispatches to the Chicago Times from
Memphis and New Orleans give the follow
ing particulars of the terrible devastation
caused by the overflow of the Father of Wa
ters: Below the Arkansas river the oldest
settlers say they have never seen the river
so high, and the end is not yet. Napoleon,
Chicot City, and other towns have a navi-
CATION of from two to ten feet. In many
places the vast river has no visible shore.
As far as the eye can reach there is one
grand sea of water. Many levees are bro
ken, and the water is pouring through like
cataract. What is to be the fate of the peo-
pie living in this district, no one can tell.
They are now overwhelmed by debt, high
taxes, and by bad government constantly
and less credit, very lighs supplies, etc.
Who can see the end? Already hundreds
of whites and blacks are
SUFFERING FOR FOOD,
clothing, and other necessaries OF life, with
almost no prospect of the water abating in
time to make crop. 1t presents dead
future, indeed. Thousands of freedmen,
who poured into the bottom last season from
the old states, are suffering greatly, and
many are making effortst to get back Nearly
every railway line in this state hss suffered
from the flood. On some, entire bridges
have been carried away, and others have not
been able to repair damages for weeks. All
the small streams in Middle and East Ten
nessee rose higher than since the flood of
le67, and have swept away fences, out
houses, and barns and in some instances, so
rapid was the rise that horses, cows, hogs,
and sheep were carried down and lost. The
only outlet hence now eastward is via
Decatur and Nashville, or Humboldt
and Cairo. The Paducah road ran one
train in to-day, but the track is under
water, as is also that of the Little Rock
road. Every boat up brings news Of the
keenest suffering by the poorer classes, some
of whom must starve to death, unless relief
Is sent them immediately. The Howard AS
ISOLATION Of this city last night sent s., 800
to help the poor of New Orleans, but moth
ing has been done as vet to aid those who
are driven from home by the flood this side
of Vicksburg. In Jefferson parish, Louisi
ana, the rear portion of the town of Gretna
is under water, which threatens Morgan's
Texas Railway. Yet another crevasse is
now reported at McCollum's. and the water
is going through that and the old one. The
new crevasse made i'm West Baton Rouge is
four hundred feet wide and ten feet deep.
ANOTHER BREAK
has occurred at Iberville, on the west bank
Of the river, 100 miles above New Orleans,
and more are expected momentarily all the
way up. The men who have been working
night and Gay on the levse s arc nearly worn
out, and in some cases have given up all
hopes ofclosing the breaks. Several planters
owning places below. but who reside here,
have sent orders down to have their stocks
carried to the high ground, and have given
up all hopes Of raising crop of cotton this
year. The water here tonight lacks only IA
inches OF the flood height attained in 1867,
and it is going up altogether too rapidly
to give even the taintest hope of a decline
sufficient, in the next five weeks,
to prepare the ground for any kind of
cereals. Capt. Porter, of the steamer Alice,
reports the whole Amite valley under water.
The river generally has banks of II to Is
feet, but now the water is over four feet deep
over the banks, and has washed away
houses, implements, etc. The inhabitants
have fed to the highlands, where they now
abide in destitute condition.
Gen. Thompson, chiefstate engineer, sends
the following dispatch from Baton Rouge:
| The Hickey erevasse is 200 feet wide, and
passes seven feet Of water, at a velocity of
eight miles per hour. The two McCullen
crevasses are each $50 feet wide, but will be
closed in few davs.