Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-25
THE RIVER.
Pears of an Overflow along ihe Aissts-
siPPt-GIoOmy Prospects, bat
chance OF Escape.

! The present high water in the Misss'
! sippi river has aroused general appre
! hension OF al overflow. Such at this
| time would cause iuCalCuiable damage
| to the planters along the river bottoms
I The river is within two feet of high
water mark OF last May, and yet we
| have hopes thst there will not be an in.
undatiOn. Such would carry ruin and
! iTreparable loss to the entire country on
the Mississippi hence to New Orleans.
Never in the history Of this country
| have crops given such promising pros
| poets as now, for along the valley the
rich soil is covered with luXuriant cane
and blooming cotton. An overflow now
would sweep away millions OF dollars
worth Of property, and the effects Of
such a catastrophe are terrible to think
Of At present it is no easy matter to
speak with any assured certainly as to
WHAT THE RIVER WILL DO.
It's unusual high stage, only y few feet
intervening between the vast volume OF
water and the helpless planter, looks
threatening and gloomy enough. Rain
has again fallen in The upper country
and the different streams are flooded,
but not to an unusual depth, except for
this season of the year. With all the
fearful prospects of an overflow, we
have yet cause to hope that the Missis-
sippi will not rise more than one addi-
tiOnal foot. Owing to the swift current
the water will soon flow to the gulf, and
unless there be heavy and general rains
along the
TRIBUTARIES OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
and in the northwest, it will be but day
or two before it reaches its maximum
hight and commences to recedr. How
ever, we fear the planters in some local
tiles south Of here will sustain much
damage. Heavy rains have fallen along
the head Waters of the ST. Francis, Ar
kansas and White rivers, and cOnse-
quently planters along these streams
and south of them may anticipate a
mighty rush Of waters. Owing to the
back water from the Mississippi, the
bottoms along the above streams will
doubtless be inundated.
THE RIVER AT HELENA
is thus reported under date of July Goth,
as we learn from the NdiI, of that city (:
"The river at eight o'clock this morn
ing stood thirty.seven feet seven inches
above low water-eightf feet eight inches
below high-water mark, and four feet
eight inches below the spring rise, and
rose seven inches in the past twenty-four
hours. | expect about One-foOt rise after
to-day. JAS b, MILES"
DAMAGE ALREADY DONE.
The Helena World, OF last Tuesday,
says: "The rising river is playing sad
havoc in the lowlands. A great many
Of the bottom farmers are now under
water, and two feet more will create a
most serious damage. This misfortune,
coupled with the drouth in a great many
localities, is tended TO cause farmers,
and IN fact, every citizen in the cOun-
try, to feel detected. Ii appears hard
that we must be kept back, but a hope
may be INDUCED in that the prospects
are not so bad as We at the present
time imagine"
STRENGTHENING THE LEVEEs.
We understand that labOrers are at
work Strengthening the levees and keep
ing a lookout for crevasses at Benefits
landing, Mississippi, thirty-three miles
below this city. 1t is said that in the
lower bottoms the water has already
made some entertainments, and caused
damage to crops. At Benefits the levee
is between three and four feet above the
water, which will hardly overflow there
unless the embankment gives way.
THE CREvAssE AT OLD TOWN, ARK,
one hundred and fifteen miles below this
city, has let in the water which has al
ready done damage to several planta-
lions. Last spring year ago the levee
at that place was cut by some malicious
persons, and it is through this gap that
the water is flowing into the immediate
bottom lands. While the damage so far
is local, we hear that the water there
has backed up five or six miles, and will
destroy the crops on several other
plantations should the river continue to
rise.