Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-03-15
THREATENING WATERS.
The Tennessee and Cumberland
Rivers on a Grand Boom.
Fear OF a Coming Flood, ETC.,
Etc.

Fear Of a Coming Flood, Etc.,
1t was raining all along the line
south of the Ohio this morning. A
thunder storm was progressing at sun
rise near Galveston, also Shreveport
and Little Rock, while over an inch
of rain fell during last night at Vicks-
burg. 1t rained at Chattanooga, and
the whole country is saturated with
water. The creeks and rivers are
overlooking, farm work is in a state Of
total suspension, much of it being a
month behind, and for the first time
the water outlook presents
AN ALARMING ASPECT.
The river already being full to the
brim from Cairo to the Gulf,the water
now coming from the tributaries Of
the lower Ohio threatens to carry it
over in many places. As yet the river
at Cairo is not quite as high as it stood
a few weeks ago, but continues to rise
slowly, aud there is nothing to encour-
age a hope that its swell will cease
for some days at least. The best
that can be hoped for is that the
overflow will be brief, and that the
waters will subside at an early day.
Valley planters can stand it now better
than later on. kilograms to-day re-
port that the Tennessee and Cumber-
land have attained their greatest
height at Chattanooga and Nashville,
and unless to-day's rain affects them
further, the water up that way will
som subside. 1t will be longer about
it, however, at their lower ends.
THE CUMBERLAND.
On Saturday last the water of the
Cumberland was 434 feet deep on
Harpeth shoals and rising. The
Nashville American Of Sunday says:
AT 8 pm. yesterday the Cumberland
river lacked only a foot of being as
high as it was fifteen or twenty days
ago, and was still rising. Between
fifty and s~eveuty-fve families have
been forced to remove from their
homes. The Tennessee river is rising
al along its course, heavy rains having
fallen in the mountains of East Ten
nessee and Middle Tennessee. Most
of its tributaries are reported out of
their banks"
THE TENNESSEE.
On Friday last the Tennessee at
Jacksonville, one hundred miles or SO
above its mouth, marked tw%enty-nine
feet on the gauge. A dispatch from
Chattanooga says: This morning the
.riverat this point began slowly falling,
bat at noon to-day another sudden
rise was evident, and at 2 pm. it WIS
rising steadily at the rate Of two inches
an hour. At 8o'clock the gauge reg
istered twenty-nine feet with the river
steadily rising. During the last two
weeks a period of unprecedented rains
has prevailed in East Tennessee. To-
day it rained with terrific force all
along the line of the rivers. and the
smaller streams are greatly swollen. A
rise of forty feet at this point is now
probable. Some fears are being enter
tqined by owners of RATS, but yet no
damage has been reported. There is
about $4,000 in logs moored on the
river bank"
A correspondent of the American,
writing from Decatur, Ala, on Satur-
day last, says: "a great deal of rain
has fallen here in the last three orfour
days, which has materially checked
farm operations and caused the small
water courses throughout the country
to spread far beyond their usual con-
fines. The Tennessee is on a grand
boom. Yesterday evening she over
Ileaped the north bank and threatens
all the lower land between it and
ISwar lake. A large amount Of drift
wood has accumulated above the pier
at the draw on the bridge, aud railroad
employees are now removing it to pre-
vent damage to the bridge, as well as
to open the way for boats. A general
overflow, which is imminent, would be
greatly damaging to property and de-
structiye to life, as there is much stock
in the bottom and on the islands be-
low
THE SWELL HERE.
During the past three days the rise
Of the river here has been precisely
seven inches, Of which two inches
were added between noon yesterday
and the same hour to-day. The rive
level is now exactly two feet below
extreme high water mark, Rain /
reported all around us to-day.