The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-21
FAMINE AND FLOOD
MlsERIEs OF THE MIsslsslpPI RIvER.
The Stories OfDl.t,s That ar. Told OftAo o,.r.
aoWsd BtsttietS- Homes POnat.a aud II.
i'tsasS Alds PrssariOus-Lsr.n Break.
lag aad Destruction Spreading.

o'@F"S '""t CIV Wul iuuleulhlelY PIC
ceed up the Yazoo river and distribute he
supplies, about one hundred tons, AM
render what other assistance possible Il
the destitute people In that region.
Captain Lee has information that ther
great distress and suffering throughou
the Yazoo Delta. Itwas originally design
ed to remove the people from their tloodet
homes to secure and comfortable auarten
but 1t Is learned that there are 80 many o
them that 1t would require a whole fleet q
steamers and boats to carry ont tbat pIan
and It has therefore been abandoned. The
I people Will be left In their houses excep
in extreme cases and arrangements will 6t
made to furnish them with supplies from
depots, which will be established ut elipi
BILE points. Captain Lee held consulta,
ton with prominent citizens OF GreenyiIle,
and at last accounts was making all haste
to the Yazoo country. Seven persons were
drowed when the levee broke at Prentiss.
ST. LOUIS, March 20.-The clerk Of the
steamer City OF Providence, Just up from
Nicksburg, gives some information about
the floods Ia the lower river not before
published. He says that the Parasol Steam,
boat Company that runs steamers up the
YaEoo river and its tributaries, is doing
NOR, to assist and rescue the people in that
district than the Government and every.
body else combined. 1t has sent into the
submerged region OF the Yazoo the Sun.
flower and the TalaGatchie, the light draft
steamers Desmet, Headlight and Sunfiower,
equipped for special work. Each boat ia
manned with complement OF skiils, axes
and other necessary utensils, They steam
out into the flood as far us practicable, then
anchor anu send detachment OF men in
each direction TO look for sufferers.
Ihe crews are to be started out in the
morning with instructionst to prosecute their
search for her until nearly dark and then
to return. The Snnhower. cns OF the boats
above mentioned, returned the day We left
Vicksburg. On board she had $50 sufere:s,
and her deck was crowded with cattle
which had been picked up. The people
on board were nearly all sick aud major.
ity OF them in d destitute condition. An.
other one O. the boats. the Headlight, is OK.
pected back at any time. She will also be
crowded with passengers and cattle, The
worst point on the whole river is Mill.
kens Bend. There is an overflow and
counter overflow in that district,
The waters from the Mississippi are get.
ting over the leVee and the floods and
backwater from the Yazoo are coming in
from behind. As consequence, when
these two bodies meet whirlpool isformel
which destroys everything in its course
The locality OF the whirlpool is changing
continually, and every day it meets
new obstruction. A large yawl, filed with
negroes, was caught in Il the other day and
upset, drowning all its occupants.
The whirlpool struck church n few
days ago in which several pe0ple with
their, stock had taken refuge. The church
was IN few minutes torn to pieocs-plank
by plank-and carried away. The stock
was drowned and the people lloated around
in tho water for some hours, but we're
finally rescued alter great deal Of trouble
and danger. The vo.1eS struck the resi-,
dence, barns and stable OF an old and
paralytlc farmer by the name Of JamiesOn
and totally annihiiated them. The oId
gentleman was drowned.
NEw ORLEANS, March 90 Buckhorn
BREAK Is at least & half mile vide and about
ten feet deep. The water is spreading ali
over the country and the peonie are on the
tops ot houses waiting TO be removed. Jas
A Stone and Jus. i, Stone rescued ninety
people by means Of skitEs. The report
lelegraphed OF the burning OF the gin house
Of GAMER, near Buckhorn, and the loss OF
$50 lives, is incorrect.
ing ffom renas parish report every planta.
ton under water or affected by it There
are eight breaks along tho parish front
The most disastrous oftheseis Is Ships BAYOU.
which has gradually widened and is now
nearly a mile wide. The water is rushing
through in q stream twenty feet decn,
causing the flood Of water from the other
breaks to rise ten inches every twenty.four
hours Ships bayou break is between Tho
upper and lower ends OF Lake St, Josenb
both Of which Ore near tue river hank,
When the break occurred the water
rushed through In such volume that Il
raised the water In the lake so rapidly thnt
Y ran out the lower end into the river
The land forming the island between the
lake and the river are low but quite rich
The whole OF the Island will soon be sub.
merged. The water at some places in The
parish runs over the top OF the plantation
cabins. The planters, rs tho waters en-
croached upon their lands, sent their i've
stock across the river to the hills ON the
Mississippi side. The loss of stock
in the parish IL light and tbe
planters aro az hopeful as ncssibIe @
under tho extraordinary circumstances. II
the water recedes by the LIST or middle Of
May, they will be able 10 plant to consid.
erable extent The overflow was earlier
than usual. 1t flooded lands before plow.
ing had begun, and this will cause DELAY
OF q, week OF, two, as the plowing will have
be done as the water rcccdes.
A letter written from St, Joseph, by the
President OF the Police Jury, Tenas parish,
says: III have just Travelled twenty.seyen
miles over tho highest portions OF the
Parish in boat. On nearly every plantation
the negroes have been driven from their
houses, and have taken refuge in the upper
portion Of the houses. Tho water from
Ships Bayou break has washed awav
houses. fences and everything in it's path.
The baekwater is higher here than was
ever known before. There is not one
thousand acres OF land out Of water
in tho whole parish. The Landry
crevasse in Ascension parish Is not closed
but continues to widen and is now reported
to bo hundred and iliteeR feet wide. The
water is backing up on the lands OF Ascen.
sion Parish above the break and aoolinu
the plantations below in that and also 81,
james Parish. A portion Of burnside
plantations arc under water, The final
outlet for this water Is through Lake Mau.
ropos thence into Lake PontchartFain.
There has been no heavy rains in the
Mississippi Valley for the past week, and
the head waters ofatf tho streams In
Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana ara
reported falling. At New Orleans the
river hes scarcely variedan inch In week,
standing as now eight inches below high
water.