Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-16
THE FRESHET.
Extremely Critical Condition OF
Louisiana Levees.
The Situation in Some Parts tn
Worst for Twenty Years.
The Distribution of Government
RationS
Continued Among the Destitute.

New ORLEANS, La, March IA
Hon. George w. McCranie, of the
Onachita Telegraph, sends the folA
lowing to the TimessDemocrat,
from Monroe, La: The, sitaaasiisssa.
here is extremely critical. Avisit to
the levees above and below the city,
this afternoon, showed that they are
in great danger, though large
force of men are at work on them.
There is not fye inches to spare.
The water is oozing through the
levees in many places. The river
here is six feet higher than its natur-
al bank, and more than ten feet
higher than the rear of the city,
whose overflow is higher than
in 1876, and is still
rising, The river is rising at the rate
of l inch in II hours. The boat
from Camden reports rise all the
way down the river, which is only
81 inches below the rise of 1874
Nearly all of Trenton isunder water,
and in some places it is 3 feet deep.
Business is suspended and the roads
are impossible, communication being
carried on entirely by water. Plant
ing along the river has been sus-
pended and the stock is huddl ed
together, many dying from starva>
ton and the buffalo gnat. The
situation is worse now than ever be>
fore known for 20 years. Rain is
threatened to day, and shouldit come,
Monroe, the highest point on the
east bank of the Onachita River, will
be inevitably submerged
The condition of the country is
truly alarming.
ST. Louis, March 14--The govern
ment steamer Anita, which left here
yesterday with quantity of pros
visions on board, for the sufferers
from the Mississippi floods, will go
direct to Memphis, where she will be
taken charge of by an army officer,
probably Major Benyard, and will
then proceed to Friars' Point, from
which place number of boats will
be sent out over the submerged
bottoms, and all the people now
huddled together on both of the
broken levees and other dry points,
but still surrounded by water in that
region, will be transported to places
where they can be more comfortable
and properly cared for. The South
ern Relief Committee, of st. Louis,
will issue to-day an appeal to the
citizens generally for money, food,
clothing, medicines and anything
that can be of service.
The officers and passengers of the
steamer City of Baton Rouge, which
arrived here yesterday from New
Orleans, say that the river has an
average width of forty miles nearly
all the way from Cairo down, and,
with the exception of some sixty
miles above and below Vicksburg,
the levees are either washed away or
covered with water, and of no prac.
ticable benefit
New ORLEANS, March 1.-THE
breaks on the Chicago, ST. Louis
and New Orleans Railroad caused by
the overflow, have been repaired and
through trains are now running
again to Cincinnati.
J General Beckwith, Of the Commits
sary Department, who has charge Of
the distribution of government ra-
tions from this city to the flooded
districts of lower Mississippi, has
received the following dispatch from
Capt j. S. Loud, dated Memphis:
Il have just arrived here. 1 found
kenniscot County, Mo, in a distress
ing condition being almost entirely
submerged, and about 1,200 people
entirely destitute. The supplies
sent to Gayouso are being carefully
distributed, and will last until about
March 25th, More shonld be sent
there. The people will be in just as
bad condition when the water goes
down. The government, to prevent
starvation, should care for them
at least until May 1st. About SO
people are destitute at Hathaway,
Tenn; $50 at Tiptonville; 500 at
Haes Point, in Tennessee; $50 at
Bayfield, Point, and 1900 in the
vicinity of Osceola, Ark, are desti-
tute and badly in want Some stores
have been received at Osceola, but
they are insufficient.
General Beckwith has also re-
ceived the following from Captain
Lee, dated at Memphis
Il returned here on Saturday night.
My dispatch of the 8th inst. falls
short of representing the actual
destitution and magnitude of this
overflow
Ii an additional appropriation is
made of $500,00O, rations of meal and
meat should be sent here as soon as
possible,in large installments, for The
sufferers in the State of Mississippi.
This is in addition to any rations
that may not yet be sent from the
first appropriation. The destitution
is general, and increasing, and there
are 10000 destitute persons
in Bolivia County alone. My
estimate will carry the sufferers
through to the 10th of April, and
possibly the food may subside by
that time, SO that the sufferers can
begin work"
Captain Lee has been directed by
General Beckwith, to take charge of
the little steamer Anita, which left
there yesterday and proceeded at
once on the mission designated for
her-the picking up of parties of desti-