Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-03-09
DESTRUCTION ON THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI.
Three Hundred Miles of Territory
Fl0oded-Liyes Lost and Houses
Carried Aaway..

MEPHIs, Tenn, March IA hurricane
of wind and rain last Monday night de-
stroyed the last hope of holding the
water at bay between Helena, Arkansas,
and Arkansas City, distance of three
hundred miles. About twenty breaks
occurred in the levee at about the same
hour o'clock Tuesday morning, the
principal ones at Carson's, Riverton and
Bolivar.
at Riverton the scene was appalling.
The town is directly behind the levee,
which broke for distance of two hun
dred miles. Directly in front of this
town the water poured through the
crevasses like cataract and swept
everything before it. The landing keep
er, Ben. Haines, was drowned, and also
two negro children. The people ran out
OF their houses in night clotkes, and
while some climbed trees others perched
upon logs or the roofs of their houses.
The breaks affected one whole of
Bolivar, Washington and Issaquena, the
richest cotton counties in the State of
Mississippi. 1t is impossible now to
estimate the damage though it will be
great. The levee is studded with live
stock, that must sooR starve unless re-
lief comes. The damage to the levee
will exceed 100000. The loss to the
planting interests will be measured by
the duration of the overflow.
TERRIBLE SUFFERING IN THE sUBMERG-
ED DISTRICTS.
A special to the Appeal from Helena,
Ark, says: The river did not rise here
there was decline from yesterday of an
inch. The flood from the hills caused a
rise near shore. aud as 1t passed off there
was, of course, fall. The river, from
water above, began rising tonight again,
and will continue.
A big break is reported in the levee
just below Concordia, which occurred
yesterday morning, and the people are
panic-stricken. Four negroes and one
white man were drowned.
c. w. Blackburn, of Laconia Circle,
arrived to-day, negotiating for a steam
or to remove the stock and napple from
that flooded district. He say Aany ne
gr0es are starving. and othe<8Are feed
ing on putrid carcasseS of drowned cat
tie and such game as can be procured.
Whole families are subsisting ON half
peck of meal per week. The people of
his section are offering milch cows for
twenty-five cents head, as thet poor
beasts are dying from starvation.
Distress all along the river below is
unparalleled. News reached the city
this afternoon, that theIwater in the St.
Francis River bottom, or sunk lands, is
rising at the rate of an inch an hour.
: "a. EoEIs, March f.-Gentlemen here |
from Mississippi county, in the south
eastern part of this State, report over
half of that county under water, caused
by overflow of the Mississippi River, and |
that farmers in the submerged district |
have lost nearly all their live stock, |
grain and other property. A large num-
Der of families are living in the second |
story of their houses, and many others |
have been taken away in boats to higher |
ground, and are being provided for at |
public expense. A good deal of suffer |
ing has occurred, ,and very large amount |
of property has been destroyed. The |
track of the Iron Mountain Railroad is
said to be atioat in some places, and in
order to prevent it being swept away |
long stakes have been driven in the
ground on each side to keep it in place.