Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-24

companions. Gnats are literally
eating them alive. On one levee
on the down trip there was pile of
wood about half submerged, and on
the top twenty sheep and a large
number of hogs were taking refuge
from the water, but they would
starve.
Appalling Destitution in Arkansas.
HELENA, Ark, March 1S.-The
water is falling slowly in the river,
but the overflow in the city remains
stationary and the general situation
brighter. Effects of the overflow
are being roughly estimated and the
figures reach millions. The suffer-
ing at points not easily accessible
still continues and new stories of
distress reach Helena hourly. The
city is full of homeless people who
have escaped from the lowlands,
and hundreds of hands will go into
the upper country, deserving their
old homes forever. The steamer
Coahoma brought meat and bacon
FIR shipment to sufferers On the
sunken lands on the Upper S..
Francis, which went forward this
afternoon. Additional news from
that region shows still more the
! frightful condition of the people.
They raise cotton, corn and hay, and
are said to be among the best stock
raisers upon the face of the globe.
\ thousand head of cattle of the
finest Kentucky breeds are floating
around dead or are upon scaffolds or
on RATS that have been tied to trees
to keep them floating The few In.
dian mounds that appear show the
only ground for nearly four hundred
miles and are the only remaining ves-
tiges of that prehistoric country and
these will be used to land rations on,
it being unsafe to select any houses
on the route.
HELENA, March 1S.-Destitution
in the sunken lands of upper St.
Francis was never equaled in the
annals of disasters. These people,
all white, have received no aid what
ever. Hundreds of families are liv-
ing on RATS, eating dead animals and
grasping at any revolving food
Families are huddlsd together like
animals, praying for food. No land
is visible for 800 miles.
Stories of disaster and restitution
received from all lower Mississippi
river points continue to come up.
The river is rising again, and levees
giving away about Vicksburg and
flooding entire parishes.
Political Comment.
WASHINGTON, March 2O.-A prom
inent Republican, q close and con-
fidential friend of ex-senator Conk-
ling, and who stood by the latter
faithfully while both were in Con-
gress, and who has seen Conkling al
most daily of late, says Conklipg
does not want and would not take
any office at present. He says had
the Presidents letter offering Conk-
ling the Supreme Judgeship reached
the latter before the nomination was
made, Conkling would have declined
then, and the public would have
known nothing about it. He says
Conkling's ambition is to return to
the U. S. Senate from New York,
and his plan is to devote himself to
law practice and accumulate money
enough to make him independent
for the next Senatorial election in
New York. Meantime he will keep
out of politics. His friends approve
this policy, and this gentleman says
the talk of Conkling accepting Office
under the present Administration is
idle.
Talk of Cabinet changes is revived
in all quarters, and the general be-
lief seems to be at least one Cabinet
nomination will be made in few
days. 1t is claimed by friends OF
Vim. E. Chandler that he will be
nominated Secretary of the Navy
this week. The best information to
be obtained points to Chambers
nomination. There are rumors of a
coming change also in the Interior
Department, but Kirkwood's friends
claim that he will remain.
A Northern Pacific Passenger Train Goes
Through n Bridgo-Over Twenty Per
sons Killed and Wounded.
CHICAGO, March 22.-Following is
the latest from tho most reliable
source. A Bismarck special to the
Tribune via the train just arrived,
says: Nine men we're instantly killed
and eleven others injured. The cars
caught fire and two mon were burned.
The accident happened two miles
west of Sweetbrier, at a place known
as Soapstone Cut, at the crossing of
Heart river. Four bents of the
bridge gave way. Only the work
train was wrecked. Jack Simon was
in charge. The latter was known
as Black Jack. A snow pillow which
was ahead of the wrecked train is
now en- route to Mandan with the
killed and injured on board.
BISMARCK, March ga terrible
wreck has occurred at Sweet Briar,
about 40 miles west of here, on the
Northern Pacific. An engine came
here from Mandan for physicians
and assistance to attend the sufferers
in the wreck. 1t is stated that
Black Jacks work train bound west
went through bridge and the pas
senger train, but little behind fol-
lowed. Thirty persons are reported
killed and many more injured. All
physicians to be found in this city
have just started on special engine
for the wreck. Full particulars at
this hour are impossible.
PACIFIC COAST NEWS.
Six-year-sld Boy Killed by q Cougar
His Body Frightfully Lacerated.
KALAMA, March pa most dis