The Portland daily press., 1882-03-14
THE FLOODS.
A Gloomy State of Affairs
Plantations Submerged and Stock Lost.

WASHINGTON, March 1S.-The Secretary of
War has sent the following telegram to Gen.
Beckwith at st. Louis, Mo-: 1.-The following
telegram has just been sent by the Chief OF
Engineers to Major Stutler at St. Louis: IA
Congress has authorized the use of steamboats,
tugs and row boats belonging to or now emoloyed
by the government, with proper crews, for the
transportation and distribution of supplies to suf
ferers by the recent overflow on the Mississippi ry
er and its tributaries. Confer with Lieut. Col.
Beckwth, Subsistence Department, st. Louis, and
furnish him with such steamboats,, &c, as you may
have available for the purpose and may need, the
boats to be manned by you, expenses of the boats
and crews to be paid from special appropriation
Just made. similar dispatch is sent to Ernst q
Benzeaurd. 1t is the Intention that not only gov
eminent supplies should be carried on these boats
but any which may be furnished from any other
sources and that they shall assist in the dstr1bu-
ton of supplies already issued to the State commas
sioners and to ascertain the extent exc char Of
a see in nen making distributions Present infor
nation indicates that the stores already issued
will last as follows: At Memphis for Mississippi,
until the 10th inst At Memphis, for Tennessee,
until the 2lst; at Memphis for Arkansas, probably
the same; at New Madrid, for Missouri, until the
3lst; at Gayoso probably the lsame; from Charles
ton MO-. report is no more necessity for sending
more; no definite reports from Mound City except
that the destitute are supposed to number hve thou>
sand for whom there have been sent in all 26OO
rations. The intention of Congress is that these
steamers and their small boats shall be used to
make the most efficient distribution of stores at all
points where necessary for this purpose The dis
trbuton should still be made by State officers, the
boats being provided them for the purpose. Would
it not be advisable for the officers detailed by GEN
Sheridan to be in these boats and ok after the dis
tribution? If they cannot perform the duties they
are already ordered on sowe in this way 1t would De
well to have army officer on each large boat at
least and upon advice from you on this subject the
proper orders if necessary will be given: The use
of the boats will of course be expensive and 1t
is important that an unnecessary number OF large
steamers should not be used. How many in your
judgment will be required?
The Secretary also telegraphed to Gov Nc
COLON at Springfield as follows
Mr. Townsend from Shawneetown district, has
information of great suffering at and around Shaw
nee town from floods. If you desire relief sent there
please name commissioner and ascertain and ad-
wise me of the number in distress and Will render
such assistance as is possible;
He also telegraphed Gov. l.. P. Blackburn at
Frankfort, KY, as follows:
Capt. Burnham, u S. A., telegraphs from Column
bia KY, that about five hundred people need SUD
sstence to be distributed from Columbus. Ii you
desire this and will telegraph the name of com,
missioner to make distributions at that point Will
order 10000 rations sent.
The Secretary also sent the following tele-
gram to Commissioners GILES and Sebarck at
New Orleans:
Telegram of the 18th received. The present ap-
preparation is nearly exhausted that the depart
ment cannot place 500 600 rations at your disposal
now. An additional appropriation is probable. In
the meantime telegraph me from time to time the
number of rations needed and number of people
being relieved as your necessities require and the
MEMPHIS, March 13.--The breaks on the
Mississippi and Tennessee, Louisville and
Nashville, and Memphis and Charleston Rail-
roads, have not yet been repaired and passen-
gers on all three routes have to be transferred.
All lines expect to be running through trains
without interruption by Wednesday at the
latest.
The river declined two inches to-day. Cap
tain j. s. Loud, one Iof the army officers de-
tailed between Cairo and this city, reports
great distress among the inhabitants OF New
Madrid and Pemicot counties, Mo-; Lake and.
Dyre counties, Tenn; and Mississippi county,
Ark. Pemicot county is wreck and has been
submerged for three weeks. Loud thinks gnv-
eminent aid for inhabitants of these couotles
will be necessary until May 1st In many 10
calities the water extends into the interior 10
to 60 miles. Commissioners Mangum and
Hemingway to-day each distributed 50,OOO
additional government rations for Arkansas
and Mississippi.
NEW ORLEANS, March 13.-Ths Hard Times,
Point Pleasant, Buckner's, and Woodburn
levees all gave way this morning.
V1cKsBURa, March 13-Delta, La, has been
abandoned to the flood and people are leaving
it as fast as they can and by every possible
means. The levee in the rear of Delta is
about to give way, in which case new cutoff
would form down through Grants canal, re-
sulting in the perfect destruction to that town
and complete abandonment of Vicksburg as
river town. Complete ruin is reported on Sun
flower river and Deer creek.
At Jacksonville it lacks about two feet of
reaching the high water mark of 1861. while
below at Shelleydge and Woodbury. it lacks
only about IL or 10 inches. The water pouring
ont of Yazoo river has backed about thirty
miles up in Mississippi and now threatens that
whole section of the country. Nearly all the
plantations in lake Washington are submerg-
ed, and nearly two-thirdf of the stock in that
section will be lost. At this point the Vicks-
burg river has been rising three and half to
four inches per day for the past three or four
DAYS. 80