Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-27
RIVERS RECEDING.
MORE ENCOURAGING REPORTS.
The Force OF the Overflow Nearly
Spent-The Work of ReIief-A Bad
Outlook at some Points, But Pros
poets Greatly Improved.

SDGns-AhG ~ OEA OA N&elIGN-A NGAO
Outlook at Some Points, But Pros
poets Greatly Improved.
NEW ORLEANS. March 25.-The Rabasse
crevasse, on Bayou La Fourche, has been
closed. There is now but one break in the
leVees OF Bayou La Fourche, that on Pitt
mans place, near the Morgan Railroad cross
ing. It is doing but little damage. The
river at Grand Gulf, on the Mississippi river,
has declined six inches from the highest
point.
Major Whitehead, by order of the Secre-
rary of War, has purchased during the week
IS 900 pounds of bacon, 1000 barrels of
-four, and 2 800 barrels of corn meal. These
supplies have been turned over to the Lou
isiana Commissioners, who are distributing
them TO the sufferers by the overflow. The
river here remains eight inches below the
high water of 1874.
The Live Oak Grove and Monsecour
ereVasses, In Plaquemine parish, have been
closed. A crevasse occurred this morning
at st. Sophie plantation, Plaquemiue parish,
but was closed this evening. The only
crevasse below the city now is that at Story's
plantation. AS this does but little damage
it will be left open until the river declines.
At meeting of the committee represent
ing the various associations it was resolved
to abandon the idea of celebrating the bi.
centennial anniversary of La Selle's dis
covery Of the mouth Of the Mississippi.
This action was based on the distressing
condition of affairs in the lower Mississippi
valley.
The steamer Tributary has arrived from
Steele's bayou. She reports the Greenfield
plantation Of Col. Ed. Richardson fully one
half out of water, at least one thousand
acres, and that on Captain L. B. Cowens',
esperanto place, there is fully six hundred
acres out, but slight fail is reported in the
lower portion of the bayou.
The government ratious forwarded to
Sheriff Dennis from New Orleans to the dis
tressed people of Madison parish have all
been distributed and consumed. They were
insufficient, as there were about $1,000
rations for 0O0 people. The water In the
Tallulah is four and half feet deep and
rising at the rate Of one inch In twenty
four hours. The mounds in that region,
that have not been covered by water since
1874, are now two feet under water. At
Waverly station the water is rising a. the
rate Of ten inches in twentV-four hours.
The steamer Josephine Spengler and Sal
lie Carney and some barges were at Tallu-
lah yesterday taking on stock. The depot
building at Tallulah and the gin houses on
the Briscoe and Watts plantations are
crowded with people and stock. The
steamer Deer Creek, from Estelle's bridge,
arrived here at s O'Clock last night. She
brings more encouraging reports from up
per Deer creek. From Arcola, which is
about $50 miles up that stream down to
Phelps place, 40 miles below, there is out
small portion of the plantations under water.
Many planters are blowing and planting
corn as If nothing bad ever happened.
On Deer creek there is much suffering
owing to the scarcity of grain and hay.
This river is falling rapidly.
The Yazoo and Tsllahatchie rivers con-
tiuue to decline, and at many places rap
idly. Col. A. j. McGonnigle, Assistant
Quartermaster of the United States Army
OF New Orleans, has arrived in this
city, having been ordered here by
the Quartermaster General under di-
rections from the Secretary Of
War to distribute one hundred and fifty
government tents to the houseless residents.
Col. McGonnigle has turned the tents over
to Gov. LowerY to be distributed as he may
see fit. None of the tents will be given out
here, but will be sent up the river where the
people have been compelled to abandon
their homes and are living on dry points Of
land.
ST. LOUIS, March 25-About $4,000 in
money and large amount of provisions and
ClObQluR, nave D6eu Idlb6u mere LOT bH6 U6u6@
fit of the eufferers by the overflow Of the
Mississippi river. Capt Lee In charge of
the government relief expedition up the
Sunfower and YsZoo rivers, estimates the
total loss OF hogs in Yazoo county and the
loss OF cattle at fully seventy-fVe per cent,
and the fencing, with many of the smaller
houses, is destroyed. He recommends the |
distribution of rations TO continue at least |
two weeks at Johnsonville and three weeks |
I'm tho lower VaZOn an1Infu hu which time |
ne thinks the work will be begun in the |
fields, and then the people can probably |
take care of themselves. Seventy thousand |
rations q week are believed to be needed |
until the water subsidies so that the people |
can get to work.
CINCINNATI, March 25,-The committee |
appointed by the Chamber of Commerce of |
this city to take action looking to the relief |
of the sufferers by the food, are sending |
circulars to responsible persons in different |
parts Of the overflowed districts, asking for |
specific information as to the extent of the |
suffering, and of the provision made for its |
relief, and what further assistance is ur-
gently required. The committee has OBJ |
tanned the consent OF the Memphis Packet |
Company to carry relief goods free.
NATCHEz, March 25 The river rose here |
about two inches 10 the last twenly-four |
hours, and IS still rising. The guage now |
reads AZ feet inches, which is % inches |
above the high water Of 1874. Vidalia, La,
Is submerged to depth Of from 2 TO 3 feet, |
the backwater being higher than the river. |
The levee was Gu to allow the water to run |
back into the river. The ferry boat Con- |
cordia Been is busily engaged all day |
transporting people and stock from Vidalia, |
and the overf1owed district back of there to |
this city. Natchez is crowded with refugees, |
and droves OF stock are constantly passing |
through the town. Parties from the neigh |
borhood of Lake Concordia and Tensss |
river report great destitution. The water |
rose so fast that many people had to place |
pickets across the rafters in their houses |
and take refuge there, having no means of |
getting away, and many of these houses are |
tottering from the force of the current. The |
Tensas river is rising at the rate of about |
five inches In six hours, anh, II 1t continues |
at this rate, the lives Of these people will be In
great danger, unless they are speedily relieY-
ed. The water at the Morven plantation, on
Davis Island, Lake Concordia, about ten |
miles from here, is higher than ever known
before and is sweeping onward with ire
sistible force, carrying away fences, doing
great damage to property and creating
panic among the negroes, many OF whom
were so terrified as to be unable to make
the least effort towards saving themselves
or their families until reused by the whites
The steamer Cannon arrived here this even
ing, bringing about $50 head of stock and
two hundred refugees.
VICKsBURG, March 26 News of receding
waters from Delta, Duckport, Milliken's
Bend, and even as high up IS Henderson's
Landing on the Louisiana side is being re-
ceived. The arriving steamers substantiate
the good news from the tributary streams
On the Mississippi side above and below
here, gradual decline is reported.
NEW ORLEANS LA, March 26.-The Ford
ache levee on bayou Grostete has given
way in many places, and the whole of the
sugar district will inevitably be
merged. The people hope to save their sub
horses and mules, but the cattle, sheep and
hogs must all be lost. These are the most
disastrous crevasses that have SO far occur
red in the sugar producing sections Of
Louisiana, and will entail a loss of many
hundreds of thousands OF dollars.
A dispatch from Port Allen to-day con-
firms the report Of crevasses on Bayou Gros-
5ete and the inundation of many valuable
sugar plantations. Appeals from there are
being made for boats in which to save
stock The water IN Baton Rouge has risen
iwo inches In the past twenty-four hours.
At $50 this morning heavy rain and thun-
Ter storm prevailed there. At New Orleans
high winds prevailed, ranging from south
,ae& a. sorrthxuaet Tt ia 1T.