Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-21
THE YAZOO DELTA.
River Rising Rapidly at This Point
and Now Within Three Feet OF the
Highest This Year.
Serious Apprehension and Alarm for
the Growing Crops-Bad Weather
and Gloomy Prospects.
Special Correspondence of the Appeal

Special Correspondence of the Appeal
GREENvILLE, MISS, May 17.-In my dis
patch of last Monday stated that the river
had risen an average of three feet below the
mouth of White river. Since that another
foot has been added to the rise, and now at
this point it is within three feet of the high
est mark of this year, and rising at the rate
of seven inches in twenty-four hours. The
water is pouring out through the breaks at
Riverton, Lake Bolivar and Easton, and has
reached the interior, or Williams bayou
levee, in the upper part of this county,
portion of which had been repaired, but has
been again carried away and the planta-
tions in the immediate neighborhood, with
growing crops, are being flooded.
IF THE RISE CONTINUES
lower Bolivar and the upper part Of Wash
ington county cannot escape further disaster
from the food, as little or nothing had been
done to protect the country, owing to the
slow subsistence of the waters from the first
rise. Such temporary repairs as were posi-
BILE to the levees had been made. But of
course a sufficient barrier to Withstand this
second assault of the waters was simply i'm
possible to provide in the time between the
floods and with the means at hand. In those
sections of the bottom named, the crop had
been very generally pitched, and a fair share
of it out of the ground and being worked.
But this sudden second descent of the foods
presents discouraging aspect, and viewed as
philosophically as is possible under the cir
cumstances, it cannot but fill the minds of
the people of the delta with gloomy fore
holdings for the future, and further diminish
hope of a crop this year. The severe
storms of the Sth and 9th instant
which passed through this county-an ac-
count of which gave you in my last week 8
letter, which, by the way, does not appear in
the APPEAL-did considerable damage to
fences, cabins, ginheuses, shrubbery, forest
trees, growing crops, etc., and killed one man
and injured several other persons. The
weather, too, succeeding these storms, has
been unfavorable for crops-too wet and
cold-and even in the sections of the bottom
that may escape the second food visitation,
apprehension and alarm are felt that other
causes will reduce the crop prospects Ii
the worst be realized, and the usual June
rise should follow up the present stage o.
water, woe is the bottom in its unprotected
condition. But what can be done to avert
impending danger is problem the wisest dc
not attempt to solve.
THE MEETING OF THE
Yszoo Delta Levee Convention here on the
18th proximo, is looked forward to with some
hope as the starting point of some practical
plan for the future and permanent protec.
ton of this rich bottom country from over.
flow. But whatever that convention may be
able to agree upon, and however wise and
practical plan may be adopted, of course
will be for the future, and can afford no re.
lief in the present emergency. Meanwhile
hundreds of our best planters and most skill
full artisans and laborers will have become
discouraged and left the country. A very
considerable exodus of this sort has already
taken place from this and counties adjoining
since tie floods of this year set in. An
abandonment of the country by such a class
would be calamity second only 10 an an.
nual overflow. '' '- i'.
THE CIRCUIT COURT
is still grinding, and the grand jury has
stuck nest of thieves and robbers In which
some Memphis birds have been caught. The
band is extensive, and Is said to have their
stations all along the river, from New Or
leans to st. Paul. A fire yesterday morning
destroyed the clearinghouse of +. NJ. Shan
nahan, near the landing. Total loss. No
insurance. s.