The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-22
FREsHETS.
foundations at the West and
South.
SAD STORIES OF DAMAGE AND DIS
ASTER.
Interruption Of Travel and Great In
jury to Property.

last As hours has been very disastrous IN this
vicinity. The streams are greatly swollen and
travel impeded. The train going south from
here at 4.2O yesterday morning found the
bridge over the Macoupin Greek gone, and had
to return to this CITY, 1t went west by the
way of the Wabash track last evening expect~
ing to reach st. Louis from Jacksonville The
Macoupin Creek bottoms are overfowed dis
lance of five miles along the Chicago and Al
ton track The streams are overlooked. The
wagon bridge over Spring Creek near the Ohio
and Mississippi road is gone, and bridge Iover
the south fork of Sangamon is impossible
Train men on the Pekin branch OF the Wabash
road say they have never seen the Illinois
river so high The bridge over the Macoupin
Creek on the st. Louis branch of the Wabash
is also reported swept away. Wabash trains
continue to arrive and depart on time at pres
emit, but it is expected they will be also inter
and very little is heard of the trains. On the
Hannibal branch nothing was heard up to q
late hour last evening.
SHREVEPORT, La, Feb. 21.-A heavy wind
and rain storm passed over the city yesterday.
Much damage to trees and fences ensued. Re-
ports from all directions are that rivers, bay
GUS and lakes are rising rapidly. The river
here is higher than it has been for years.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. Feb. 21-The Appeals
Helena special says the situation remains I'M
changed River has been at a stand the past
24hours The water continues rising in the
city and is now over North Main street at the
Presbyterian church. All the mills and work
shops in the lower part OF the city have sus-
pended operations, and many laborers are
thrown out of employment. A few more days
of such distress will leave many in actual state
of want. The only means OF communication
between Main street and West Helena is by
skiffs, of which there is great demand. Bust
ness is at standstill. No transactions in mer-
camille circles except for the actual necessaries
OF life.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 21-At many points be-
tween here and Vicksburg the river is twelve
inches higher than it was ever known. This
is accounted for from the fact that the Missis-
sippi river h IS overlooked its banks above Os-
ceola, Ark, ninety miles up the river, and a
large volume of water pours through that
country into the head waters OF the st. Francis
river and again finds its way back on to the
main stream, fifteen miles above Helena, Ark,
where the st. Francis river empties into the
Mississippi. Every plantation between Mem
phis and Friar's Point, Mississippi is sub
merged, and the water extends back from
either shore 10 miles, Planters are enduring
great hardship from the loss Of mules, cattle
hogs and sheep by drowning. In nearly all
the overlooked sections the stock is suffering.
What was saved are just kept huddled to
gether on hastily built platforms.
The river is now higher than since the great
flood OF I847. At 11.30 this morning it was
So feet 8 inches and rising half an inch ar
hour. High winds prevail this morning ani
colder weather with light snow. This will
check the rise though not Immediately as the
river is still rising rapidly above. The vino
has most injurious effect on railroad embank
ments in Mill Creek valley as the waves tend
to crumble in the banks.
Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton and Cincin
natl Southern and Cincinnoti Northern are the
only roads, the tracks of which are free from
water. Obstruction of other tracks, flooding Of
side stracks of the Cincinnati and Southern
restrict business to the running OF passenger
trains. The wind this morning blew down
many of the telegraph lines and business al
the telegraph offices is consequently greatly
retarted. Most serious loss this morning is the
breaking away of IS barges Of coal from the
yard of Collier, Budd & Co. There being M
steamers ready to pursue them the chances are
they will be lost. All the coal yards are sub
merged and obliged to suspend business. Great
Inconvenience is caused by the flooding o.
streets along the river front where yesterday
only cellars were inundated
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 21.-The weather turned
very cold early this morning and the mercury
sank several degrees below freezing point
The river has risen over five feet since last
evening, making the total rise since Sunday O
than yesterday. The water will probably be
gin to fall again by tomorrow. Railroad trave
is still very much interrupted. Telegraph
lines west of here are Frustrated.
READING, Pa, Feb 81. -Schuylkill river il
six feet above low water and still rising.
HELENA, Ark, Feb 21.-Every boat arriv
ing at this port from above or below bring
news of widespread devastation everywhere
In bottoms contagious to the Mississippi rive
thousands of horses, mules and cattle have
been drowned and miles of fencing sweep
away, houses destroyed and corn cribs foate(
off with their contents, in many instances
leaving the people without the actual neces
saries. Relief must be given or many person.
will die of starvation.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 21.-According to the sigma
Service report, from 10 O'Clock Sunday night
to noon to-day $50 inches of rain have fallen
Since noon Monday not much water has fallen
but enough to make the aggregate something
more than 81 inches. The rain stopped abou
o'clock last evening Yesterday Afternoon
the rise was at the rate OF a foot an hour, and
the average for the twenty-four hours was
inches per hour. Notwithstanding the great
fall of water, no serious damage has been don't
to property in the city. The railroads, how
ever, have suffered in all directions The ex
act damage cannot be stated as the telegraph
wires have been down. Trains have been de
layed from two to twenty hours, and in some
instances abandoned altogether. AT Gave
Cliff, some twenty miles from the city on the
Iron Mountain Road, a freight train was
caught in land slide, and at last accounts
over one hundred men were engaged in digging
it out. No one was seriously injured. The
bridge across Macoupin Cheek, on the Chicago
and Alton road; some fifty miles from here, ii
reported swept away.