The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-18
cALAMITlES.
The Southern FiOSois

nary rise of the NJ Ississippi river and breaking
of levees is probably more destructive than
any that ever preceded it. Vast regions IN Ar
kansas, Mississippi and Louisiana that here
tofore had been regarded rs entirely Hood
proof are now among the greatest sufferers.
From the many columns Of dispatches IN the
daily papers we gather few such extracts as
will serve to give II general idea OF the sitna
ton:
DoLEFuI. ACCOUNT FROM MISSISSIPPI
MEMPHIS, March l0-W H. Harvey and
G.. J. Marshall, two reputable colored men,
representing Il relief association organized
Monday at Grccnvillc, Washington county,
Mississippi, arrived this morning on the steam
or Belle of Memphis. They bring doletul
account of the suffering Of the residents OF
Washington county, where the lands have
been covered by water, now coming down
through Williams bayou from the break in
the levee at Catfish Point The levees along
the bayou have given way. Deer Creek is
flooded. and all the country back OF Green
vile is covered with water from one to seven
feet. The town Of Greenvlle itself Is at pres
ent protected by temporary lcvec hastily
thrown up the past week
TIL SlltAlION IN AhhhNShS.
| MEMPHIS, March ll.-Capt J. NJ. Lee, an
army officer appointed by the secretary of war
to ascertain the condition OF affairs IN Missis.
sippl returned tonight at 10 o'clock from Ar
kansas City on the steamer Dan Adams. In
an interview with the Western Associated
Press reporter, Capt Lee said the true cOndi-
ton of the country Overllown cannot be imag.
med without being seen. From point twen-
| ty miles below Memphis where the first
break in tie levce occurred, the entire country
| is one vast sea of water. The people all
through this region are entirely destitute and
in IA starving condition. Their stock has been
drowned They are living in gin houses, sta
bic lofts, ana the upper stories OF cabins
| Hundreds are subsisling on parched corn.
Many have been temporarily relieved by the
distribution Ol government rati0ns, but others
could not be reached, and their suffering is
very great, The levee along the river front
is breaking in forty different places between
Memphis and Arkansas City, and at some
points the river is fifty miles wide, All pub
ished reports have fallen far short of giving
an idea of the damage done or the destitutiOn
prevailing. His first estimate made 10 the
secretary of war was that 100000 ratiOns will
be required to feed the $1,000 needy in the
state of Mississippi This will he says, fall
short, as the destitute will probably be double
the number OF the first estimate Capt. Lee
will telegraph Secretary Lincoln and await
| further instructions here
A. H. Rathman, of Arkadclpha arrived to.
night from the overlooked country. lie said
"FrIday | went around the neghborhood OF
Arkansas City on an inspecting tour While
rowing through the woods in skill we came
across "A half submerged lOg house Rowing
alongside an upper window we looked in. a
man, his wife and two children occupied the
place. The man, upon beng questioned, said
1--WE did not expect break IN the levec. The
other morning we awukc and found water all
around the house, ana that the floor was lifted
10 by the high pressure We had no means
of eflectng an escape As we live great dls
lance from the river we have no boats. We
took this family to land about ten miles dis
Itant and provided food"
| Going out ia the skifl again we came upon
knoll where SIX or seven people had taken
refuge. They had been driven from home
and unable to get out ot the hOttOms had re.
NAMED ON the httlc knoll, although II could
he hut "A Temporary rolIci, rs starvation, If not
flood must soon come An old man i'll dcjcc
Itiou stood near the edge of the water and
looked with nexprcssIblc sadness out upon the
great watery waste. He said his name was
| Mansion. and that he had lived IN the neigh.
borhood for nearly twenty years. II was Inv
ing with my daughter, he said. The Other
nlsu' .ie ,''u 'u'n ,i' ~ ulo .r, uo '
Ill ~ n,,' d,T,,htnr ,n tJInv me- I'm, ius
then a awit, current struck me and bore mt
owav heard NV daughter scream and | Al
temn,ed "a answer her I'M s,ranpcd NJ was
horne onward with the rnpid waters. Striking
- ,rno ue;yod hold of il and teld on Lift
;ng NV Mead above the water | called for INV
DAUGHTER hut the mighty rush of waters was
,,,,, omi,, rssn,nss When dayliyh, came Jaw
tbe en,,r,. country WINS flooded | swain from
th he tre, and nv accident reached me hnoll'
orr hnat WA. main 5ronght into u,r The
Moor n.nnl. were nearly starved. lna when
FOOD wns riven Them they ATE rayenonsly
Indian Hnv fortv.tvo miles southwest ON
| thN''"- ~, 10y