The examiner., 1882-03-18
The Desolation Caused Icy the Floods

Nashville (Tenn. )Adispatch says: "An in- cessant rain has fallen here, and the rainfall alre dy measures 1.39 inches. The Cumber- land river is rising rapidly, and will reach the
 lire of forty two feet above low water mark by tomorrow afternoon. Ten rafts have been lost since last night. The rain storm of to- night extends from Texas eastward to Georgia, thence northward to Ohio. thence westward to Kansas"
 The following dispatch from Helena, Ark, gives a distressing account of the situation: : ''The position here becomes more appalling every hour. The levees are built up as high and strong as is possible under the circum- stances, and still the river continues to rise and the water ls cks but few inches of sweeping everything The town is protected above by 8 cross levee and it has been thought that this would save the city from a sweeping overflow. The levees above are pierced by great crevasse, and the water is up to the top of this second levee. There is no hope now that the flood can be kept from the town, and at any moment the alarm bell may ring out the terrible news that the water is flooding the streets. Those who occupy homes in the exposed places have moved to the second stories of business houses and to buildings on the highest point The overflow from the back-water occupies two thirds of the town, and is still rising. A regu- lar business is done by boats and scows carry ing people around the overfowed district, and scores of big boats are at work moving furnl- ture and other property. The news from below tells of great distress and i7Gieas inSTeas
 
 The break at Bolivar, Miss, is one of the greatest ever made in the Ievee system. and floods vast territory. The water can be seen from the steamers dashing through to the fields below with the force and roar of a catar- act Terrence, Miss, because of it's central po- sition, has been made the point for distribu- tion for the section around Bolivar and River ton, and every boat leaving the section for the country below carries supplies to the sufferers, and yet the cries for help come up from every hand. The immense extent of the food must be understood before any correct idea can be formed of the demands of the case.
 " The distress is not confined to miles, but to scores and hundreds of miles. MT. s: Krow, Of Trenton, twenty miles southwest of Helena, came in to-day in the interest of a conslderab ble number of white sufferers from Big Creek bot present, as objects of public aid. For several days they were cooped I'D in gin houses and lodged in trees, and would be there now but for the presence of some charitable people who brought them to Trenton, where they were received by Mr. Krow, and everything was done that could be done: They are in terrible state, and their ex- periences in trees and in outhouses during the past ten nights are terrible to contemplate Their losses have been great, and MT. krow says that they are but the beginning of what is sure to follow He is certain that many more persons are in the same condition that these were, and efforts will be made as soon as pos sible to bring them to Trenton, which Is the nearest high land to their locality. The overflow water from the Mississippi sweeping 1n western direction has thrown Big Creek out of it's banks, and caused this misery and destitu- tion.''
 A dispatch from Memphis, Tenn, says: s'The river remains stationary here, with thirty y-si1 feet on the gauge Passengers who arrived from below this morning report that st Austin, Miss, between Memphis and Helena, the river had cut through the town destroying the prin- cpal buildings, among the number the Masonic Temple. The Centennial block, large brick building, is almost demolished, the water be ng twenty feet deep all around it. Several store houses and dwellings, were washed away and carried distance of half & mile. The loss of stock continues, and the situation is hourly growing more desperate"