Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-09
THE FLOOD IN THE WEST.

Gen. Hancock arrived III New York last
Saturday from al extended southern trip, and
to reporter gave the following account of
the horrors of the flood in the West:
From what l saw I believe the Southern
people over hundreds of surface miles are liter
ally drowned out. Fences and cattle are gone
houses have been swept away or are uninhabi-
tated railroads destroyed plantations ruined
and the country desolated. Nothing like it
has been seen for many years. The distress in
the flooded regions is beyond the power of
words to describe. Recolloct, what 1 have
told you was seen at a time when the flood was
not at it's worst. The first thing to he done is
to extend necessary aid to these people. We
must face the problem of feeding, sheltering
and clothing these people until such time as
they can raise food and shelter for themselves.
The Southern people will do what they can,
but the Northern and Western people must
also come to the rescue. Even if it were right
to throw the burden of such an unparalleled
and widespread calamity upon the Southerners
alone, they have had the means of charity
swept away with the means Of livelihood. We
must help and help at once. 1t is better to
send money to Memphis, Mobile, New Orleans
and cities where provisions and clothing may
be bought than to wait to send food and cloth
ing. 1t is impossible that more will have to
be paid there than here for supplies, butt tell
you the people cannot wait for provisions to
reach them from here. There are thousands
of negroes who are homeless and starving, and
they must be fed and, what is more, we have
got to feed them. There is enough food in
the South that can be bought to keep them 60
ing until we can send more from the North.
1t should be sent by rail ; steamers are too
slow. Those people must eat and they have
nothing. Relief committees should be formed
in every city to receive and forward supplies.
Money should be sent at once to relieve the
most pressing wants. Arrangements should
be made with the railroads to forward supplies
at first on through freight trains to carry moth
ing else and to be put through in the shortest
possible time.'
In regard to measures for future prevention
of over1ows, the General said !" "a bill should
be introduced into Congress providing for a
survey of the Mississippi, the Missouri and the
Ohio Rivers, as well as their tributaries such
as the Arkansas and White. The survey be-
ing made plan of levees should be devised
which would be sufficiently strong to protect
the country. Whether the government, the
States or the parishes build them they should
be constructed on some general plan. If the
Southern States cannot afford to build the
levees the government should help, for the
protection of the vast bodies of land now
overhowed in the South and West as in my
opinion of national Importance, and should be
so regarded by Congress. But whether the
government builds or helps to build the levees,
it certainly can afford to and should cause sur
YeyS to be made at once.''
The following account of the effects of the
flood was furnished to a New Orleans re-
porter by the captain of Red River boat,
who reached that city last Saturday
II found great distress prevailing on Red
River All of the low lands below Alexandria
are overtlowed. Above Alexandria the low
lands in Winn, Grant and Natchitochez Par
ishes are all covered with water. The Clapp
place above Bayou Rapids and all of the low
lands from Colfax up to Montgomery are inun-
dated. Alexandria is not yet overtowed and
little damage has been done between that
point and COlfaX so far. The planters of Bayou
Boeuf showed sufficient enterprise to put their
men to work on the levees and have built quite
a strong bank around Alexandria, rendering
it safe from the inrOads of the water. The
water is now coming down the Mississippi
rapidly and it is of this more than of the Red
River that the people are afraid. Water is
flowing through the crevasses on Tuesas and
Black Rivers and is backing up into Red Riv
er very rapidly. There is no telling what
damage may yet result. The people are un-
dergoing terrible hardShips many of them
are emigrants who settled in the productive
low lands along the river, improved the coun-
try and were building it up. Some of them
had only made one or two crops and were just
beginning to get their places in full running
order when the water came and swept their
crops and everything else away. Those who
could do so ran their stock up to the hills, but
most Of them are ruined entirely and are on
the verge of starvation. helped them all l
could and l think it is the duty Of the govern
ment and all citizens to assist those whose
means have been taken from them by the mer
cilesS tlOOd.''