Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-17
En.cis OF The FIooa along the ohio.

I
| Special Correspondence of the Appeal
| LOUISVILLE, March ia trip by river
| from Memphis to Louisville or Cincinnati at
I this time is interesting enough to one who
appreciates the situation, but if he has a
| feeling heart, most of the scenery is peculiar
! ly depressing in its effect upon his spirits.
| For distance of more than 400 miles is
| presented continuous succession of desolate
| vieYs-ruined homes, flooded forests and
! fields, and the debris of wrecked farming and
householdiug appliances meet the eve at ev-
cry turn, and appeal 10 the sympathy Of the
beholder in behalf of those whose hopea for
the present year at least, are destroyed, and
who can look forward to nothing save char
ity for the means of sustaining life until
Providence shall again smile upon their
eff to gain an independent livelihood.
Ny last, from Cairo, contained all that L
had been able TO secure, by dint OF inquiry
and observation, concerning the overflow
from Memphis to that point. Alter entering
the Oaio the evidences Of destruction became
even more cb'ervable at every step, because
of The more dense settlement of the country
and the Larger number OF those whose i'm
provements were inundated or swept away.
The broad and fertile bottoms on both sides
of the river, as far az The eye could reach,
were submerged, aud deserted by the inhab-
itaBts with few exceptions. There is little
high land on either side of the river for
long distance, and on the Kentucky side few
farms are Visible below Paducah; but on the
Illinois side the country is gensrally well
settled and was in high state of improve
ment previous to the recent flood, which has
reduced the whole region to a trackless,
houseless, fenceless waste Of water and yell
low mud. At Paducah the river was bank
full on Friday, and had few days .previ-
ously been six feet deep in the lower stories
of buildings fronting on the levee. Consid
cradle damage was done to those buildings, |
we'll as to the public Improvements Of The |
town, but at the time we passed de-
tails were unobtainabls. At Metropo-
lis Ill, the lower part of the place
the week preceding all the manufacturing
establishments had beep compelled to shut
down because OF their ground floors beiog
from two to four feet under water. Themes
to Henderson, KY, and Evansville, Ind the |
prospect gradually improves, the land icing
higher and the river having fallen within its
banks, yet the evidences of the late overflow |
of the Oaio were visible in many places |
Much water still remains on the lower
grounds, forming lakes of considerable ex-
tent here and there, while the M arks of the
extreme high water can be seen everywhere
in destroyed fencing; battered outbuildipgs
and piles Of drift heaped all over tn fields
The fail wheat in the bottoms looks thin and
sickly, but the rmers s1iil have ample time |
TO prepare their land and plant and
vegetables. OF course the meadows are I'M !
injured save in the damage done TO fences. |
Some stock has been drowned, but taken al |
together and compared with the con-
ditiou Of things below, people up this |
way have reason to congratulate them |
selves upon the lightness Of their visitation. |
Heartfelt sympathy is expr, s-ed on all |
sides for the mis.ortunes and sufferings OF |
those communities along the lower Missis- |
sippi, whose woes are so graphical de- |
tailed by the press and by river men who |
have witnessed them. The great food is re-
garded a national calamity, and it il /
the universal sentiment that the nation, |
through Congress, should act promptly and |
generously Tor the reli-f OF the sufferers.
For once section is forgotten, and the hearts
OF all go out in fraternsl aft ction toward |
our peopl. in this their hour of calsmity.
The bold hills that overlook the beautiful
Ohio are lovely to see-thrice lovely to the
eye of one reared amid such scenery, but
who has for many months maze his home in
Memphis 1t is indeed La Belle Rivieie, and |
none who have once Toasted their eyes upon
its beauties OF jutting headland, towering ,
cliff, rolling hill and undulating valley will |
ever forget them or cease TO wish for a re- |
newal of the vision.
Our voyage, aside from the sad scenes of |
desolation which have met us nearly the en-
tire distance, has been a very pleasant one, /
though somewhat tedious. Our good craft,
the Cons Millar has about 600 cons of freight |
for Louisville and Cincinnati, and about
thirty passengers. No incident worth
lating has occurred to any of us, and now
we near cur journeys end each one
of us happy as big sunhower, though that |
feeling is somewhat dampened at the thought
of parting from Captain Russell and his |
obliging officers, some of us probably never
to meet them again on earth. H.