The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-02-25

Helena special says: News reached mere To-
| day of an accident on the plantation of the
late Colonel Ellis. eleven miles below this
| city by which six children were drowned.
1t seems that Charles Washington colored,
when he found the plantation would be
| overflow ed last Friday, put his wife and six
| children into a dugout to take them to a
place of safety. He had just started when
| the dugout capsized and all the children
were drowned. Washington and wife were
saved by clinging to the capsized boat. The
behaved father was q hard-working man.
Information has also just been received of
the drowning of Moses Green, colored. on
Willard & Collins plantation, on the Mis-
sissippi side, by the capszng of dugout"
WIDESPREAD pEvAsrArIos.
The Gazette's Helena special says: The
| disaster caused by the break in the levee at
Williams IN : place greatly prevented COM
siderable extent The Iron Mountain Rail.
road track is submerged aud the telegraph
lines broken. The levee has been tempo
rarily rebuilt rbe only line of coinmuni-
cation with West Helena is by means of
skiffs and other small crafts. The prospect
is very gloomy, as the oil mill. foundry and
| other industrial establishments are closed.
Many workmen and lsborers are thrown
out OF employment. There can be little
doubt great destitltion will result among
the working classes of this city, as. it will be
at least two weeks ere the water falls suf-
iicently to permit the resumption of busi-
ness The water is still rising, and will con-
tinue to do so as long as the
present stage prevails IN the river. The
point snd will probably be rising
within the next forty EIGHT hours. Captain
Carville, of the steamer Nick Jones, just
in from Sunk Lands reports the river fall
ing in the neighborhOod of Lester's Land
ing, Mo-, but All immense volume of water
pouring into ST. Francis River from the
Mississippi by way of 1yronza and Little
Rivers and Blackfish and other bayous The
outlook is not cheering for an early subsi-
dence of the flood at that place. The Off
GERS OF every boat arriving at this port from
above or below bring news of widespread
devastation everyv here. In the bottoms
contiguous to the Mississippi River 1000
horses, mules and cattle have been drowned
miles Of fencing swept away, houses de-
stroyed and corn-cribs floated of with their
contents, in many instances leaving the peo
pie without the actual necessaries. What
the end of this will be none can tell. but 1t is
evident relief will be needed or many per-
SONS will die of starvation. Business is en-
tirely at a sandstill IN this city. Merchants
are despondent but are bearing it with cour-
age.
HEAVY SNOW FALL.
GREEN BAY, Feb. 2l.-Snow has been fall
ing here continually since o'clock last
evening. Reports from neighboring logging
camps say there has been heavy snow fall
The prospect of satisfactory logging har-
vest is greatly increased.
AT LOUISVILLE.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. 2l.--Busness is PLAYED
out on the wharf to-day owing 10 the river
being too high. The canal marks showed
thirty-five feet and two inches, and rising at
the rate of an inch an hour, with thirty.
three feet in the chute on the Falls and
thirty feet and fopr inches over the rocks.
LOUISVILLE Feb. 21.-At Fourth street the
water is on the first floor of Gilmore. Hite &
Co., one door below alley. This was just
one door below Voolfolk, over whose
floor the rise of 1857 came. Early
in the day apprehensions began
tobe felt that some Of the buildings would
give way and fall. r. ]. Melcher is the
owner Of the tnree-story double brick on the
east side of the street. In one side he kept q
grocery and in the other ball room. Water
invading the first story in the morning. he
moved his goods up stairs. Shortly
after this he noticed crack
in the middle wall, and at
once removed his family. On returning
the crack had widened to two or three
Life-savers Devan, Tully and Gillooly and
offered them $500 if they would save
his goods. They took life-boat
and bags and rowing out in front of the
house, proceeded to get out goods through
the secOnd-story windows. There were four
families living over the bar room part, and
two over the grocery-Melcher's and
another. One large load was taken out
including Melcher's piano and fine furni-
ture, and taken to the shore and landed, and
the heroes returned for a second load. Gill
looly was in the third story, Tully in the
second, and Devan down in the boat Only
a few things had been landed when crash
was heard. the middle wall fell, and the
whole house, from the roof to the ground
floor with all its contents, went down in the
cellar. The workess had bare warning and
Gillooly jumped from the third story and
Tully from the second through the awning
frame into the water below Melchers and
the other five families were without homes
or goods and the life-savers had failed to
earn their $500.
From the foot of First street clear up to
the cutoff ridge every building along the
river front is under water, and many houses
and coal offices have been washed
away, and are drifting aimlessly around
against coal BRACES and boats. The embank-
ment of the Short Line Railroad has been
washed away up to the ends of the cross
| ties, and the destruction of the track is
| threatened every moment
CALLS FOR RELIEF.
MEMPHIS, Feb. 2l "A Helena ARK spec
ial says: THE day opened with a strong
wind blowing from tine north and many
congratulated themselves the cold snap
would have tendency TO check the velume
of water from the upper river. but their
| hopes were dashed TO the ground on
the receipt of dispatches announcing
floods pouring down the Ohio and Missouri
Rivers. The river here declined oLe-hali
| inch, but further material decline is not
looked for. The situation Is one that calls
relief from some Quarter. Every day
reports reach here of numerous cases
of almost actual want among
the people, both white and black in the
| submerged districts. Our citizens are be-
comirg more reconciled tn the situation and
rapidly adapting themselves to the inOon
veniences that urround them.
| AT EVANSVILLE.
EVANSVILLE, Feb. 2l.-During the gale
last night the harbor tug Uncle Buck, wa
swamped, and sunk on the wharf at the foot
of Main street. Two families were wrecked
| and two men, two women and one child
were drowned.
Choice Items Cuiied From Paper Of thu
Last Century.
philadelphia Times.l
lfinstead of the copy of the Times nov
before the eye the reader had received thi,
morning a copy of the Pennsylvania Ga
zette for May Il, l747, he might have fancied
for the moment that the earth had passed
back track. There would be before him mo-
an 4ipht-napa iourpal af vanorou,