The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-03-09
The Flood ID the Lower Mississippi.


II would require IN artists pen 10 picture tho
grandeur OF the Mississippi - u il present
nood-tide \ sweeps with mighty power doxnto
the Gulf, while its endless current everywhere
carries upon it, bosom the evidence 81 IT. do
Niss.. there il scarcely anything to 10 so snt
dreary water waste, extending in many l,cslitiea
afteen Milcs INTO the interior froM either tank.
The damage that has been dono 10 farming
interests By the great overflow cannot be csti-
have been drowned, and hundreds ars nov daily
dying Of starvation Tho inhAbitants of tho
bottom lAndA have been driven from their homes
and are now existing the best they may On
ridgss whore hasily-built huts AFFORD them
shelter, and whore they would soon sta!vs
tho history Of The country was there . much
suffering experienced By the people Of the
1ississippi valley ~ now, and. what with the
xising waiers and the inesssant rains, ths de-
asten of the future cAnnot b f0rseoAd.
NxxPKm March Z
News reaches here Of terrible destruction oe
property BY the breaking of the lesee at Car
sons Landing. Ia. A gap Of scventy-6vc fcse
was hrst made by The rusLing water, and 100
yards OF the leyee we're soon swept away. The
noiSe of the roaring Hood Aw0ke tho sleepinG
cit xens. who. looking ont OF their homes. raw
the river rapidly spreading over the country.
MithoNt taking time 10 clotho themselves. the
people lied for their lives. Four rcrsons were
overwhelmed BY the rushing waters aud
drowned. Their cries for help were h~artrcnd-
ing. Many people had narrow cscApeA
BY tho breaking of the lcye0 . few milca
above Grsenvllle. Miss.. the whole of Bolivar
county, Miss.. 10 inundated. Great less oe
property. and. xorss s..ll. loss q hfe has -.
snlted RosesiAle. tho county seat of
Bolivar county. u more than elk feet
under water. Adsices from idverton. Mssa.. $50
mice south VI here. report : fearful destrIc-
tion III property aud HoMo loss Of life. The
stock il oil drowned. and therc are NO pruvia-
hons for poor people TO slhsist On. The village
OF Riverton has been entirely swcN away. and
the inhabitants arr hoMeless and penni-
less. Steamboats, now run through tha
streets At Indian Bay, Arkansas The
water At New Orleans u greatly higher
than the average level of the city.
feet under water. The poor inhabitants dspend
ON Government rations. 1he damage 10 TIE
Memphis and Little Rock road by floods 10 essi-
mated at &500, 900. Refugees ARE nocking b
Memphia by hnndreds. The Commissioners 70
distribute rAtions for Arkansas aud Mississippi
are On hand. and snpphss have already gone
forward 10 Rverton. concordlA and brlen
MKNrals. March &
Reports received from the Hooded districts In
Eastern Arkansas are of the most dishearten-
ing character. The damage il much greater
than iirst announced Refugees from ncshA
aud Chicoh counties give sraphis and thrilling
accounts Of the iioods which drove them from
their homeA Ono man says he Was awakened
at midnight by . rearing sound, and aroused
| his wife aud three children under the impScS-
sion that = cyclo0e Was sweeping aeroes the
plantation NoMe minutes later the hoNse
| was swept mum its foundation. and Il noAted
Oh ON = seA of water. The wreck was
| almost instantaneous, and tho occupants of tAs
| dwelling could not realize the situation until
| they were foreed 10 seek shelter on the root.
/ They were rescued the next morning. Many
/ incidents of 4 similar nature Are related. The
| Governor of ArkAnsas says the num-
hsr VI persons requiring ssssistanee in
1 that State alone will reach 1AU00
1aI Governor Of Missouri telegrapsd the
Secretary Of War 10 increase tho rataons
| ordered for the Hood sufferers. Secretary
Lincoln replied that eight days sMpplscs
bad already gone forward 10 the Inundated
| portion II Missouri and that tho Arkansas
/ Commissioners aAk lS,O0O rations for forty
daya which will exceed the appropriation.
Eight army officers will b detailed 70 lnvesti-
gate the needs Of the people. and i = tho0Sht
that el00O00 will b required ConEFcss
h 10 b asked 10 furnish the poor with sod
| c0rn.