Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-25
A RAY OF HOPE.
The Situation, ON the Whole, Somewhat
Improved, and More Hopeful
Feeling Prevailing.
The River Falling at Helena-Eneour-
aging Report from Skipwith, Miss
The Arkansas Still Rising.

Special to the Appeal
HELENA, February 24.-The situation here
scarcely warrants special" The river is
declining at the rate Of half an inch in
twenty -four hours. Ample funds were cub
scribed to-day TO strengthen the levees pro-
tecting Helena. Neither pains nor expense
will be spared to secure the city and sur
rounding country against further inroad of
the mighty foods. Large overhowed plan
( tations in the bottoms south of this
place are supplied with ratious by skiffs
and scows. The loss of stock south Of here
II uOA41f,-- s4si'e ~ ---sr, H.
No suffering from short rations. Failing
above" is the report here tonight, and oer
people are full Of hope. In Mississippi OPP
! posite this place the damage has been great.
| Several miles of the Mobile and Northwest
ern railway has been washed away, and there
! IS partial suspension of business on that
| line. Several Helena firms are delivering
goods to the submerged districts, and our
supply merchants are determined to
sustain their patrons of the past
, Snd enable them, as far as pos
sibie, to go ahead for the cur
rent year. With characteristic pride our
people want to sustain themselves, and all
those who are unfortunate enough to be de-
pendent upon them. Captain t. c. Ferguson,
member of the Mississippi legislature, tele-
graphs to-day that supplies for the sufferers
in his immediate section, opposite this place,
will come by the next boat. To be brief, we
have muck to be thankful for, and but Tor
he re in, L..
snugly comfortable. The outlook is GER
tainly gloomy, but with a late sprng and
fail, an early decline OF the river and sys-
tematic effort, our bottoms will come to the
front before the present year is passed.
An EncooraEfnE Report.
Special to the Appeal
SKIPwITH, Mss February 24.-Our in
spector, Ex-senator w. S. SandersoD, who |
has been working energetically for the last |
few days repairing our worst places in the |
levee, reports tonight that we can stand |
here all water coming. The weather for the |
last week has been favorable for planting !
operations, and good use is being made of it. |
Our plantations now present busy scenes of |
Industry. The planters report hands work. |
log unusually we'll, and notwithstanding the |
excessive bad weather we have much more |
blowing done than at this time last year. |
Tae exaggerated and erroneous reports |
which are being published in regard 10 high |
water and the condition OF the levees in this
part of the Mississippi bottom are partly |
unfounded. The Ben Lcmond levee, SO |
often reported broken, is still intact |
There is no break from the Warren |
county line to Easton, near the north |
ern line Of Washington county. The water |
running out at tho ElstUn break runs north |
east into Lake Bolivar, injuring only small |
portion of Washington county. Seven
eighths OF that county and all of Issaquena
county are free from river water, and we be-
lieve they will remain so. The levees from
the Easton break south are constantly |
guarded, and all weak places are being
strengthened. The rise here is only one inch
per day. An additional rise of six inches is
as much as we expect. The vast area over
which the water has room to spread makes
it impossible for it to get much higher.
The Arkansas River still Rising.
Special TO the Appeal
LITTLE Rock, February 24.-The river is
still rising, with nearly twenty-four feet,
and falling at Fort Smith; it will probably
be stationary here tomorrow Arkansas
river, twelve miles below here, TO day made
a new cutoff near Terry's Ferry; it will
throw far from the south to the north side of
the river, leaving the current against the
Tom Steele plantation. Chief Engineer
Hodges. of the Arkansas Valley road, re-
ports the river overlooking the track. An
immense volume of water is flowing south to
Trinity river, thence through to Atchafalaya
Doggy Cypress and r ed Fork are running
out of instead of into the Mississippi.
Associated Press Report.]
LITTLE Rock, February "a The river
continues to rise at this point at the rate of
half an inch per hour. The steamer Wood,
son, from Pine Bluff last evening, reports
tie bank overhowing at Patty's levee, forty
miles below, and water on Orchard, Nichols
and other places. At Sam Desha's place,
twenty miles below, the water is two
feet over the north bank, and it is ,
feared it will rush through Old river
and damage several valuable plantations
fourteen miles above Pine Bluff |
is inundated and the whole Pastoria country !
under water. 1t is rero rted the river is now
running through Flat bayou, the bank in /
many places caving badly. The loss at De-
sha's will be extensive. Mosley's l
lake and the river fifty miles below, {
have joined forces. From present appear c
ances in the inland much desiitution exists !
among The inhabitants of the overlooked ter
ritory, and unless assistance in the shape of ,
provisions is furnished, great suffering must
follow. a
Al Sd. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, February at is reported :
hat the wooden bridge across the OkaWa '