Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-03-18
FLOODED!

Some Accounts of the widespread Dew.
astation Caused by the Overflow of the
Mississippi Notwithstanding Condi-
ton of Many Sections of Country.
A Rverton Miss special OF the 4th via
Helena, 9Th, to the Chicago Tribune, says:
From the scene of desoation wire you, TO.
night the best and latest report can gather
Of the true situation. Riverton is q small
place Of four or five business houses, and
about twenty residences. Rosedale is two
miles above, and is about the same size. The
latter place is the county-town of Bolivar
County, Miss, and the home of the Hon. Mr..
Montgomery. The break occurred about five
o'clock Tuesday morning, and the crevasse is
now 200 yards long and growing all the time.
The alarm was given by DIR. Dulaney, who
rowed ten miles in rough boat to arouse the
people When the current struck the town II
was impossible to pull boat through, and the
people took shelter upon the housetops and
upon floating pieces of fences, sides OF build
ings, etc.
1t was about an hour before Rosedale was
flooded, and the people there had time to save
some of their clothing and the most valuable
Of their light personal property. As soon as
possible the ladies and children were removed
TO the wharf-boat at Terrene, where tenn
porary shelter was found, the men staying by
their property and homes, seeing all they
possessed swept away by the torrent of angry
waters. The colored people Jared the worst,
and many were lost in the immediate vicinity
of Riverton.
II is a gloomy subject to think of-what
must become Of the people who are thus
thrown out of homes and property, and it is
even more dark to think of what can be done to
get the levees In shape when the flood goes
down. The people are unable to repair the
damage, and unless the levees be put In good
order it is waste of time, and there is no
seed to plant an acre. The time is short and
something must be done soon If this country
is going to produce u pound of cotton or
support any Of its $4,000 people Is the case
one Of such importance and need that the
General Government would be justified in
doing the works The wlsest political heads
think it must be done by Government aid.
Sure it is, something must be done, and done
soon If this country is to take care Of herself
for several years to come.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, March 6.
kilograms and letters which reached the
city to-day add another dark page to the story
Of suffering and death caused by the floods,
Mrs. Julia johnson, who owns a plantation
near Lakeport, Chicot County, writes Gov
ernor Churchill as follows: "Water all around
my houses and desolation everywhere. have
forty tenants, all of whom are destitute an(
suffering. Major r. j. Adams and Captain l.
c. Calhoun, whose plantations lie four miles
from me, are completely overhowed-not 9
dry spot in hundreds Of acres, and three hun
bred people in want The situation is appal
ling.n The parties named lose about $500
each. Major NJ. A. Trlce Of Wellborn, Ar
kansas County, is also heavy loser. He re
ports the country lying between De Witt an
Prairie County vast sheet of water, anC
hundreds Of people without shelter or food
John L. Schroeder, postmaster at Gaine
Landing, Chicot County, says that the ovel
flow is fearful, and the destitutio
and suffering, especially among tn
colored people, very great. The los
of property will reach $4,000. job
Sanford, Charles C. Carter and John Maize
report restitution increasing in railroad tow
Ships Chicot County, and appeal for immed
ate assistance. John NJ. Hewitt telegraph
the Governor from Mariana that large dee
Cation from the overfowed districts is at tina
point and require food. Governor Churchill
ordered supplies sent from Memphis. Jane
II. Robertson, Of Fayette, Mo, writes that h
has passed over portion of the overfowe
districts, and that no pen can describe tn
scene of desolation. He says the people {
the eastern portion of Ashley, Desha an
Chicot Counties have abandoned their home
and fed to Gum Ridge. All the bottom land
arc inundated, houses swept away, stoc
drowned, business men ruined, and the coul
try devastated. A number OF people hay
been drowned. The damage in the section
named is estimated at million dollars.
GREENvILLE, Miss, March Q.
Gree1ville is secure from any possible ovel
flow, though the low points were at one tim
threatened Refugees from the oyerfowe
plantations are congregating here, and cur RI
\ sources to feed and shelter them will be S,
verely taxed. So far the relief agents hay
G not communicated with our local authorize
o Our Board Of Supervisors have asked th'
some of the Government rations be sent her
The need is immediate The Sheriff of Boil
var County has lodged his prisoners in Il
; Jail here. He reports very few plantations
his county with even a strip of land above tn
\ water Consequently, the loss of stock the
WILDE almost total. The levees were throng(
u with negroes and stock, whose condition
Q most deplorable. As its extent becom
t known this calamity begins to appal A tt
sufficient to rebuild the levees above won
n be almost insupportable. But that
only an item. The laborers have 10
their stock and movables, and are in
panic-stricken and demoralized conditio
h Could transportation be secured, there won
be an exodus from here to the hills. T
dependency of planters and merchants
u deepening. At first this blow was regard
. as disaster involving losses and hard time
Now it is assuming graver and greater propC
tions. The most thoughtful, as well as t
J. most sanguine, look upon it as q disast
81 greater than has ever before befallen the b.
l. tom country. 1t will almost destroy the fe
In ing of security with which our local capaci
to hold the levee was coming to be regardt
N Upon this reliance was based railroad a
p. other movements Of capital toward the Yaz
delta, and, if it goes, all possible prospect
Of this sect ion goes with it.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March
8. Every day brings intelligence Of wide-sprc
suffering, and of the destitute condition
10 the people within the inundated regio
Passengers who arrived on the steamer C.
, of Greenvllle tonight report the river as h
3 ing risen eight inches at Helena, Ark, duri
| the Lrunntr four hnnrs nnaaa nL ton n,nlc