Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-17
WANTED---AN ARK.
Jupiter PluSius Takes Charge OF the
Weather Overhead, Succeeding
Lazy Old Probabilities.
First 1t Rained and then IL Blew, and
then 1t Friz and then 1t Slew,
Too Too. Whew!

People thought Saturday that it had
rained enough in these parts, but II has been
so generously juicy that ii can hardly be
said have to surprised them to see 1t begin
raining again promptly on Sunday. All
night before last the rain fell continuously
and in large doses, and yesterday morning
came sultry and weeping. For several hours
the rain fell in torrents, and the sky was as
dark almost as night. At II O'Clock yester-
day morning a pail settled down upon the
river and swept toward the city. The out
lines of the Arkansas shore could not be
seen at all. IT was impossible for one TO see
half square ahead of him. The face of
things was suddenly blotted out. And yet
hardly had it enveloped the city before a
rapid wind came tearing through,
CLEANING THE DARKNESS
and hurrying it away on its lightning speed
wings. The face of the river was cleared in
a trice; houses came cut of their hiding
places in the mist, and the trees on the Ar
kansas shore became plainly visible. Almost
quicker than 1t can be written, the warm,
sultry air was changed to cold, and houses
that had been too warm became suddenly
chilly. 1t did not cease to rain, however. Until
nightfall the cold rain continued, and
shortly afterwards so cold had it be-
come that hail fell abundantly.
At 8 o'clock this yielded to
sleet, which continued for several hours
At 10 o'clock yesterday morning the ther-
to 430. and at s it was 390. The present
rainfall is of very wide area, extending south
of the Ohio river to the gulf. North Texas
had snow, and South Texas rain. Snow
prevailed to a considerable extent in the
Northern States. This will be followed by
a regular blast from the north. There is
little doubt that Memphis will get slice OF
the blizzard.
THE RIVERS.
that meet the Mississippi are all coming
brimfull. The Cumberland all along its
route is ready to overflow. The Ohio also is
greatly swollen by the rains, and at Louis
vile It is two feet and half above the
danger line, while at Cincinnati it is foot
and six inches below. At Nashville the
water is f n above the danger line Yester-
day afternoon at 8 O'Clock the river
here was three feet below the dan
ger line. An APPEAL reporter visited
the levee yesterday, and found the current
running faster than man could make it.
Near the foot of Jefferson street line Of
buildings extends from the railroad track
down toward the river. The water is SO high
that 1t is now within very few feet of this
property. 1t is almost certain to flood it. 1t
is understood that an effort las been made to
render it safe but it would seem to be almost
an impossibility. The reporter noticed that
HUGE BEAMS HAD BEEN DRIVEN
into the river with the probable in
tenIion of holding in the bank. Altogether
the situation is rather alarming. So far as
Memphis is herself concerned, little appre-
hension need be felt. The only danger to be
apprehended is 10 the property before men,
toned and possibly the elevator. The re-
porter called upon Mr.. Fiannery. sthe SIgnaI-
Service officer, that gentleman who is con-
sidered as having the destinies of the wind
and rain in his hand. The conversation
naturally drifted upon the. weather.
NEAR THE DANGER LINE.
eve are now three feet below the danger
line, and will probably in a short time reach
the high water mark of 1867"
"There is considerable danger, / suppose?"
''Yes, sir; above here there is hardly any
possibility of an escape from the food. Below
the bluffs are, of course, safe. The only dan
ger to be apprehended here is that the bank
or some of the bluffs may give way. 1t has
been raining so long that the earth is wet all
through. Were it dry the rain would be alb
sorbed and there would be no danger. But
the earth being soaked already, any addi-
tional rain has tendency to split it."
as there any way for the food to be
avoided ?"
"If the river were to break through at
some point above here that might give re-
lief, but it is not probable"
Mr.. Flannery gave the reporter most of
the data already used, as we'll as tho follow
lowing: The rainfall in the twenty-four
hours concluding at o'clock was nearly
two and a half inches From am. yester-
day to 2 pm. the fall was two inches.
In September, 1881, there was rainfall of
. 20 inches in twenty-four hours. In 1880
the greatest fall occurred in August, and was
l IS inches. The rainfall SO far for this
month has been more thaa inches, which
lacks only IL inches of equalipg the average
monthly rainfall for the whole of January.
Mr.. Flannery stated that the danger was not
now, but to come.
THE RECORD.