Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-03-02
Washington, Bolivar and lisa.
quens Counties Flooded.
Plenty Of Dry Land Back Of Friars
Point, but Little Lower Down.
A Full History Of the Flood, the
Damage Already Done and
that Likely to EnSue.

Monday night, the 9th of February,
was one of the most eventful in the
history of the Mississippi river. A
little after midnight a high wind
arose with heavy rain, and as it de-
scended the last hope of holding the
waters off the low lands oozed from
the finger ends of the valley planters.
Up TO that moment the damage done
was comparatively small. Only one
break has occurred Of any magnitude,
that at Laconia Circle, and where
there were no levees the people ex-
pected a food and-got it.
Between midnight and daylight Of
Monday morning, when the wind was
at its highest, the rain coming down
in torrents and the night as black as
Egypt, enough breaks occurred in the
leVees between Friars Point, Miss,
and Arkansaw City to hoed the entire
country intervening. In an hour the
richest cotton lands in the world we're
waving seas, wstery solitudes.
At Carson's Landing the earthwork
gave way in two places about half-past
one o'clock in the morning, and the
food rushed in through a gap seventy
five yards wide. Nobody was on watch.
They worked hard day and night
until Wednesday evening, when they
threw down their shovels and went to
bed. In many places the levee was
low and leveled up with loose earth,
and not strong enough to Withstand
much pressure. 1t was two Of these
which gave way first, and the damage
could have been repaired by prompt
and energetic action, but nothing was
done until it was too late. A large
business is done at this point, the
annual shipments of cotton reaching
up in the neighborhood of 20 thou
sand bales. The largest farms affected
are those of Lee Wren, w. A. Boyd,
Colonel Blanchard, George Martin
w. R. and John Blanchard, the
Pickett places and Holmes Lake
Ridge, covering, perhaps, $1,000 acres
of cleared land. The principal stores
are owned by Frank & Co., Blanchard
& Co., l.. Rothchilds and McGhee &
Pope. Their stocks will not be entirel,
lost, but will be damaged considerably
as water in most Of them reaches Il
the top of the counters.
Tuesday night was one Of the deep
est anxiety to the people of Riverton
a little place below Terrene on th,
Mississippi side. About 10 O'CLOCK
Monday night the earthwork begaI
sloughing of directly in front of tn,
town, and another place a few hun.
dred yards further down looked sus
pieious. Here, as everywhere else
the people were worn out, and thl
levee hands gave up entirely. N,
effort was made to strengthen eithe
OF the weak places, and at 5 o'clocl
in the morning a piece Of levee a hun
dred yards long was swept away anC
the flood poured in upon the sleeping
town. The roar Of the rushing
waters woke the inhabitants of thu
town-which is situated directly be
hind the levee-and they had to &,
for their lives. A brick chime.
which stood in the center of the cata
ract was whirled round and roun,
bodily, like a spinning top, and the.
went down. A cabin close by wa
lifted up bodily and set on end, bu
fortunately was unoccupied. TIL
people had no time to dress, but run
ming from their houses climbed tree
or got astride of floating logs, wher
they remained until relief came. On
old negro woman named Agnes Co
Inns lost a purse containing $3.50 i
money, and setting down on the be
grieved wei it while the water rushe
in and Aoated her about the room frol
place to place until relief came.
negro named Jim Kemp put his fan
lily aboard of a fiat, which brok
in half, and two of his childre
we're drowned. The landing keepe
Ben Haines, got in a skif and reel
lessly approached too near the breal
and the current carried skif and a
under. His body could not be reco,
cred. As there were only two skif
in the place the outlook was a badon
as the people had no way Of gettir
out Of their houses, many of while
we're hoated from their blocks an
overturned. 1t was attempted
stretch a rope from the main part
the town to a patch ofhigh levee.
that the people could reach a place
safety BY this means. but the attem.
was unsuccessful. The men did 4
they could with the two skiffs to tran
port the people from the tree tor
roofs of houses and other places
refuge to the levee, and so far as
definitely known, no lives were 10
except those of the landing keeper al
two little darkies. The exciteme
was great, and fully warranted BY ii
danger. The stores at the landir
were owned by Frank & Rienig.
Miller and j. p. Perkins. who will {
be heavy loosers. Miller's store W
turned upside down, and his emit
stock swept away blythe food. Abol
5000 bales Of cotton are shipped a
nually from this point. The wilde
stories are told by persons who live
Riverton, many Of them incredibl
but the statements given above we
made by responsible persons to a re
resentative or THIS paper, who was
the spot q few hours after the brei
occurred, and witnessed the scare.
AT Niblett's Miss, the levee W
s..A thn,cb hv tbss t,,oo ovo.a.-