Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-29
FLOOD LIES.
SOME OF THE ABSURD AND RIDICULOUS
STORIES NOW IN CIRCULATION.
| Correspondence of the Appeal

SOME OF THE ABSURD AND RIDICULOUS
STORIES NOW IN CIRCULATION.
Correspondence of the Appeal
HELENA, ARK June N.-The present rise
in the Mississippi, assn ming, 1T is true, al
most the proportions of a calamity, has
given the cue TO a scurvy horde afflicted with
cacoethes scribendi, for giving forth food of
palpable f4Isehood, rivaling in damaging
effect where the facts are unknown-any-
thing the Mississippi river has ever yet
wrought upon the unhappy people of this
valley. The exaggerated reports of the pres
ent food, together with those sent abroad
last spring, leads me te-even at this late
date-notice that conglomsration OF stuff
gotten out by one Walt. J. Raymond,
("Trara'), entitled "The Modern Deluge."
Tue only incentive to the publication of
such batch Of impossibiiities issued under
the guise of authority said to be derived
from several New York dailies, who repudi-
ated The author, was the hope of gain
to be derived from the sale OF the thing; and,
it may bs added, to give vent to an evident
propensity for lying. The twenty-five
Tales Of a Demon" too marvellous for COM
prehenaion, much less belief, are discounted
by this self-sppointed historian of the food
Of 1882. Nothing short of a spree' on Ciu-
cinBali whisky could even pslliste many of
The extTayagant sbsurdi,ies 10 which
"rrara" has induiged. For instance, land Il
quoJe him literally, he Gays:
Just south OF Helens, on the Arkansas
side, on the noruiug of March 16;h, We dis
covered what appeared to be moving is
land. Oar courfe was directed to bear to-
| ward this phenomenal appearing ridge Of
moving esrIh. When at a distance OF about
ono quarter OF mile, strange and confused
sounds reached our ears, 10 effect like a
1 Il To al
| brought 10 besr upon The tremb bling surface
| of he earth, wneu We discovered that it was
| one eoid mass of snakes, three feet deep.
| They had been driven from The bottoms to
| this strip of eleva'ed land and aCcumulsting
| for weeks. Shocking IS the sight was to
nervous cons itu ions, this battle among the
| Shiny, crawling r-pTes sntetiv,s OF the evil
one was watched with eagsrness and
not without come iutereFi. We steamed
| cioss enough 10 get perfect view
of the surrounding, and found that the
snakes held POSSESSION Of knoll about one
eighth Of a mile in length and 100 !eet wide,
packed 10 the depth OF not less than three
| feet. They were writhing snd coiliDg about
! each other 10 the most furious manner, and
| fighting to the death. The shores along this
ridge Of earth were strewn with their dead
| Z I'D The suIfsce of the current south of this
| point Was dotted tbickly with the iifeless re-
| nsids of sdder, mGccssin, water, whip and
| black snakes Many Of them were fifteen
| feet IN length and the size of q mans arm.
| To have encountered anything OF this kiad
along the banks of The Amszon or upon the
! elevated mouUds IN the jnpgle- OF African
| swamp, which are su5ject TO InuEdatlon
| from the sea and rivers OF those countries,
! would have been something expected, but on
the bosom Of The Mississippi, upon which
foats the traffic Of a country ranging over q
boundary hundreds OF thousands OF miles IL
e1teut, ii was. - lag the lesai, Lowell"
| VINO, but man fl ed with Blonid potu
could have conceived snake story equal tc
the above? Il is but charity 10 conclude
that "Trsra" was sick, drunk and hungry
and far from ME home" One reason and
may add, ibe only one) that l can ind fol
such monsrous ab4nrdIJIes Il that TIARA
frequently ack 40 Eledges b mself indebted &c
the correspondent of the Globe Democrat fol-
f.cls ~. These warm expressions OF graft
! tude are clearly the emanatious OF a brain
fred by =iIty-cent whisky, linctursd viii
plug tobacco, cayenne pepper and sirychnine
One chapter OF the History OF the Second
Deluse" (?) is esptioned, Nearing New Or
leAds," Wniie the subject matter OF it show
he was, ii anywhere, above Vicksburg
Could ]. Mulhation, of meteor fame, be viet