The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-28
or the LeTee Three.Quarters Of 1
Nile Above the City, Back OF
the Fair Grounds.
TIE CREVASSE SEVENTY-FIVE
FEET WIDE AND
Widening Every Minute-A DlsaS-
trOus Break Near Austin,
Miss.-Full Details.
ESPECIAL TO TIE APPEAL.l

]
low, rumbling sound was heard COM
ing from the north. No attention was
at fret paid to it, as it was thought
that it was nothing but the steam es ;.
Gaping from some steamboat plying
on the water. The whole town was
electrified, however, in a short time
after, by man riding like mad down
the streets and shouting at every
Jump of his horse the dread news,
"The levee has broken! The levee has
brokenw In an incredible short time
a great stream OF rushing humanity
were hurrying, some in the direction of
the break, Others to the low lands of
the city to their homes to save their
families and perishable pro perty. The
br ak was about three -fourths OF a mile
above the town and right back
of the Helena Fair Grounds. At first
it was not over seventy-fve feet in
width, but keeps widening every
minute THE tug Eva, with a barge
load of dirt, was at the levee when it
broke, and before the tug could get
under headway the current took the
barge and shot it through the break
fully 200 Yards, for the time on high,
dry land. Quite a number OF men
were in the barge at the time shovel
ing out the dirt, who, as soon as the
barge hit the land, jumped off of it
and made run for the hi Is. The
tug managed to get back into the
river. The banks of the levee at the
break were soon covered with citzens
from the town who stood Watching the
wall of water
POUR THROUGH TIE CREvAssE
with feelings OF awe. In thu north
ern part OF the town there is another
levee that makes from the levee at
the river straight to the hills imme-
distely west of the city, which will
for the present act as barrier and
temporarily keep the water out of the
business portion of the city. But
between this levee and ths break
there are fully 200 dwelling-houses,
the majority of them being one-story
high, and before skifIs could be got to
them the rise was so rapid that they
had to climb on top OF their houses to
keep from drowning. Those that
live in two-story houses moved
their effects Just as soon as
they could into the sec
ond story, and say they
will remain there until the water
goes down. 1t is reported late this
evening that colored man and his
wife, who remained in their house too
late, with the hope OF saving their
cent residences Of Mrs. wilkins, Mr..
III @. RICHTER and Mrs. Williams are
among the number that are now in
the water. 1t was sight truly dis
tressing to see the citizens OF this por-
ton of the town
FRANTICALLY RUSHING TO AND FRO,
at first with the water only a few
inches deep, then in a few seconds
knee, and then waist deep, and then
so deep that they would have to eli her
get to boats or houses, trying to save
their perishable property. Many
fowls and some stock were drowned.
There river rose at this point, in the
last twenty-four hours, nine inches,
the greater portion of it having risen
to-day by O'Clock, when it came to |
a stand for three or four hours, and |
we hoped that the great food had
come to an end. We were, however,
doomed to disappointment, for
this evening about 2 o'clock, it |
commenced to rise again, and |
has since risen another inch, |
making the river eleven inches higher |
THAI ever before known. There is
still water sufficient in the Sunk |
Lands and st. Francis river (the latter
is still rising at the rate OF about an
inch an hour at the Cutoff to raise |
the river fully ten inches higher than
it is, which, OF course. means one of
the or, atest calamities that ever befell |
the great cotton growing district of
the Mississippi Valley, comprising in
Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana
an incalculable amount OF rich and
prolific country.
SECOND BREAK
on the Arkansas side of the river, oc-
Gu red last night at the Craig planta-
ton, some seven miles this side of, or
20 HnInno Nhov, fhn NnoN1ln |
break, which has let volume of |
water sufficient inside of the levee to
back the water up to within one mile
of Helena. The water in the Ian /
guile river, at the crossing Of the |
Iron Mountain and Southern railway, |
had risen this morning over the track
in the L'Anguille bottom, which ne
cessitated transfer to day of the pas
sengers, mail and freight across the
river by boat.
ON THR MISSISSIPPI SIDE.
From Mr.. Hugh Tomlinson of Mis-
sissippi, who came over this evening,
we learned that if the river rose four
inches more the levee could not pos.
sibly stand at the Thompson planta-
ton. We will get the four inches
here by tomorrow. The country in
which Magnolia, Jamestown, Clarks-
dale and quite a number of other
thriving little villages are situated |
will all be under water unless
the track Of the Louisville,
New Orleans and Texes railway |
which runs parallel with the river,
acts as a barrier and keeps it out, |
which many hope will be the case.
The break in the levee at the Stoval |
Place in Mississ ppi was fixed yester-
day, and up to night the Mississippi |
side from Greenville up presented an |
unbroken front, The Mobile and |