Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-30


of The Levee--FamllIes CompelI.
ed to to Climb the Roof Of their
Houses to Escape the Rising
Water.
HELENA, April 28.-The arst inti-
nation Of the breaking Of the levee at
this place yesterday was a low rumb-
ling sound, heard coming from the
north, about four o'clock in the after
noon. No attention at first was paid
to it, as it was thought it was nothing
but steam escaping from some steam
boat plying on the water. The whole
town was electrified, however, in 3
short time by man riding like mad
down the streets and shouting at every
jump, "the levee has broken | the
levee has broken r In an incredible
short time great stream Of rushing
humanity was pouring in from the di-
rection Of the break some who live
on low lands Of the city to their homes,
to save their families and perishable
property. The break was about three
fourths of mile above town, and
right back of the Helena fair grounds.
At Grst it was not over seventy-6ve
feet in width, but kept widening every
minute. The banks of the levee at the
break were soon covered with citizens
from town, who stood watching the
wall of water pour through the crevasse
with feelings of awe. In the northern
portion Of town, there is another levee
that makes from the levee at the river
straight to the hills Immediately 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
the break there are fully two hundred
dwelling houses, the majority Of them
being one story high. Before skiffs
could be got to them the rise was 80
rapid that the occupants had to climb
on the top of their houses to keep
from getting drowned. 1t is reported
that colored man and wife, who re-
mained in their house with the hope Of
saving their effects, were drowned.
The river is eleven inches higher than
ever before known. There Is still
water in Sunklands and st. Francis
river, the latter still continuing to rise
at the rate of about one inch an hour
at the cut off, the effect Of which will
be to raise the river fully ten inches
higher than it is, which of course
means one Of the greatest calamities
that ever befell the great cotton grow
ing districts of the Mississippi valley,
comprising Mississippi, Arkansas and
LouisiGna-an incalculable amount Of
rich and prolific country.
The Latest from Helena.
HELENA, April 28.-River rose one
tenth Of foot In the past twenty-four
hours to one pm. today, and is now
seven-tenths of a foot above 1882.
Both st. Francis and Mississippi rivers
now on a stand; as was expected there
was a general break up in Arkansas
levees from break on the Robb place,
ten miles below here, down to where
the levees ends at Old Town, distance
of twenty miles. All efforts to hold
the remaining parts of the levee from
the Robb crevasse south has been
abandoned, and the water is now
sweeping through in numerous
places, ranging from 100 feet to
half mile wide. E. P. Pillow, presi.
dent of the levee board, has just
arrived from the Robb crevasse, and
says he thinks the levee from Helena
to the crevasses will stand, but that
every acre of land subject to overflow
from Helena to Tacoma, will be inuR-
dated from the river and backwater.
Back water is now coming into the city
slowly, but it will probably only fill
the bitches. The steamer Kate Adams
passed up at 5 pm, from Arkansas
City. Her officers report all the Mis-
sissippi levees intact, with the excep-
tion of two small breaks below Friar's
Point. All live stock was moved out
of the Arkansas bottoms without loss.
The track Of the Iron Mountain
railroad is ten inches under water in
places between Helena and Mariana.