St. Paul daily globe., 1886-04-04
Alabama Reports the Sacrifice of Several
Hundred Lives and S2,000,000 in
Property to Floods.
The Ohio River Booming at Louisville
and Lowland Inhabitants Beside
Themselves With Fear.
Heavy Damages by Water Reported
in Canada, Many Bridges Being
swept Away.
Four Hundred Chicago Chill dren In n
Panic--A Dakota Man Decapi-
tated at Austin.
The Flood i'm the south.

MONTGOMERY, Ala, April 3.-Reports
continue to show great loss of life and
property. Mayor Reese has sent this tele-
gram to Senators Pugh and Morgan:
Loss OF life and property from floods in
this vicinity appalling. Ii seems ever river
in Alabama will have the same record. Can
not COVE rument aid be invoked for sufferers,
who are mOSu y the poorest peopleg
Two or three United States boats are on
the Alabama river and could be used IN dis
tributing supplies and prevent starvation.
The situation all over the flooded region is
deplorable. Farmers along the Alabama,
Tomblgbee, CoOsa. TallapOoSa and Chat
tahoochie rivers have lost all their
live stock, corn and cotton
seed. The river has fallen about
three feet. The railroad men expect to run
trains to Atlanta on Monday. The Louis
vile d Nashville people are trying to get a
boat to transfer from here to the Alabama
river bridge. From here to Selma the rail-
roae is badly wrecked and some days will
elapse befor the resumption of trains will
be attempted. 1t is safe to estimate the
loss by this food to Alabama al 81, 900. 600,
and possibly several hundred lives.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY VERY GREAT
SELMA, Ala, April S.-The river at this
point has ceased to rise. after rising two
feet higher than al any time within the
recollection Of the oldest inhabitant. The
destruction of property has been great all
ali the river. and many levees have been
lost. The entire eastern portion
of this city is under water,
Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia railroad
depot and shops, the gas works. union
works foundry and about 500 houses are
also under water. Citizens relief COM
mittees have been organized and have gone
rapidly to work and have been dispatched
with provisions in all directions. The
steamer Carrier. in the employ of citizens,
has brought in about 800 people. mostly
negroes. picked up from house to house
and tree tops in the overhowed districts.
A ire broke out in the gas works to-day
and burned two Of the out-houses. caus-
ing damage of about 81, 500. 1t will be
two weeks before the city again viii have
gas.
THE WATER FALLING.
CHATTANOOGA. Tenn, April 3.-The
river began falling at noon to-day, after
reaching fifty-two and one-quarter feet, a
rise of thirty-seven and one-Quarter feet in
five days. In the past two hours it has
fallen two inches 1t will be several days
before railroads can be repaired. The gas
companies expect to resume operations on
Tuesday. The 5000 homeless persons
are provided for by the local relief
committee. 1t is estimated that the dam
age by the high waters In this city other
than to the railroads will aggregate $780,.
600. 1t is now five days since mail reached
this city. The reports from Rome. Ca.
and Gladsden, Ala. say the COosa river
reached higher point than ever before. and
caused terrible destruction throughout its
course.
GREAT ALARM AT LOUISVILLE.
LOUISVILLE, April 4.-The river has
reached an alarming stage. At midnight
1t was running into cellars on the leyee and
people living in that section were moving
into upper stories or out altogether. Seri-
Gus apprehensions are felt of disastrous
overflow. At the hour named the river was
rising more rapidly than at any time during
| the day-two and one-quarter inches an
hour. The guage is twenty-four feet and
Eve inches on the falls and twenty-six feet
and five inches in the canal.