The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-19
WIDE WASTES OF WATER
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE PROBABLE
IN ARKANSAS.

ReloW East Hannibal.
ST. LOUIS, May 18.-A special from
Alma. Ark, to the Post Dispatch says that
the hardest rains for many years have been
falling in Arkansas in the last two days
ord the streams are all overfiowed. I'm
r,anse cotton fields and corn bottoms are
overAowed, and the country is suffering a
General inundation. So quick was the rise
from Big Frog and Clear creek that
tbe people were forced from their homes,
ord some were compelled to swim for their
lives Many women and children are
standing on the tops of houses, crying for
helm with water ten feet deep around them
and still rising 1t is feared that several
lives have been lost.
NOT FALLING AT KEoKUK.
A special to the PoSt-Dispdtch, from
Keokuk, says: "a very slight decline of
tbe water occurred late yesterday,
Init the rain that set in yesterday
at o'clock served to keep it at a
standstill. A measurement recently taken
shows the hight of the water to be within
less than foot of the great rise of 1851
The railroads are all blockaded, and will
not be able to resume for week, even
should the worst of the flood be over"
AROUND EAST HANNIBAL.
QUINCY, ILL, May 18.-The river above
and below East Hannibal is from ten to fif-
teen miles broad, covering all the farms on
both sides, and extending from the bluffs on
the Illinois side to the high bluffs in Mis-
souri, The scene Of desolation between
Quincy and Hannibal is simply pitiabe
What was a few days ago a fertile
oh ;e
ayast explnse of water deserted by every
living thing. Hundreds of men, women and
children are gathered on the bluffs in small
rroups. desolate, forlOrn and despairing.
Many Of them are utterly destitute, having
neither sufficient clothing nor shelter, and
some are suffering for food, despite the
bravery Of their more fortunate neighhors,
who are making every exertion to relieve
their immediate wants.
RAILROADS HIT HARD.
The railroads running into Quincy are
seriously embarrassed, and the losses to
railroad interests will be much more seri-
Gus than has been anticipated. Communi-
cation to the West from this cityis entirely
cut off, every road being under water In
| this city factories and warehouses along the
| river are seriously embarrassed, and large
buildings are being gradually undermined
BY the rushing waters. Last evening
mass meeting was held to devise means for
the immediate relief of the destitute suf-
/ terer5 from the flood. For the past two or
three days these helpless people have been
coming to the city in boats, single row.
boat often containing an entire family.
with such household effects as could
be quickly gathered together. For ten
days it has rained steadily to add to the
suffering. Money is being freely subscribed
IN ppox do ~.
sufferers The water is still steadily rising
and the worst of the fl cd has not yet been
reached.
NO SIGN OF AN ABATEMENT.
The food in this district gives no sign of
abatement. A decline of an inch and a
half up to o'clock this morning. was due
solely to the relief afforded by numerous
breaks in two levees, which permitted vast
lakes OF water to overflow the basin. Since
that, however, the river has been at a
stand, and further rise is certain. 1t is
possible, In the judgment of experienced
river men, that the high water mark of
E9l will be passed before the
clmax IS reached The situation among
I1e people suffering from this
disaster IS practically unchanged since yes
ierday Relief corps from this city have
ueeh sent out in all directions, and the peo-
pie on the bluffs will be cared for. Their
immediate necessities will be at once sup
pned by boat-leads of provisions, and the
ot'l1eils mere are subscribing liberal sums
VI money and boxes of clothing to be for
VARIED as soon as the location of the dis
"sS"sd refugees is determined,
STOCK SUFFERING.
l1ey are in need for feed for their
stock hundreds of which are bud-
uIed together on the embankments.
ano aug only partially fed by the
tiiI1ens among whom the sufferers have
ai4, @Eea refuge. 1t is probable that the State
% "In 9e called upon to furnish tents for the
people driven out OF their houses, who are
nr ngI quartered in the barns, sheds and corn
.5 L.Us ot The farmers on the high lands. II
,.s.S rls u'SVress proves as widespread as is re-
ported, there will also be an aopeal to the
,;oH tio,l9nS OF tie State at large for contribu-
Tta i'Cs d money. The first loss of human
NV, rro was reported this morning. There had
aassr,iouSly been a number of narrow
SaES scoE from drowning, in efforts to rescue
JOURNALISTIC EXPEDITIONS.
s,rng, rng quincy Wing to-day organized three
c1Hteuitlons to the overflowed districts. and
covla.9 ltleu minute particulars concerning the
bigSio.i.oun OF the refugees camped on the
ct. sn'a4ds and bluffs north and south of the
srs ~ the Indian Grove district there
msio.?t in families rendered homeless, the
IN my ot whom are partially sheltered
nrn1ItS DluS and other buildings on farms not
MAIN mii,uaVeu' A number, however, re-
dvaI;, III the upper stories Of
Tbe IN the submerged area.
rads burlington and the Wabash
atSo,'a az East Hannibal are washed out for
are ,o'oahu oo''lhu yards or more, and the tracks
bhe 'Sereu with water the entire distance
rsJ ohy district. The damage TO rail
tbs oPerty there will be enormous, and
viii jbu'eli ba y, uptlon Of traffic on both roads
HanntI III uiisaSUr9us. Communication between
ct arJ ana the East is entirely cut
days ~ can't be restored for many
Hsnn;haa ne branches of the 80" leading to
nie, Ipai Iai ana louisiana are washed out for
crriaj "a iuRes and culverts being entirely
tb o"ay. The force of the flood inside
rep5r,s was much greater than previous
ho0,.s "oIld Indicate. Hundreds of farm
asav "a. ana other buildings were swept
y ana demolished.
~ TIE UPPER ARKANSAS VALLEY.
M ALE NILE ROCK, ARK, May 1s. II p. M
Cbnor rams in tue past two days in the
Gnsao arkansas valley have done great
S t5ot Ihe Gdsette's specials tonight
r5rv 1tg :. nearly all the small streams trib-
foyssl w II'e Arkansas river have over
hGdei' a,H NJ railroad traffic is greatly re-
Nd g. "o bridges on the St Louis
Re RcStu an francisco road, south of
Nd h,, mountains, are badly dam
Sproscyy the washing away of the
rreyeuts 20 Weakening the structures as
bins trains passing No St Louis