The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-29
FIRE LIGHTS THE FLOOD.
SEVEN PEOPLE DROWNED IN
FLEEING FROM A BURNING GIN.

port of the Drowning of the Wat
son Family Confirmed.
NEW ORLEANS, April 2s.-The steam gin
and saw-mill of Charles Lawrence, stu
ated in Sparkley county, three miles from
Rolling Fork. Miss, was burned Saturday
night. The loss is only $500 to 5000. Mr..
Lawrence's tenants were quartered in the
gin and in their efforts to escape from the
flames seven were drowned. The building
was surrounded by water seven feet deep.
The people had taken refuge there from the
overflow, and it is stated their carelessness
caused the fire.
The report that several lives had been lost
in the vicinity of Lobdel has been confirmed.
A family named Watson, numbering five
persons, was drowned.
FALLING AT ST. JOSEPH.
The Times Democrats ST. Joseph spec
ial says: "There has been a decline of one
inch Ia the past forty eight hours. The levees
are all holding we'll The backwater is about
on stand, and it is not believed that over
10 per cent. Of the cultivated land in
this parish (Tensas) is under water. The
weather is clear and cold"
AT WORK AT BATON ROUGE.
A special to the Daily States from Baton
Rouge says: "The relief boat, Dacotah,
laid at the Martinez crevasse all of last
night. The break is virtually closed. The
laborers on the Dacotah, together with
other hands began sacking at 2:30 o'clock
yesterday morning. Nearly 100000 sacks
were dropped in front of the crib work, and
at o'clock the backwater had fallen three
feet At intervals the water would get the
best of the workmen and rush through the
small aperture with lightniug-llke speed.
cutting deep channel under the
cribbing. Such places were dangerous,
and whenever they occurred, the entire
force would be concentrated on the danger
point and hundreds of sacks dropped into
the hole. This morning the crevasse is
barely leaking, but there is not a sufficiency
of sacks The Dacotah came up to Baton
Rouge for another load Of sacks, arriving
here at IL O'Clock. She will load immedi-
ately and will return to the crevasse this
afternoon and, unless something occurs TO
change the programme, will be in New
Orleans tonight.
IN THE NICK OF TINE.
"James d. Houston, who has been at
Martinez ever since the break, authorizes
me to say that had it not been for the
timely aid of the Dacotah the Martinez
crevasse would not now have been closed
The relief boat made two trips from Capital
TO the break, carrying nearly 1000 sacks.
Having these at hand enabled the workmsn
to use them at the proper moment TO pro-
tect the crib work and prevent
its washing out. Mr.. Houston also
stated that the credit for the successful
fight against the crevasse was due to Will
lam Cummings. road master OF the Valley
road. He developed oil the plans and left it
to Mr.. Houston and the others to see that
they were carried out.
General Manager Harahan of the Mis-
slssippi Valley railroad is on the scene, and
will remain until the danger is over.
"Wiu Clark, at whose place the Lobdell
levee broke, arrived from that. place this
morning He stated that the water was
still rushing through with terrible velocity,
but as soon as the material arrived an at
tempt would be made to close the break.
The river is steadily declining, and all fear
of further breaks has gone.n
THE FLOODS IN TEXAS.
DALLAS, TEX, April 28--About 400
houses in the suburbs have been abandoned
on account Of the flood. The Trinity river
at this rise was few inches higher than
that of 1866, which was the highest recorded
within the memory Of the Oldest settlers.
Large forces of men are hard at work re-
pairing the washouts on the Texas and
Pacific, Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe, Mis-
souri, Pacific, Kansas and Texas, Texas
Trunk and Oak Cliff Elevated railways.
ELEVATORS FLOODED.
The water last night ran through the
windows of tho first floor of the Dallas
elevator, and damaged large amount of
wheat.
The st. Louis Press Brick Company are
heavy losers, as well as Allen, Worth and
Pussy. Two thousand bales of cotton were
soaked at the compress at the foot of Lamar
street, and the Dallas Brewing Company
will suffer considerably from Inconvenience
caused by the water.
The Eureka Steam Laundry has sus-
pended operations as the water Is several
feet deep in their building.
MAIL POUCH LOST.
Yesterday as the mail was being trans
ferred from one train to the other on the
Texas and Pacific railway, pouch of regis
tered mail slipped off the handcar and sunk
in the swift current before it could be re-
covered.
The city water works are useless, and the
water for making steam and sprinkling the
streets is getting very scarce. The streets
could not be sprinkled on that account to-
day. The damage done by the food In Dali
las will amount to several hundred thousand
dollars.
RATIoNs NEEDED.
WASHINGTON, April 2S.-Secretary
Proctor has received several replies to his
telegramS ASKING Tor information In regard
to the extent of the suffering in the over
flowed districts of the south. The governor
of Louisiana said that ten DAYS rations for
$4,000 people should be sent to New Or
leans for distribution throughout the state
The governor of Mississippi said theresare
probably 10000 persons in that state need
ing assistance, and the governor of Arkau-
sas said that 800 people in Phillips county
and considerable number in Desha county
are In great need of relief.
Lieut.. James L. Wilson of the Fourth
artillery, at jackson barracks, Mississippi,
has been directed to report to Capt. Wes-
ton, acting department. quartermaster at
New Orleans, for temporary duty in con-
nection with therelief of the food sufferers,
and Maj. Gen. Howard at New York
has been directed to detail such other
assistants as may be required. Capt. Wes-
ton has been instructed to use his own dis
erection in regard to the issue of green
shoulders aud corn meal instead of bacon
and -four, and to do at once all he can for
the relief Of all who need it. He has been
given ample powers in the matter of trans
portation aud the employment of assistants.