Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-04-30
An Errand Of Mercy.

High water in the Mississippi broke
the river bank and flooded hundreds
Of miles of farm lands and swept
away millions of dollars worth of
property Steam boats have been
on errands Of mercy, 10 gather peo-
PIE and cattle where ever they eau.
\ despatch from n point adjacent 20
the flooded district last Friday SAYS ::
The relief steamer Dacotah reached
the Bayou Sara landing yesterday
evening. She made trip 70 Pointe
and has come back to Bayou Sara
Her arrival was godsend to the
people whose are in jeopardy, for she
not only already saved an incalcu.a-
ble amount of property but goodly
number Of lives
The real condition of thiags IN the
overfowsd district Is Just coming TO
light. NJ pen Is equal to the task Of
picturing the devastation of the coun-
try or the dcsolation of the people.
The water back Of the lcvees is SO
deep now that hundreds Of lives are
in jcopary. The small stretches OF
Ieyee still ; auding are crowded with
men, women and children side by
side with horses, mules and COWS.
In an old raised Clubhouse 500 lie
groes were found huddls.i together,
Their condition was pitiabls. They
were afraid of their lives, aud were
piteously begging to be taken to
some place Of safety.
The distress in the overfowed dis
trict cannot be told.
The Texas and Pacific boat f. b.
Wheelock succeeded yesterday in
saving 300 people from the back caun
try around Morgans@a-
There are ruin and devastation on
every side. In CouDee parish the
destruction Is complete. Not a plin-
tatiou Is left above the water. not a
levee uubrokrn, while hundreds OF
families are homeless Thousands
of stock have been drowned
Standing on the deck Of the relief
steamer Dacotah rs she passed down
within fifty yards Of the flooded dis
trict last evening the full extent OF
the disaster could be seen. Group
ing together in little kaolls between
broken lcvess, through which the
water rushed with ungoyrruable fury
were scores Of people, both white
and black, some with babies in arms
while others had dogs, secured by n
cord. Many of them had nothing
IN the world except the clothes they
wore on their backs.
Wherever the Dacotah discovered
a scene like this the st,ge was swung
out and the stricken ones taken
al arI Equally rs sad n SC ne sene
was the poor dumb cattle standing
in the water, actually starving.
Many Of them had not tasted food for
days Their gaunt forms c1ntrcsted
strangely with their surroundings.
The Dacotah was unable to handle
cattle yesterday. bat to-day her boil
er-,lcck il a tirst-class stock pen.
\ family named Burke who resid
eel several miles above Bayou Sara,
were rescued this morning. There
were fifteen persons in thu family
Tn Monday morning they were pros
porous being the owners Of large
plantation n well equipped store and
over 100 head of stock Today
nothing remains above water but the
caves Of their residences \ crgvasse
sixty feet wide broke directly in front
he house nj noon on Monday, and
the family had lively tins 20 reach
the lcvre before SIX feet of water GOV
cred the place. The crevasse Is now
400 feet wide There are hundreds
ui such tales sold
The Dacoth Is a busy boat to-day.
Afyor d.scharging her lumber and
other material at Grand Bay, she
proceeded directly 10 Old River SID
rescued 200 head Of cattle that had
been swauped four DAYS