Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-18
nrEc1AL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,

| nrKcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH,
ARKANSAS CITY, April 17.-This place
is for the time the most thoroughly satura-
ted and water-soaked town along the Mis-
sissippi. For month past the remnant OF
its inhabitants has been living on scafold
floors. Everything is under water e1-
cept q few patches of levee south of
the city, that stick up like knobs
of mud above a sea of yellow water. Several
colored persons were drowned, and their
friends were compelled to take the bodies in
skiffs to what is known as the Mound. a
small elevated bit of land less than quarter
of an acre in extent, where they were buried.
Arkansas City stores and dwellings and
stables are set upon blocks or stone and
brick piers from four to six feet above the
level OF the surrounding country. Its side
walks are raised about five feet above the
streets. While the water is from two to three
feet deep in the stores and over the plank
walks, it is from seven to ten feet deep along
the gullies and in the middle of the streets.
A MODERN VENICE.
Communication is by skiffs and plank
batteaus. The water is SO high on the cor
ner lamps that only the glass portion 1e-
mains visible. Along the main thorough
fares, of which there are but four,
planks are laid on top of cross bars
nailed to uprights set in the ground
bringing the pedestrian on a level with the
show windows in the stores. In some places
the board walks have foated. They are
moored by ropes and do duty still as side
walks.
Communication by means Of some of the
plank thoroughfares is not only unpleasant,
h,,& of l.
sons meet on one of these floating stages
their combined weight sinks it until the water
pours into their shoe tops. At other places
single plank, an inch broad, which says six
inches under water between its supports
when trodden upon, is the only foot way.
Involuntary immerslons are of frequent oc-
currence. At present Arkansas City is
bad place for drunkards.
ONE HALF HAVE VANISHED.
The population of Arkansas City is about
1900. Not more than one half that num-
Der are residing here now. the other half
having left on the advent Of high water.
Many places Of business, especially on the
streets at right angles with the river,
have been closed. The stores and
dwellings are all frame structures
and instead of being lathed and plastered,
are for the most part lined with flooring
boards. This not only adds strength and
durability to the buildings, but leaves no
walls after the water has subsided.
Very few women and children are in town.
The merchants and private citizens sent
their families away when the inundation be-
came complete. Notwithstanding the
greatly reduced populace, the merchants
who remained are nearly all doing business
enough to nay expenses.
800 PERSONS IN ONE BUILDING.
A number of negro refugees took up quar-
ters here when the overflow drove them from
their own homes on the adjacent planta-
tions. In their rudely improvised craft they
foated into the board yards and built them
selves shanties by laying scantling from pile
to pile of sawed lumber and roofing it
over with the material SO plentilully at
hand. Below the city about one mile is
large red building among trees. 1t is cot
ton compress building, about 100 feet
square, in which about 300 colored per-
sons are sheltered. These people have saved
considerable of their goods, and under the
circumstances are very comfortable. Those
who have not saved anything are being
helped by their more fortunate neighbors
The interior of this compress build
ing is sight. The place was
alive with densely packed colored
population. Partitions of quilts and
comforters, in all stages Of dilapldatlon,
had been made, and behind these, "shake
downs" consisting of ticks stuffed with
hay, or piles of burlap bags were spread.
They were not, as may be imagined, in
state of immaculate cleanliness.
AN EDITORS TRIBULATIoNs.
The Arkansas City journal has been most |
seriously incommoded during the past few |
aHc ho oboI, f,,u
tent the water was within eight inches of |
the bed OF the Washington hand press on |
which the weekly is printed. The treadle |
of the Gordon jobber was over two feet |
under water. The last three editions |
of the Journal have been run off |
on the press by the compositors, who wore
rubber trousers and stood in water above |
their knees. The tickets for the municipal |
elections were printed under similar adverse |
circumstances, and they were afterward |
voted by the citizens, who went to the poll
ing place in skiffs.
The postal service is having hard time
of it. The water is 1S inches deep on the
floor of the postofice. A false floor has
been erected which brings the stamp and |
delivery window to the height Of ones |
knees. The mail is handed out over the top
OF the box partition, and when a patron
finds it necessary to address letter in the |
Office he is compelled to
SIT ON THE COUNTER AND WRITE
at the small desk on top of it. One church.
the colored Baptist, was undermined and
washed away by the food some days ago.
The white folks Methodist Episcopal
Church still stands, but it has water in 1t
over the tops of the pews, and almost on
level with the sills of its stained glass win
dows-
In the Opera House watery' comedy has
held the boards for month. Chairs and
furnishing Of the parquet float around in a
muddy pool that reaches within - inches
OF the footlights. The small stage is piled
full of chairs and scenic properties in the
greatest confusion. At the hotel the dining
room outfit of tables looks as though it had
been arranged on the top of fresco painters
scafold.