The Portland daily press., 1890-03-15
SEVEN MILES FROM LAND TO LAND.
News Of the Great Flood In the mis-.
sIssIppl Basin.
Crescent City's Venetian Experience
| over For the Present.
General Greedy Says The Worst Is
Yet To Be Encountered.

NEW ORLEANS, March 1.-THE condition
of affairs on the river front this evening was
much more satisfactory than at the same
time yesterday The city authorities. aided
by the railroads, have strengthened the weak
places in the levees. The city authorities
will continue constructing q temporary levee
along the river front until the city is secure
from the overflow, even with a still higher
tide of the river. The levees Of this section
are injured mere just now by wind and
weather than by floods. The water flowing
into the city from the river today was not
sufficient to flood the streets at any point
On the Algiers side, the streets are clear Of
water, and no apprehension of danger is felt
there. Inquiries at different railroad offices,
ELECTED the information that no insecure or
unsafe places were reported along the lines,
and no creyasses had occurred other than
the one at Nita, on the Mississippi Valley
railroad. Governor Nichols has issued a
proclamation requesting all steamers to keep
as near mid-stream as possible and run as
slow as circumstances will permit during the
present freshet in the lower Mississippi.
The waves of passing vessels have dore a
good deal Of damage to temporary work on
the levees.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 14.-A special to
the Appeal frem Newport, Ark, says: "The
rivers commenced running over the levees at
ten o'clock last night and the whole town,
except Fort street is now four inches under
water Business Is entirely suspended. The
White and Black rivers commenced falling
this afternoon and 1t Is hoped the worst Is
over; The damage to the adjacent country
will be immense. In the oil trough country
5000 acres of cultivated land are under
water six inches to 2Ol feet. The rise was
sudden and without warning. The territory
south Of Newport contained some of the
finest farms Of the state. The losses in
Newport are heavy regardless Of loss Of Dusi-
ness. Between Helena and the mouth of the
st. Francis river there are very few spots
of dry land. A rise Of two feet will GER
tainly cover everything. In some places the
river Is five to seven miles wide."
The river rose one tenth OF an inch today,
and Is now 36 feet inches on the gauge, the
highest point ever recorded, and still rising.
The opinion here is that the leyees on the
Mississippi will he able to withstand the
pressure of the great flood. Specials show
the situation on the Arkansas side below
Arkansas City far from reassuring.
CAIRO, Ill, March 14-The Ohio river fell
three-tenths Of foot last night, and is still
falling here slowly. The late rains In this
section are supposed to have all run out by
this time, and the rise coming from above
will not materially check the fall here. The
rise In the Mississippi, unless very high,
will not affect the stage Of water here.
The Ohio, being so high, will cause buck wa
ter in the Mississippi, and this water will all
run out through the lowlands of Missouri.
Trains from the north are all running, aud
also from the south on the Illinois Central
and Mobile 81 Ohio.