Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-04-03
The RAGING WATERS.


the i~v~~'. str~nxth Go~. Ou-
GEEESvTIE. MISS, March 0l-Te
What extent the breaks above Greenviils
have widened in the laxt twensy-four
hours - nSs known. as the telegraph
lines have been washed down. bat there
i no question bat what they have
widenst. as the back water against the
froseet!oa levee. north os this city. has
been rising rapidly in the past twenty
four hours. which has caused much
anxiety among the citizens Of Green
VILE.
large force OF laborers and citizens
were a. work all Of last night raising
the levee higher and making IL stronger
II possible 10 keep back the food which
now threatens - invade the city. The
rising water seems 10 keep pace with
the enlargement, and since early noon
hundreds Of men and boys have been ~
work aiding in every possible manner
In keeping the water from running over
and breaking through the levee.
AZ one time this afternoon break did
occar, cansing the water TO rush through
IN a manner that made many give up
the fight. but a few heroic and deter
mined men plunged into the water up
% their necks, with sacks OF earth and
plank. and in short time won the battle
against natures forces.
The scene for an hour was one never
70 be forgotten Planks were carried
nearly half mile on the shoulders Of
men and boys who were on the grounds
10 witness the scene. Loose and sacked
earth vas carried 10 the place In every
conceivable manner. and in about tao
hours this place was repaired and con
sidered safe The water has risen about
six inches in the last twenty-four hours
and Is still rising. aud with the tremeud-
Gus outpour % water from the three
breaks above. there is no telling whern
y stl stop The levSe has a very mar
row base, and being built OF fresh earth.
IL Is not strong one. The water now
standing against il is four feet deep.
which Is great pressure against 50 frzil
a structure.
The opinion Of some who are well
posted and have knowlesige OF the sit
uatiou. i that the water will be two
feet higher. II this b. true. il Is very
doubtful whether this Ievee can be buiit
high and strong enough % meet this
risc- In fact IL will take work and the
closest watching - keep The present
water out Of the city. The sipe water
on The inside has covered the ground
for some distance. making Il difficult TO
grt earth to buiid with. should this
levee give way a. the presen. stage Of
the water, IL would only partly inan-
date Greenvlile. bus with much % riss
on top of the present water with the
levee down. II Nill certainly make
thiHEs very We; and uncomfortable in
tais heretofore dry town - far as water
IS coucernesi.
The levy 4 only about mile in
length. With fair weather and the de-
teTmined effort which i being made,
perhaps we may yet BE- victorious.
No news from the back country has
been received except that the water is
Spreading fast all over the country. The
river has fallen SIX inches since the
bresk oe-Grr.d. bat only one-tenth in
the last twenty-four hours. Tonight il
: threatening rain. which will be dam
aging to cur surrou ndings. IL this back
lsvee viii be intact in the morning some
concentrated actiOn on the part Of the
people all be made 70 build this Ievee 20
that il will keep this water and any
Fsesassf hfa -fz.4 - r...v h.-.. g..
in
NICRsBURG, Miss. March 3n.-LAtest
tidings from the Mississippi levees re-
port no change, except that the water is
steadily advancing soathwari from skip
with erevaSss. and the towns OF Mayers-
vile, Filters and Hayes are being sur
rounded and must 90 under In short
time.
News has Just reached here that
the bank Is eaying rapidly in front Of
Bedford Levee. Madison Parish. the
caving being now within rs feet OF the
levee- Work began there to-day, and
the new levee may Be finished before
the old one goes into the river. Tho
levee inspectors elsewhere in Louisiana
report no change
Trains have been abandoned between
Greenville and Rolling Fork. and in fact
all trains on the Riverside division, and
tstSeen COahonia and Ben0it. sixty-ive
msles- This leaves Greenville without
communication with the outside world
except BY river.
SIX inches more Of water will send tho
Vieksbarg, Shreveport & Pacific Rail-
road under between Tullulah and Lake
One. The water IS rising slowly. but
it is very unlikely that the road can run
trains more than a week longer. and
additional erevasses may stop operations
a. any time
Mr. +. W. McCabe. contractor for
bridges for the New Orleans & North
western Railroad, until lately in process
Of construction between vidalia and
Winnsho-o. La, arrived this evening
from Rayville. La He says work has
been stopped and the construction com
pany now has its teams and men in Ray
vile. The water rose five feet in Dry
Bayou six miles from Rayville. in the
twenty-four hours ending this morning,
and is now within a half mil Of town.
Grading has been stopped some days,
but would have been resumed Monday
but for the sndden influx Of water. The
transfer steamer Marion. used By the
Mississippi Valley Railroad to transfer
trains between Huntington and Ar
kansa City, passed down At o'clock this
evening and will transfer trains AZ Nfta
Crevasse, beginning Tuesday next. The