The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-29
A NEW DISASTER.
New Orleans Nay Be Wiped
Out By a Flood.
A Signal Ofgel Warns the People
10 FIea.

The Water to Spread Death and De-
strucsion Throughout the Whole OF
the Lower Mississippi Valley-rhe
Rise a Sequence of the Down Pour
Following the Cyclone.
New YORK, March 2S.-Sergt Damn, of
the signal service, in an interview this
afternoon, says that one of the greatest
calamitieS the country has ever known is
imminent, and that it is the duty of the press
to warn the people of thu lower Mississippi
to prepare for the worst lie saws: Tho
food tide Just entering the river fcOm the
| Missouri river at 81. Charles and at Cairo
| from the upper waters of the Ohio
| viii be greatly augmented to-day by
the increased rainfall and high winds,
and there Is every probability that all the
districts bordering upon the lower Missis-
| sippi river will experience the greatest flood
| ever known. The river is now ND to its
| highest water mark and the increasing floods
| from its tribu aries now emptying into the
Mississippi will make it impossible for those
living in tae low lands to escape if they do
not make haste.
AN UNPARALLELED CALAMITY.
1t will be the greatest calamity that has
ever bsfallel that section of the country
| The damage will be mostly fellow Memphis
| The storm is Just like an enormous pitcher
of water poured upon country already
| Hooded. Although several immense crew
asses have been formed in the levees below
| Nicksburg from 200 to l 800 feet wide and
20 to % feet deep, carrying off millions of
gallons OF water every second, the hignt OF
the river at Vicksburg and Cairo has re-
nalno1 "a Inn CT nj no fcv, 81 So
| food limit.
THE RIVER CHoKED UP.
This shows that rhe channel of the river
below is all chokei up with alluvium and
debris from the first food. and that this is
| acting as dam, which will eventually
work havoc with all the levees. When the
wave crest from this new storm comes
down the river things are bound to be
carried away and the entire surrounding
arrive at Cairo in two or
three days, but it may be
| three weeks before it reaches New Orleans
| New Orleans will be visited, without doubt.
| by one of the most disastrous floods ever
known, and | would not give 5 cents for
my life in that city when the wave crest
| strikes it. ! do not say this to frlghten
people, but am simply stating facts that
will be verified. | have been stationed at
Cairo, New Orleans and Cincinnati during
the times of great floods, and | know what
they are.
ELEMENTS OF DANGER
''Some Of the strongest levees on the
river" he continued, "those at Helena, have
been swept away completely in the last two
days. To-day it is showing all through
the northwest lake regions, the northern
Mlssisslppi valley aud in New England,
and raining to the south, the storm cover
ing every state west Of the rockies"
GEN. GREELY's OPINION.
WASHINGTON, March 2S.-Gen. A. A.
Greedy, CHEZ signal officer, reiterates his
opinion that the food in the lower Mississippi
valley Will continue undiminlshed ten DAYS
or more. As early as March IL the chief
signal officer expressed his opinion that the
people of the lower Mississippi valley should
prepare for Unprecedented food condi-
tons, and that stock and movea lie
property should be removed above
the highest food point ever experiences.
| Gen. Greeley sent TO the House of Repre-
tentatlves week ago his official opinion
| that the flood conditions would be aeera-
waited rather than diminished wiShin the
next two weeks, and that loss Of life might
be expected unless prompt measures of
warning on the part OF the local authorities
| We're taken in exposed districts.
HIS OPINIONS VERIFIED.
| Tho opinions of the chief signal officer
| have already been verified, as the flood con-
! ditions have been aggravated, and so no
loss of life has already occurred. The rain
| fall OF Thursday must raise the Mis- issippi
| slightly from Cairo south ward, unless the
crevasses increase in number. There is no
new or important change in the situation
since yesterday, and the signal Office gave
full details to the press then, and will con-
tinue to do so as occasion demands. Sergeant
| Dunn cannot speak with any authority ex.
cept upon the New York weather.
Representative Robertson of Louisiana
| to-day introduced in the House a bill an
propriating $500,0 to be expended by the
Mississippi river commission in protecting
the government works of the Mississippi
river and its tributaries, end for repairing
the levees.
ALARM AT GREENvILLE
NEW ORLEANS, March 2S.-A special to
the Iifnes-DeDocrdt from Greenville, Miss.
sent last night says: "a heavy wind has
been blowing all day, causing the levees To
wash badly. A terrible storm has been and
is now raging at Leota and Washington
several houses aud stores having been blown
down. The wind is rising here again.
Countrymen hitherto confident believe a
terrible disaster imminent
RALLY ROUND THE FLAG,