The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-04-03
THE RAGING WATERS.
Greenville Citizens Battling Against Great
Odds-Noble Conduct of the People
Night and Day tho Work of Increasing
the Levee's Strength Goes On.

1
have widened in the last twenty-four
hours is not known, as the telegraph
lines have been washed down, but there
is no question but what they have
widened, as the back water against the
protection levee, north of this city, has
been rising rapidly in the past twenty
four hours, which has caused much
anxiety among the citizens of Green
| vile.
A large force of laborers and citizens
we're at work all of last night raising
the levee higher and making it stronger
IL possible to keep back the flood which
now threatens to invade the city. The
rising water seems to keep pace with
the enlargement, and since early noon
hundreds of men and boys have been al
work aiding in every possible manner
in keeping the water from running over
and breaking through the levee.
| At one time this afternoon break did
occur, cansing the water to rush through
in manner that made many give up
the fight, but few heroic and deter
mined men plunged into the water up
to their necks, with sacks of earth and
plank, and in a short time won the battle
| against natures forces.
| The scene for an hour was one never
to be forgotten. Planks were carried
nearly half a mile on the shoulders of
men and boys who were on the grounds
| to witness the scene. Loose and sacked
earth was carried to the place in every
conceivable manner, and in about two
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, and with the tremend-
Gus outpour of water from the three
breaks above, there is no telling where
| it will stop. The levee has very mar
row base, and being built of fresh earth,
it is not strong one. The water now
standing against it is four feet deep,
which is great pressure against so frail
a structure.
The opinion of some who are well
posted and have knowledge of the sit
uation, is that the water will be two
feet higher. If this be true, it is very
| doubtful whether this levee can be built
high and strong enough to meet this
rise. In fact it will take work and the
closest watching to keep the present
water out of the city. The sipe water
on the inside has covered the ground
for some distance, making it difficult to
get earth to build with. Should this
| levee give way at the present stage of
the water, it would only partly inun-
date Greenville, but with much of rise
on top of the present water with the
levee down, it will certainly make
| things very wet and uncomfortable in
this heretofore dry town SO far as water
| is concerned.
The levy is only about a mile in
length. With fair weather and the de-
| termined effort which is 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
break occurred, but only one-tenth in
the last twenty-four hours. Tonight it
is threatening rain, which will be dam
aging to our surroundings. If this back
levee will be intact in the morning some
| concentrated action on the part of the
people will be made to build this levee so
| that it will keep this water and any
possible rise we may have from coming
: in.
vIcKsBuRG, MISS, March 3O.-Latest
tidings from the Mississippi levees re-
port no change, except that the water is
steadily advancing southwark from Skip
with crevasse, and the towns of Mayors
Vile, Filters and Hayes are being sur
rounded and must go under in a short
time.
News has just reached here that
the bank is caving rapidly in front of
Redford 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. The
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
between Coahoma and Benoit, sixty-five
miles. This leaves Greenville without
communication with the outside world
except by river.
Six inches more of water will send the
vicksburg, Shreveport G. 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 week longer, and
additional crevasses may stop operations
| at any time.
Mr.. f. w. McCabe, contractor for
bridges for the New Orleans & North
western Railroad, until lately in process
of construction between Vidalia and
| Winnsboro, 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 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 4 o'clock this
| evening and will transfer trains at Nita
| r,.-~x..es, bariu min n T,,au1av rax& IT. a