The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-04-03
NEW ORLEANS DOOMED.
Terrible Warning From the U. S. Sig
nal Service Office.

Terrible Warning From the U. S. Sig
nal Service Office.
NEW YORK, March 29.-Sergeant
Dunn, of the Signal Service, in an in
terview, 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 the
lower Mississippi to prepare for the
worst. He says:
1.-The flood tide just entering the
river from the Missouri river at St.
Charles, and at Cairo from the upper
waters Of the Ohio, will be greatly aug
mented to-day by the increased rainfall
and high winds, and there is every
probability that all the districts border
ing upon the lower Mississippi will ex-
perience the greatest flood ever known
1.-The river is now up to it's highest
water mark, and the increasing floods
from the tributaries now emptying into
the Mississippi will make it impossible
for those living in the lowlands to es-
cape if they do not make haste.
lit will be the greatest calamity
the country. The damage will be
greater below Memphis. The storm is
just like an enormous pitcher of water
poured upon country already flooded.
.sAlthough several immense crevasses
have been found in the levees below
Vicksburg, from 200 to l, 500 feet wide
and 20 to IS feet deep, carrying off
millions of gallons of water every sec
ond, the height of the river at Vicks-
burg and Cairo has remained almost
stationary at the top flood limit.
''This shows that the channel of the
river below is all choked up with al
luvium and debris from the first flood,
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 country covered.
'This will probably arrive at Cairo
in two OF 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 dis
astrous floods ever known, and [ would
not give cents for my life i that city
when the wave struck it.
Il do not say this to frighten people,
but am simply stating facts that will
be verified. [ have been stationed at
Cairo, New Orleans, and Cincinnati
during times Of great floods and know
what they are.
'"Some of the strongest levees on the
river" he continued, "those at Helena,
Ark, have been swept away entirely
in the last two days. To-day it is
showing all through the Northwest,
the Lake regions, the Northern Miss
issippi Valley and in New England,
and raining to the South, the storm
covering every State West of the Rock
ies.''
FORECASTS OF THE COMING FLOOD.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 29.-The
levees below here are melting like mush.
Two breaks have occurred near Green
vile, another on the opposite side in
,, Arkansas, and still another is reported
at Helena.
ARKANSAS CITY, Ark. March %
The storm of Thursday night caused
/ two breaks in the levee near Hunting
ton. At least half of the people have
been compelled to leave for the high
! lands.
ST. LOUIS, March 31.-J. J. Hogan,
of the Memphis Commercial, arrived
here yesterday direct from the flooded
districts along the Mississippi river.
| Mr.. Hogan has just completed tour
of the devastated region. He says the
situation is alarming, and that in his
| opinion the flood has not reached the
highest notch.
In the Laconia circle, which is
situated i'll Despa county, Ark, and
comprises about 20, 900 acres, the scene
| is a heartrending one. This strip Of
country is now inundated to a depth of
| five to twenty feet,and the inhabitants,
| numbering between 1900 and 5000
| people-whites and negroes, women
and children-are perched on house
| tops and in the trees. Live stock not
! already drowned are maintaining a
| a precariOus existence with their
wretched owners, in some instances Oh
the roofs of residences and elsewhere
on improvised platforms Of wreckage.
Starvation is telling on the cattle,
| while the human victims are in scarcely
less deplorable condition as to food.
From Helena. the entire Mississippi
delta country, reaching from Vicks5urg
west to Shreveport and down to New
| Orleaus. seems doomed to destruction.
NJ. Hogan reports that all the people
in the wide district there are fleeing
| for their lives.
VICKsBURG Miss, March 31.-The
town of Shipwith; eight miles north of
here, was swept out Of sight on Satur-
| day by the waters from a big crevasse.
| At the south end of Lake Washington
| only one residence remains.
EVANSVILLE. Ind. March 81
| Over one hundred houses in the bottom
lands between this city and Mt Vernon,
Ind. were swept away by the wind and
water in the recent storm.
| Latest accounts from the Lower
Mississippi are to the effect that the