St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-02
CAIRO IS IN DANGER.
Nine Feet Of a Rise of Water
In a Week Pre-
dicted.
This Will Bring the Stage
Considerably Above the
Flood Point.
At Cincinnati the Waters Are
Nearing the Fifty-Seven-
Foot Notch.
More Preparations for the
Present Freshet Than for
It's Predecessors.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-The signal
office this afternoon issued the follow
ing special river bulletin: 1t is esti-
mated that the Ohio river. at Cairo. will
rise nine feet between the present date,
March l, and March z, making the stage
of the water Oh the latter date at that
place about 51.5 feet. The stage OF
water at Cairo to-day is 42.2 feet, and
has risen eight feet in the past five days.
This stage of water, If it occurs, as it
seems highly probable, will nearly equal
some of the highest stages of water that
hava ever occurred at Cairo, namely,
the stage of 5l.4 feet on Feburuary 2S,
1882; 52.2 feet February "a. 1888; Sis
feet February %, 1884. This forecast is
based on the recent great rises in the
rivers of the Ohio valley. At Cincln-
natl the stage OF water, which is at its
highest to-day, is 81 feet, and has
risen fifteen feet in the last hve
days. AT Chattanooga the stage. OF
water Is forty feet. and has risen thirty
feet in five days. At Nashville the stage
of water Is fOrty-seven feet, and has
risen thirty-four feet In six days. AT
Nashville and Chattanooga there may
be some slight rise still to come. Inc
stage of water at st. Louis is eight feet
five inches, and
HAS BEEN STATIONARY.
The high water of Feb. %. 1882. at
Cairo was preceded by fifty-nine-foot
stage at Cincinnati on Feb. 81, a fifteen
foot stage at Chattanooga, a thlrty-elght-
foot at Nashville, and twenty-elght-
foot stage at st. Louis. At the latter
place there was rise at seventeen feet
in tile few days previous. The high
water of Feb. 81. 1883, at Cairo was pre-
ceded by sixty-six-foOt stage at Cln-
cinnati on Feb. 10, thirteen feet at Chat
tanooga, forty-one feet at Nashville and
ten feet at st. Louis. the latter place
having a rise OF five feet the few days
previous. The high water OF Feb, y,
1854, at Cairo was preceded by
a seventy-one stage at Cincinnati. Feb.
II, thirty feet at Chattanooga, fOrty-six
feet at Nashville aud fourteen feet at
st. Louis. There is an area OF country
of 10S,O0O square miles. the drainage
water from which passes Cairo, but does
NOT pass st. Louis, Cincinnati. Nash
Vile or Chattanooga. The empirical
rule by which the rise of nine feet at
Cairo Is computed Is based on the prin-
cipai rises that have occurred In the
past seventeen years. This rule is not
apt to be in error more than two feet,
depending on the greater or less rain
fall in the 100000 square miles area.
The water going by Cincinnati drains
from an area Of $4,000 square miles.
The excessively
HIGH STAGES OF WATER
at Cincinnati III 1883 and 1884. are more
than compensated for this year by the
greater rainfall in the country below
Cincinnati. The rainfall the past week
i'm area above Cincinnati, Nashville and
Chattanooga has been about nve cubic
miles, For the whole Ohio valley 1t has
been nearly eleven cubic miles. In
1882 for the whole month OF February
it was about twenty-five cubic miles for
the whole Ohio valley. In the Vicks-
burg drainage area below Cairo and Lit
tie Rock, equal 1000 square miles there
has been rainfall OF 3.5 cubic niles
the past week. The rainfalls from Feb.
%, ga. IN. to March |. a. M. occurring
principally from the 18th to the 21th.
have been at Knoxville. . inches; Chat
tanooga. IA Inches; Nashville, 5.2 IN
ches: Memphis, 4 inches; Cairo, 4.3 in
ches: Columbus, 3.4 inches: IndianapO-
ljs,3.3 inches; Louisville,2.9 inches; Lit
tie Rock. .. Z inches: Vicksburg, ,2inches;
At Vicksburg the stage of the river to-
day is 46.3, and at Little Rock ~ feet.
For 52-f0or stage at Cairo, Feb. %,
1882. and % feet at Little Rock, the sub
scquent highest water at VickSburg,
March 20, was 1873 feet. For a 52-roOt
Stage at Cairo, Feb. u, 1884, and % at
Little Rock, the subsequent highest
water at Vicksburg, Marcn IS, was 40
feet. 1t seems likely, tn 'refore, that
by March IA the river at Vicksburg will
rise to a height of 45 feet, unless 10y
that time great deal of water has run
into the st. Francis and YazOo bs ttomS.
The predictions are subject to some On
certainty on account OF any rainfall
that may occur before March Z. Any
further rainfall will tend to make the
water higher. 1t is not likely, however,
that there will be any considerable rain
fall soon, as the temperature through
out the country is very low, and apt to
remain so for several days. Lack OF
rainfall and river stations renders more
r. itnnnSCihtQ