Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-04-14
LOST IN THE FLOODS.
Many Persons Have Perished in Missis-
sinOl.

Many Persons Have Perished In Mtssis-3
COLUMBUS. Miss, April 1.-THE last
few days have been the most distress
ing this section has ever experienced.
Wednesday morning the Tombigbee
river, already full, began rising rapidly.
BY Thursday morning all the low lands
were submerged, the river having
risen IA feet that night. 1t con-
tinued to rise all that day and
by Friday morning it was feet higher
than was ever known before. Black
and Luxapila creeks joined their waters
with the Tombigbee and Columbus was
then literally an island with miles of
water in every direction.
There has been great loss of life and
an immense amount of property de-
stroyed Fourteen negroes were
drowned few miles from this place.
A low estimate puts the loss at fifty in
this county. To this time no
white persons have been reported
drowned. The food has car
ried destruction in all direc-
tions. Hundreds of homes have been
swept away, miles and miles of fences
destroyed. and the loss of mules and
cattle is large. The river and creeks
rose SO rapidly that great number of
people were aroused from their slumbers
by the rush of water through their
houses and, of course, could save none
of their household effects.
AS soon as the extent of the flood was
known the city government had large
number of boats built and rescuing
parties began their work. Hundreds
were saved and brought to this
city and are now being cared for
by the citizens. There are 600 homeless
negroes here now being sheltered
and fed by the city and county jointly.
The loss has been so great and the food
area SO extended that the mayor of Ike
city and president of the board of SUI
pervisors have telegraphed John Allen,
congressman from this district, asking
him to appeal to the federal govern
ment for aid
Great damage has been done the road
beds and trestling of the Mobile & Ohio
and Georgia Pacific roads. The latter
road has 5 miles of track washed away
between here and Waverly and there
are several washouts on the Mobile &
Ohio between here and Artesia This
road has run no trains here since
Wednesday. For two days the Georgia
Pacific did nothing, but they got
train through from Birmingham Satur-
day.
A correspondent in company with E.
c. Shott, manager of the Western Union
telegraph Office at this place, rowed
miles in a boat with the hope of being
able to repair the wires and let the
world know something of the destruc-
ton that had been wrought in this Sec
ton by the unprecedented floods. Dur
ing that ride the work of destruction
was witnessed. Houses, cattle, corn
cribs and furniture were being carried
away by the raging water.
Several of the rescuing parties had
narrow escapes. Col. William Baldwin,
prominent attorney of this city, and
William johnson were out early and
continued their work of rescue all
day. In their eagerness to save
the victims they overloaded their
boat. After going ashore
short distance their boat was caught in
a swift current and overturned and
three occupants were drowned. Bald
win and johnson and four negroes sue
ceeded in reaching trees and were res
cued at midnight, after being in their
perilous position for six hours.
WEST POINT, Miss, April 11.-Flood
disasters multiply as the news gets in
by skiffs from various parts of the
county. George Grimes, vino has lived
fifty years on his farm near
this city without ever suffering
from overflow, awoke one night to
find the water rapidly rising in the
rooms of the lower story of his house.
The family took refuge in the upper
story, and rescuers who went the next
day to transfer them to place of safety
rowed their boats back and forth
through the halls Of the house.
The negroes on the plantation say
they went to sleep in total ignorance of
danger, and so quietly did the water
enter that they stepped out of bed in
the morning to find it several inches
deep They escaped to trees, and in
little while the water stood above their
cabins.
A family named Cook, who lived on
the banks of the Tombigbee near here,
is missing, and neither human being
nor house is to be found where they
formerly resided. 1t is supposed they
were washed away during the night.
Every bridge in the county is gone
and railroads washed up so that
it is impossible to know yet the full ex-
tent of the damage done, but the ac-
counts already in place it far beyond
anything ever known in this county.
The banks of the creeks are lined with
carcasses of cows and horses, and the
crops are completely ruined.
VIRGINIA, ILL.,, April 1.-THE low
lands north of here are flooded by the
Illinois and Sangamon rivers. The
former is miles wide at Beardstown
and wagon traffic is suspended. Con-
siderable damage is being done to crops
on bottom lands.
VINcENNEs, Ind, April 11.-Thc
Wabash river, which has been rising
several days, is now II feet in the chan
mel and is still going up. The low bot.
toms are inundated. Lower Allison
prairie, across the river in Illinois, is
flooded by the backwater from the En-
barras river. Much damage has been
done to bridges and fences. Farmers
are getting their stock to high ground
to save it. Crops in the lowlands are
ruined
BURNED. TO DEATH.
A Louisville (Ky) Miller Perishes in the