Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-14
THE SOUTHERN FLOODS



palIizg kasets Of tlas Deiags-
JAcxsos, Miss, April ls.-The water
In the Tonoigbes river Is now falling.
The number Of drowned has reached
rs. When the waters snbstis entirely
il il thought other bodies viii be dis-
covered. IL will be several days yet
before the river gets inside its
banks In many places IL was
upward OF 10 miles wide Mounds
that have never before been
overlooked were under Q or . feet of
water Houses in numbers were swept
away. Water is falling In the Big
Black river. All the work put on crops
will be lost. in the overflow districts
many farmers had already finished
planting both corn and cotton.
A gener al idea of the effects of the
food can be stated in this way: A belt
of country ranging FROM 10 Is miles
wide. running north and south. . range
through the county. u one stretch of
debris made up Of ruins of houses.
fences and cArcasses Of stock. aAd il is
doubtful whether there are left stand
ing In that belt . dozen houses The
pitiful scenes Of me last few days
have opened the hearts of all. and pub
lilo and private charity prevents the
cruel suffering OF those who were
rescued But great need for help will
come when the water subsidies, and
there will be left in this place 1000 to
1900 negroes who viii not have one
cent and no credit. and the places that
were their homes nothing but mud holes.
NASHVILLE. Tenn. April ls.-The
horrible l0ss OF life across the Missis-
sippi state line grows more appalling
and the death list is constantly increas-
ing. The waters now cover the land
for 70 miles south Of here. Scores Of
houses. bodies Of men. women and chill
dren. together with those OF dumb
beasts, are floating on the muddy
waters Over 1900 people are
homeless. The food is caused by the
sudden rising of sixteen rivers which
form . network over north Mississippi.
Rafts, small boats and canoes were
built by the score and stocked with pro-
visions. Daring rescuers have started
out to carry aid to the sufferers. One
raftsman rowed thirty-three miles
last night with twenty-six bodies
piled on his raft with no light
but an oil lantern to guide
him. Every hour or SO boatman or
raftsman comes into one Of the many
landings with one to ten bodies, swollen,
discolored aud soms Of them beginning
to decay. Sixty-one bodies of both
sexes have been recovered so far. The
food is beginning to recede slowly. II
Is estimated the damage will amount to
over s., zoe, COO.
WASHINGTON, April 1s.-In the house
Mr.. Allen Miss asked unanimous
consent for the present consideration OF
an appropriation of $50, 900 for the pur.
chase and distribution of subsistence
stores to the sufferers from the over
flow Of Tombigbee river and its tribu'
taries. Mr.. Kilgore TEX, objected
and the resolution was referred.
MOBILE, Ala, April 13.-The Great
Southern railway track is submerged
near Epps Station and the trains o.
that road are using the East TENNESSEE
road to Meridian, Miss. West Point
Miss, is surrounded by water and prac
tically on an island. Every railroad is
washed out and nearly all the wires
are down. Every bridge in the county
is washed away and much stock ha'
been lost. The hotels in West Point ar,
crowded with waterbound passengers
The first through train for Mobile, OF
the Mobile & Ohio, wet out Monday
night, but rain began falling again and
it looks as if the food would be greater
than before.