The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1892-04-16
FIFTY LIVES LOST.
Appalling Loss Of Life and Property m
lIisaisslppi-Horror and Horror Re-
ported from LOwndes and Clay Counties

COLUMBUS, MISS, April 10.--The last
| few days have been the most distressing
this section has ever experienced.
Wednesday morning the Tombigbee
river, already full, began rising rapidly.
By Thursday morning all the lowlands
were submerged, the river having risen
fourteen feet that night 1t continued
to rise all that day, and by Friday morn
ing it was seven feet higher than was
ever known before. Black and Luxa-
palila creeks joined their waters with
the Bigbee, and Columbus was then
| literally an island with i've miles OF
water in every direction. There has
been great loss of life, and an immense
amount Of property destroyed. Four
teen negroes were drowned within few
miles of this place. A low estimate
puts the loss at fiftyin this county. Up
to this time no whites have been re-
ported drowned.
The flood has carried destruction in
all directions. Hundreds of homes have
been swept away, miles and miles of
fences destroyed, and the loss of mules
and cattle is fearful.
The river and creeks rose 50 rapidly
that great number of people were
aroused from their slumber by the rush
of water through their houses, and Of
course could save nothing of their
household effects.
AS soon as the extent of the food was
known the city government had great
number of boats made, and rescuing
| IL -
Hundreds were saved and brought to
the city, and are now being cared for by
the citizens
There are no less than 900 homeless
negroes here now being sheltered and
fed by the city and county jointly. The
loss has been so great, and the want SO
extended, that the mayor of the city
and tbe president of the board of super
visors have telegraphed Hon. John AL
len, Congressman from this district,
asking him to appeal to the Federal
government for aid.
Great damage has been done the road
beds and trestling Of the Mobile & Ohio
and Georgia Facific roads. The latter
road has five 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 We'd
, nesday. For two days the Georgia Pa
cific did nothing, but it got train
} through from Birmingham yesterday.
/ Several of the rescuing parties had a
: narrow escape. Col. William Baldwin,
. a prominent attorney of this city, and
: Mr.. William johnson were out early
, and continued their good work all day,
and in their eagerness to save they
. overloaded their boat. After going q
short distance their boat was caught in
a swift current and overturned and three
> occupants were drowned. Messrs Bald
!. win and johnson and four of the negroes
succeeded in reaching trees and were
!, rescued at midnight, after being in
a their perilous positions for six hours.
q Later information will doubtless show
greater loss of life and property all
along the banks of the Bigbee.
The waters have receded six feet,
having fallen since yesterday morning.
WEST POINT, Miss, April 10.-Flood
70 disasters multiply as news budgets gel
e in by skif from various sections of the
s. county. Mr.. George Grimes, large
farmer near this city, who has lived for
e fifty years at his present place of resi-
70 dence without ever suffering from over
: flow, awoke one night to find the water
> rapidly rising in the rooms of the lower
story of his house. The family i'm
mediately took refuge in the uppel
!, story, and rescuers who went the mex
ls day to transfer them to place of safety
l rowed their boats back and forth
l. through the halls of the house. Tht
negroes on the plantation say that they
v went to sleep in total ignorance of thu
= danger, and SO quietly did the waite
a enter that they stepped out Of bed il
+ the morning to find it several inche
r. deep. They betook themselves to trees
l. and in little while the water stoot
above their cabins. A family by tn
/ name of Cook, who lived on the banks
!" of the Tombigbee near here, is missing
and neither human, beast or house is t
J . be found where they formerly resided
o. 1t is supposed they we're washed ava
during the night. Every bridge in tn
county is gone and the railroads washe
&c up, SO it is impossible to know yet tn
T. full extent of the damage done; but tn
m accounts already in place it far bt
ty yond anything ever known in thi
ID county. The banks of creeks are line
S. with dead COWS and horses, and the crop
st are completely ruined. West Point ha
been veritsble island for several day
le The winds of yesterday worked stil
b greater damage to telegraph wires.
le GRENADA, MISS, April s.-The watt
O. has fallen six feet here in the last da,
" but Grenada is still cut of from th
Ae world. The damage from the hig
water is almost incalculable. Thousand
: of panels of fence are gone, and tho,
sands of acres of crops washed u
l. Hundreds of head of stock are drownet
T. 1t will be almost impossible for ii
in farmers to replace their fences in tin
m to make crop. Buffalo gnats in myris
I'd numbers will succeed the overflow.
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DYNAMO FLASHES.
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