Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-04-14
DAYS OF PERIL.


Devastating Flood Caused by the AohoI
NAL Rise in the Tombfgbee Rfver-S
lumbus, Miss Isolated by FAVE Niles
Water All Around - Fifty PERSONS
Drowned and Many Others Rescue"
from Certain Death by the Heroic Ell
forts of Volunteer Parties.
COLUMBUS, Miss, April 11.-Ihe las'
five days have been the most distress
ing this section has ever experienced.
Wednesday morning the Tomblgoee
river, already full, began rising rapldiy'
By Thursday morning all the low ianos
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 LuNa-
pill creeks Joined their waters with the
Tombigbee and Columbus was then
literally an island with five miles Oh
water in every direction.
There has been great loss of life, ana
an immense quantity of property oe-
stroyed. Fourteen negroes Were
drowned within few miles OF TINS
place. 4 low estimate puts the loss OF
life at fifty in this county. To TINS
time no whites have been reported
drowned.
The ficod 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 so rapidly that great num-
Der of people were aroused from their
slumbers by the rush of water through
their houses and of course could save
nothing of their household effects.
When the extent of the flood was re-
allied the city government had a great
number of boats made and reSculng
parties began their labors OF mercy.
Hundreds were saved and brought to
this city and are now being cared for
by the citizens. There are no less than
600 negroes here now being sheltered
and fed by the city and county Jointly.
The loss has been great and the belt
SO extended that the mayor of the city
and the 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 IL Ohio
and Georgia Pacific roads, the latter
has five miles of track washed away be-
tween here and Waverly. and there are
several washoutS on the Mobile N ONO
between here and Artesia. This road
has run no trains here since Wednes-
day. For two days the Georgia Pacific
did nothing. but they got train
through from Birmingham Saturday.
The wires were down in all directions.
The correspondent. in company with
the manager of the Western Union
Telegraph Co. at this place, rode for
miles in 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. On that
ride the most terrible destruction was
witnessed. Houses. cattle, corncribs and
furniture was being carried away by the
raging water.
Rescuing parties had narrow escapes.
Col. VIM. Baldwin. prominent at
torney of this city and Mr.. VIM. John
son. were out early and continued their
good work all day and in their eager
ness to save others. overloaded their
boat. After going a short distance
their boat was caught in swift cur
rent and overturned and three occu-
pants were drowned. Baldwin and
Johnson, and four of the negroes sue
ceeded in reaching trees and were res
cued at midnight after being in their
perilous position for six hours.
Later information will doubtless
show greater loss of life and property
all along the banks of the Tombigbee.
The waters have receded six feet hav-
ing fallen since Saturday morning.