St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-14
Appalling Death List Result
ing From the Floods in
Mississippi.
Two Hundred and Fifty Ne
groes Drowned in the =
Rush OF Water.
A Vast Section Of Country Is
Practically Laid Waste and
Depopulated.
Seven Hen Blown to Atoms In
a Tremendous Powder
Explosion.

JACKSON. Miss. April 13.-The low
est estimate placed OIL The loss OF life IN
the flooded district is $50, all OF whom
are negroes.
MEMPHIS, April l3.-East Mississippi
has been the scene of one of the most
appalliI floods in the United States
within the last week. and tile world be-
yond that state knows little of the
destruction of property and the loss
of life that the rise In the Tomblgbee
river has enialled. This river rises Ill
North Alabama and winds its way
south, touching Columbus, and forming
a junction with the Alabama lew
miles above Mobile bay. The river Is
fed by dozen quick-rising mountain
streams that for the last seven days
have been filling il, until now above Co
lumbus ii has assumed the proportions
of an inland sed.
Near Columbus the loss of life has
been terrible. Saturday night hundreds
OF negro families in the bottoms went
to bed feeling secure, bnt before morn
ing they were aroused by rush OF wa
tiers. Those near the uplands got away
to places of safety by daylight, but
those in the lower bottoms found
Escape Was Cut Or
and they clambered to the tops OF their
rickety nuts in hopes that in a few
hours the waters would subSide. The
rain poured down in torrents all of Sun
day, and the water bound prisoners saw
that their only hope OF escape was
boats that they thought their landlords
would send to bring them 10 dry land.
The land owners, however, did not
appreciate the dire necessity of the
poor wretches until many houses had
been swept away and their occupants
drowned. A letter was received here
tonight from oile OF tue sufferers, anu
his story, told in simple negro dialect,
is most pathetic. He says that no estl7
mate can be made of the number OF
lives lost, but makes Il rough guess that
from Saturday /, till Tuesday night 200
negroes have persisted.
A negro named Seth Jones lay in his
hut with wife and four children sun
day morning when the water came rtlsIi-
ing in upon them. jones attempted 10
escape with his children, but all ave-
nues were cut off. He and his family
sought the roof of the house and
ND to them. AS the current
grew a. syIfter the house began
to tremble, and In a few moments the
logs began to float away one from the
other. Jones grabbed one of his chill
drpn. while his wife and the other three
were drowned before his eyes. lie held
onto log, and i'll attempting to place
his child on it, she fell and sank into the
water. He alone escaped, after floating
around for several hours.
Appalling DesOIation.
ABERDEEN. Miss, April Is. = The
ing. leaving a black, desolate waste.
Late reports which have reached here
indicate that the loss by flood will be
greater than at first estimated. From
the most reliable Information to be
obtained from the flooded district
1t is known that the number
of lives lost will reach 80. while al
vestige of household property has been
swept away by the raging torrent. Re
lief parties have been sent out, and
more than 1870 bodies have already been
recovered. Thousands Of people are
rendered homeless, and the suf-
fering is intense. A relief party
today rescued a family of nine
persons who had been adrlft oil q raft
for six days without n1outhfnl OF food.
They were insane from hunger, and
went wild over the sightof food. One
of the party. a lad of fourteen years, had
become gibbering idiot aud deyoured
raw beef like wild beast. A colored
woman and her infant we're found float
ing on a mattress. They had been
without food for three days, and the
babe is so emaciated that it will die.
Her family OF eight children were all
drowned.
The loss of property is so great that it
cannot be accurately estimated at pres
ent. Thousands of head OF cattle have
persisted, and the swamps are strewn
with carcasses. The country III the
flooded district is fiat and devoid OF
hills. thus giving no refuge except tree
tops to the panic stricken negroes when
the water came rushing down upon
them. 1T will De several deys before
anything like correct estimate of the
damage can be obtained.