Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-19
THE YEARS DELUGES.
One of the Most Disastrous Periods
of Modern Times.
THOUSANDS OF ACRES RUINED,
And Yet There Was Deficiency in the
Amount of Rainfall.
THE LESSONS TAUGHT BY EXPERIENCE

I y
as one of the most disastrous flood years Of
modern times. Since the beginning of April
| there has been a succession of overflow:
throughout the entire nation, and not only
the United States have suffered from high
water tide, but floods have extended
| throughout the entire world. Hungary,
Switzerland, Africa and the extreme por-
tions of China have suffered from heavy
rains, and overhows have destroyed not
only property but many hundreds of lives.
This country has been extremely fortu-
nate SO far in escaping such disastrous ef-
fects from high water as the loss of life.
During the months of April and May a few
were drowned in the Tombigbee and Mis-
sissippi bottoms, it is true, but the number
was quite small
It will be remembered that the first seri-
Gus flood that occurred this year in the
United States was that in the Tombigbee, in
Alabama and Mississippi, early in the month
of April, where there was loss of over
y, ,000, 900 in property. There was a water
spout near the town Of Aberdeen, Miss,
which burst upon the people during the
hours of midnight, overfowed the lands,
washed away their houses and made sac
rifce of several lives. This hydropathic ex-
perience lasted for two weeks, when the
water began to recede and the plowman was
enabled to resume his occupation in the
field.
Millions OF Acres Devastated.
That was the first flood of the year. Along
about the middle of April the water in the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers and all Of
their tributaries began to rise. The rain
center danced around from the Tennessee
Valley to the Ohio, thence to the Illinois
and Missouri Valleys and finally to the
basins of the Red and Arkansas, thus
completing almost circle and spreading
all streams at the same time. From St
Paul to New Orleans all of the valleys of
the Mississippi's tributaries were inundated
by the heavy rains during the month of
May. Especially were the people north of
the Ohio river unprepared for such an over
flow. Never in the history of this country
did the rains fall so heavy and last so long
as during that month, which will be MEM
orable in the hearts and minds of thousands
of citizens living north of the 34th lati-
tudinal line.
The effect upon the commerce of the
country, strange to say, has been small.
Millions of acres of wheat have been de-
stroyed, and the cotton lands in the
Arkansas and Mississippi bottoms have
been submerged and of course almost
ruined. From the mouth of the Missouri
river to where the Mississippi enters the
Gulf there are over 200 streams that at one
time were out of their banks. And so sud-
denly did they rise and so ferocious were
their visits that valleys then blooming with
fruits and flowers and homes that wore the
~f.
tackled and the inhabitants subjected to
great loss and many privations The May
flood passed away. homes and plantations
that had been struck by the terrific ava
lanche of waters and were partially re-
paired and the voices of field men once
again mingled with the songs of larks In
the morning.
Tho Rainfall Was Deficient.
In round numbers, the losses occasioned
by the foods, from Kansas City to the Gulf
during the year of 1892, will reach over the
800, 900, 600 line But the matter of money
is of small consequence compared to the
misery, want, sickness, despair and desola-
ton caused by the flood.
A somewhat singular fact in connection
with the floods of the year 1892 is that they
have occurred in spite of deficiency in the
ainfalL Where the rainfall has been below
The average there is where the heaviest
and most serious floods have occurred. There
was long drought last winter, but it was
followed by phenomenal fall of rain suffi-
,ient to cause numerous freshets. Thi
thoroughly confirms the theory of the
that the climate has become
lemoralized by the destruction of forests,
md while the rains are no heavier than |
heretofore they come more suddenly and |
more violently. Experience in the matter |
If floods this year is valuable object |
esson against the rapid and criminal clear
ng up of the country. The people have !
been frequently warned that if they kept on |
IS they have done they may look for just
uch weather-rain, storms and foods-as
hey have had this year.
The levee system, in its present condition,
GEMS to be failure. There is DISPOSE
ion among many engineers and river men
o try the Cowden outlet theory. Mr.. Cow
len, Louisianian by birth, an engineer by
and man who lived in the Mis-
issippi bottoms during his whole lifetime,
5 now in Washington attempting to have
congress adopt his scheme, by which the
1cess waters may be carried into the lakes
f Arkansas and Louisiana by means of
anals.