Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-06-03
THE FLOOD CALAMITY.
Greatest Des0latiOn Ever Seen
in the South and West.
Hundreds of Lives Lost and Mil
lions of Property Destroyed.


Waters down to the louisiana delta the story
is one OF desolation. Farms ruined, houses
swept away, live stock drowned, railroads
idle, human lives in danger-such is the his
tory of the big food Beginning ct ST.
Cloud, north of Minneapolis. following the
Mississippi down to Keokuk, Iowa where the
flooding thousands of acres of the
richest farm lands on the continent; thence
in succession passing the cities OF Quincy
and Alton, in Illinois, where the work OF
the wind and water has been disastrous, the
first great stage of the desolate journey ends
at ST. Louis, Mo. 1t is impossible to make
an estimate of the damage to property
in that city and vicinity, except TO say
that millions will express ls, and that
the loss embraces untold acres of growing
crops destroyed, the wreck OF several vii
lagos injury to factories, the stOpDage or
trains and the Generalization of business.
Devastation hovers over big and prosper
Gus manufacturing district. Already the
losses and damages turn over 81, 900, 900, and
hundreds of men are in forced idleness.
Merely TO name towns ard villages il
Missouri and Illinois that have suffered
from the humiliation, would make list Of
appalling length The truth is that the de-
struction is so widespread and overwhelm-
ing in its character, as TO be difficult not
only of description, but of realization.
On the Missouri, too, and its tributaries,
/
than ever before known. Throughout the
Dakotas farms are under water, bridges
have been carried away and railroad tracks
undermined. The horror at Sioux City,
Iowa, is still engaging attention, and the
| full story of the deluge has not yet
| been told. Even yet hundreds of peo-
pie are closely following the receding
! foods, searching for their ruined homes
| AID missing relatives. Weeks and perhaps
! months will be required to repair the havoc
| caused by the foot, and it will probably
| never be known exactly how many persisted
| in the torrent. The loss by water even when
| the buildings were not carried away. was
very large. Everything is soaked or ruined,
or smashed by the waves or by the tlmbers
hurled along by the current.
Down through Nebraska the Missouri and
| its tributaries are on the rampage The
Platte is especially turbulent, and all along
| its course through the State until it emptles
into Big Muddy at Plattsmouth IL mas leIC
desolation on either side
( At Kansas City the Missouri River IS
higher than at any time since 1874. Inc
town of Harlem is left without a soul Of its
populace, and many houses nave oeen carried
from their foun Iations.
A dispatch from st. Louis, No, says:
| Ten thousand people along the banks of
| the Mississippi have been rendered homeless
bv the ravages of the food between this
city and Cairo, Ill. In some parts the river
ranges from ten to twenty miles In width
The river runs are sweeping away homes,
drowning stock and submerging bottom
lands. Five hundred thousand acres OF
growing crops have been destroyed. AS the
water begins to go down estimate IS
being made Of the actual damage done, and
it is believed that half a million will
not cover it. There are now in Har-
lem. Argentine, Armourdale and West Kan
sas over 1000 houses which have been
deserted. 1t is impossible to make more
than a rough estimate, but it is believed that
the damage, actual and resultant, VIII
amount to fully s., OOO, 900 in this Immediate
vicinity. In the flooded district probably
1900 square miles are submerged to an ex-
tent which renders it impossible for the far
mers to raise crops At least Is, 900 persons
have been thrown out Of employment.
The following Louisiana parishes are ar
fected by crevasse water: East Carroll MAO
1son. Tensas, Concordia Morehouse, Rlchland,
Caldwell, Catahoula. St. Charles, st. John,
PIaouemines Assumption, La Fourche,
Caddo and Bossier. The large crevasse5 now
running are two the Lafourche bayou
and two on the Mississippi proper.
A telegram from Shreveport La, says:
The whole country above here, with few ex.
ceptions, is one sheet Of water, and the mood
sufferers have taken refuge IN houses, barns
and gin-houses, from which they are await;
reporting a big rise at Garland
CITY. and advising the committee, a
Benton to spare no pains to hoit
the levees. At $50 o'clock in the morning
the Dan Nicholson levee on the BosSler side
a few miles below this city, gave away at {
noint where no danger was anticipated. The
Guards were seated in store near by, anC
the store and contents were carried away
, Fifty armed citizens cut the levee at Ut
, tumwa to save their property. The cutting
! was calculated to in ure the property or the
4 Water Company, and the company appealee
5 to the City Marshall, but he was powerless
The Water Company's superintendent at
tempted to stop the men, but ne wlVn9re"
when revolver was levelled at his head.
dixie was soon opened in three places, allow
ing the water to escape.
The Secretary of War has authorized tn
d Chief of Engineers to use Government ooaI
q upon all Western rivers to save human III
! where residents of the flooded districts are
danger.
= Governor Boies, of Iowa, after investig'
ting the flooded districts resolved to issue
= proclamation inviting the people Of low
a and the country generally to contribute fc
the relief of the destitute people The pros
lanation will state that 300, 90 Is needle
for this purpose.
e A telegram from Castoria Ark, state
a that 1900 men, women and children weI
. water bound there and asked that boat
sent to their rescue.
e The restitution among the food sufferer:
Ii white well colored. between LIT
. Rock. Ark and the mouth of the Arkanss
, River, is appalling. Pine Bluff and its Y
entity is covered with thousands OF refugee:
The cotton crop all along the river Is total
DESTROYED, and it is hard to tell on what II
farmers will live this summer The Coy
eminent boat c. B. Reece supplied 10
e half-famished people seventeen difereT
e landings with provisions furnished by tt
: citizens of Little ROck Hundreds o Pc
. pie were Ia ken up along the trip. and put 0
t on dry places. At Eagles Landing 120 pc