Iron County register., 1892-04-21
DIRE OESOLATION.

Terrible Reports from the Flooded Region
In the South-AHectinS scenes a.id Pitia-
hle Reeitals of Experience-The Death
List Constantly Observation-Disclosures oil
Families Caught Like Rats In a Trap by
the Rushing Waters.
MEMPHIS. Tenn. April 14.-East Mis-
<sissippi has been the scene of one of the
most appalling floods ever known in
the United States within the last week,
and the world beyond that state knows
2ittle of the destruction of property and
the loss of life that the rise in the Tom
bigbee river has entailed. This river
rises In north Alabama and winds its
way south, touching Columbus and
forming junction with the Alabama,
"A few miles above Mobile bay.
The river having its origin in the
mountains of North Ala bama is fed by
"a dozen quick rising mountain streams
that fer the last seven days have been
Eiiiing it until now, above Columbus, it
has assumed the proportions of an in
land sea Near Columbus the loss of
life has been terrible.
Saturday night hundreds of negro
families in the bottoms went to bed
feeling secure. but before morning they
were aroused by rush of waters.
Those near the uplands got away to a
place of safety with little help, but those
IN the bottoms found escape was cut off
and they clambered to the tops of their
ricliety huts in hope that in few hours
the waters would subside. The rain
poured down in torrents all of Sunday
and the water-bOund prisoners saw that
their only hope of escape was by boats
that they thought their landlords would
send to bring them to dry land.
The landowners. 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 last night
from one of the sufferers. and his story.
told in simply negro dialect is most
pathetic The cattle. says he. took to
the high places. and for Sustenance be-
gan to dcvour the branches of trees.
Chickens flew to the tree tops and re-
naincd there for three days until, weak
from starvation, they fell into the
water- He says that no estimate can
be made of the number of lives lost,
iJut makes Il rough guess that from Sat
urday untii Tuesday night 200 negroes
persisted.
Seth Jones case is like dozens of 9TH
erS- This negro lay in his hut with a
wife and four children Sunday morning
when the water came rushing in upon
them Jones attempted to escape with
his children. but all avenues were cut
OF He and his family sought the roof
of the house and watched the water
making It's way up to them. As the
current grew swifter the house began
to tremble ard in a few moments the
logs began to feat away one from the
other. Jones took up one of his chill
ftrcn-his wife and the other three were
drowned before his eyes. He held on
TO a log and attempting to place his
child on it she fell and sank into the
water. He alone escaped after floating
around for several hours.
The Mississippi river here is almost
at a stand within n foot of the danger
line and within three feet of the high
est mark The weakest point is at
Helena, Ark, but all is safe there ac-
cnrding to late reports. The levees
along the river are in good condition
and planter have no very grave fears
. that this will be such flood as that of
1882 OF 1889.
On the Arkansas side of the Missis-
sippi river at Council point and Pecan
point the river is out of the banks and
mas flooded 10000 acres of land. over
half of which has been planted in corn.
About 2, 900 acres of cotton has been
submerged. One planter went over his
entire plantation in slliff to-day. The
river will rise several inches in the
next twenty-four hours and this will put
the water over large part of Phillips
county, Ark.