The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-07-24
UPPER RED RIVER.
Hundreds Of Farms Inundated by
the July Overflow.
Thousands Of Dollars Damage Done to
Grooming Crops.
lTeXarkanian, July 1917

Texarkanian, July 10.
The famous Red river is now,
for the second time in thirty years,
oVcrtlowjng its banks in July, aud
inundatiDg hundreds Of fiDe farms,
doing many thousands Of dollars
damages to growing crops. Jhe
editor Of this paper went over to
Fulton yesterday afternoon to per
sonally take in the situation and
give the true facts to Lis many
readers.
But ere we go into detail will
state that we received news from
Fulton this morning (July l9) to
the effect that the river had fallen
two tenths Of foot last night.
This is good news, as there may he
little hope left to the farmer.
From Mir. John Glover, the eff
Gent bridge Waterman, we CLEAN
the following facts i'll regard to the
river:
The present Use began some
three weeks ago, and has alterna
tely risen and fell until last week,
when the heavy rains in the Indian
Territory caused it to get Oh a big
boom, making i5overiiow its banks
and cover several feet deep all the
lower bottoms. The highest point
on the government guage, 81 was
reached yesterday afternoon, when
it began falling as stated hereto
fore. The only overflow known
before III July occurred just nine.
teen years ago yesterday, when
the river stood about six inches
higher than now, that was i'll 1876.
That year most farmers made
nothing at all. Mr.. John Adams
on 600 acres planted, made only
three bales Of cotton and 80 bush
els Of corn in 1876.
The highest water ever known
at Fulton was Oh May 23d, 1892,
when the river stood on the gov
ernmeut gauge "a S-oyer three
feet higher than it has reached
during the present food. On May
sd, 1890, the river stOou at 50 feet
9 inches-about % feet higher than
now. In these floods not only the
farmers suffered, but the Iron
Mountain Railroad was covered
for hundreds of yards in many
places aud lost heavily by having
its road-bed and tracks washed
out. These openings remain still,
the track having been built upon
very heavy piles $50 feet long) drl-
ven deep into the holes washed out.
From MIR. Dan Chrytor we learn
ed that all Red river farms Subject
to overflow, above and below Full
ton, are now under water, and all
crops WI! be al almost total loss.
Among the farms thus affected are
the Cloud Willow Bend ialm, sew
eral hundred acres; the Paup farm,
as large; Ogden place, 800 acres;
Wilson tarm, 200 acres; Ferguson
place, 300 acres; Brooks farm, 200
acreS; Bryant and B'Shears place,
$50 acres; Summers place, 100
acles, aud many others. The Nc.
Whorten farm, over 800 acres, be-
ing levied, is not yet under. Near.
ly all farms between Fulton and
Garland City are no doubt under
water. Farmers are damaged iu
Ihe sum Of many thousands of dol
lars, hardly to be estimated. Few
of them will make any thing at all.
At Fulton the large lumber mill,
the stave mill and the shingle mill
have all been drowned out 10y tie
high waterfall were running be-
fore the flood came. The stave
mill lost $1,000 by having 1900
logs to break loose and
go down the river.
This flood Will fall heavily upon
the Red river farmers and the mer.
chants who are furnishing them.
In 1890 aud again i'll 1892 no crops
to speak of were raised, and now
for them to again lose so heavily
is too bad. They are entitled not
only to the sympathy OF all, but
should be helped i'll some way-by
the government, if possible.
We had hoped that the flood in
upper Red River would pass us by
harmlessly, but the rapidly rising
river and excessive rain fall adj
us that the low lands,
even in this locality, may be inun-
dated, before the immense volume
Of water now passing down the
channel, can be discharged into
the Mississippi.