The herald., 1897-03-22

WORST ISOVER
Reassuring Reports From
Raging Rivers
WATER FALLING AT MEMPHIS
Though Broken Levees Serve to Intensity
the Suffering
WATER FALLING AT MEMPHIS
An Immense Stretch of Country Is De
vastated and Traffic of All Kinds
Absolutely Blocked

MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 21.-Tonight
for the first time in many weeks the
| Mississippi river is reported falling at
Memphis, the gauge reading 81 feet.
Several breaks in the levee are known to
have occurred between Osceola, Ark,
and Memphis and the fall of the river
here is attributed to these crevasses.
The break at Sans Souchi is rising and
the mad rush of the waters through the
opening can be heard for miles. Three
additional breaks, all near Sans Souci.
are reported today and the suffering of
the people in Eastern Arkansas will
surely be greatly intensified.
The condition of the levee south of
Memphis is about the same as on yes
terday. A dispatch from Vicksburg
says that the reported crevasse at Mo-
doc, Ark, near Helena, is confirmed by
officers of the steamer State of Kansas,
which passed there last evening, and by
dispatches received at Vicksburg. The
levee at Modoc has been considered in
hopeless condition for several days. The
water will run into White river very
/ fast and will find it's way back into the
Mississippi in day or two. Levee men
say the effect will be merely temporary,
but today a decline is reported of from
one to four inches along the Coahmi
| county, Mississippi, levee, where the
! struggle against the high water has
been most desperate. The Kansas also
reported a break lower down but these
are probably protection levees.
The officers say that the people along
| the shores of the big river from Memphis
south everywhere show the greatest
anxiety. Lights are shining all along the
| levee and guards and inspectors are
covering every in ch Of the territory.
The river at Vicksburg has risen three
inches since am, and tonight registers
asa feet
At Greenville, the river continues to
rise rapidly ard a stage of 45 feet may
be expected before April 1st if the levees
remain intactS
The break last night at Modoc lowered
the water along the front of F'riar's Point
five inches, but will give no relief to-
levees and property below the mouth of
the Arkansas river, as the water from
the crevasse will find its way back into
the Father of Waters through the White
and Arkansas rivers, swelling those
streams far above the danger line.
The river continueg to rise at all points
south of Vicksburg.
The railroad situation at Memphis is
somewhat better tonight.
The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley road
sent its train through to New Orleans
tonight, the tracks between Memphis
and Lake View having been raised above
the water level. The Illinois Central and
the Kansas City, Memphis and Blr1ning-
ham east are running trains on time.
The Memphis and Charleston and the
Nashville, Chattanooga and st. Louis
roads are moving local passenger trains,
but thief ormer cannot go beyond the
Big Hach river, while the latter road
cannot cross the Tennessee. Railroad
communication with Nashville is en-
tirely cut Off The Iron Mountain
tracks on the west side are still above
water, and all road entering the city
from that direction are moving passen-
ger trains over the Iron Mountain
tracks.
Over in Arkansas the town of Marion
is in bad condition. All the houses are
surrounded by water, and the whole
face of the earth is submerged, except
here and there q small Indian mound,
that is above water. There are many
breaks in the levee, or, at least, many
places where the water is running over
the levee like a mill race. The water is
also running over the Kansas City rail-
way at three places in the town of Ma
rion and possibly more. At these places
the current is exceedingly rapid and the
waves dash eight and ten feet high. No
further loss of life is reported today.
IN NEBRASKA.
OMAHA, Neb., March 21.-The Mis-
souri, river was thirteen feet above nor
NAL this evening, rise of three feet
since yesterday. 1t was running clear
of ice and rising slowly. The river is
now clear of ice as far north as Yank-
ton, where there are two immense
gorges. Both of these hold firm and
show no sign of breaking. The ice is piled
up twelve feet high just above that town
at the foot of Ambrose island.
The James river is running at flood
tide and pouring into the Missouri river
above this gorge. A dispatch from HUI
ron says the James river is four miles
wide there, and has done much damage.
The railroad service Is entirely cut Off,
and telegraphic communication is bad
ly interrupted. At Yankton there is
danger of a famine; coal is already
short, the supply at the hospital for the
insane being exhausted. Vermilion re-
ported that the bottoms for four miles
on either side of the river are under
from four to six feet OF water. Dyna-
mite is being used tonight to break
gorges in the Nernihon river. IN the
hope of saving the only bridge that re-
mains. Rock Rapids, Iowa, reports the
flood in the Rock river receding. Only
one bridge is left in the county, and it is
badly damaged,
DeS MoireS repGFts the nood IN the
Das Moines river increasing. Over 100
buildings have been abandoned on ac-
count of the overflow.
The tributaries of the Missouri in this
state are doing the most damage. At
Norfolk the north fork of the Elkhorn
river overfowed its banks and the val
lev between there and Pierce is one vast
sea of water. The river has been rising
for several days, but last night it rose
--f, ,o1- t
ing the fire whistle was blown to awak-
en- residents SO they might rescue stock
and save other property. Cellars on the
north side of Main street are flooded and
the water is now in places pouring over
Main street, which is on a tive-foot
grade. The southeast portion Of. the
residence district is under water. At
Fremont the Platte is subsidlng ard is
now within the banks.
TENNESSEE.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. March 2l.-At G
o'clock tonight the Cumberland river
marked forty-eight feet on the gauge
and is falling rapidly, the fall being over
a footk>l-ce o'clock this morning. 1t
will BE- several days before the mills and
factories on the cast side Will be able to
resume operations, even If there is no
more rain, but the cessation of the rise
saves the lumber yards, which were
greatly endangered.
On two or three streets street car trav-
el is still suspended, but the cars will be
able to resume operations soon. The