The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-04-09
REPORTS OF ENGINEERS
Exact Situation on the Lower Mississippi is
Officially Stated.


ger is pushing forward the work Of re-
lief for the food sufferers and within a
few days the disbursement of the rations
provided by congress will begin. Today
the SECRETARY was in consultation with
Colonel Gillespie, in charge of the Ms
sissippi river commission. wbn was sum-
moned here by telegraph by the secretary
for that purpose. Colonel Gillespie has
just returned from a visit OF inspections
OF the flooded districts along the lower
Mississippi and, backed by his expert
ence in river Improvements, WIS able
u give a definite idea OF the needs.
1t is felt by the engineers officers that
with the appropriation of s250o00 al
ready placed az their disposal by con-
gress for the protection of improvement
works, they will be able TO restore the
broken levees and get the river back into
shape
With a view 10 the ascertainment OF
the exact state of the levees as far as
possible - learn al this time, General
Wilson. chief of engineers, has telegraph
ed TO the officers OF his corps along the
river to report the facts to him. These
reports cane along this morning. They
have reference solely to the levees and
were as follows:
''New Orleans April ITO the chief
engineer, United States army: Telegram
received. No breaks in my line as yet.
Levees under severe strain now, but the
worst has not yet reached my district.
We are making every effort along the
lire TO prevent any breach.
(Signed) DERBY, Engineer"
memphis, April S.-Levees west Of
river in my district practically intact.
One crevasse OF little importance on
Amos Bayou about two miles from up-
per end OF ievee system and though this
cravasse has inunoated a small area. in
GLIDING Arkansas City. But little desti-
tuition apprehended from this. Four
crevasses in my district in Mississippi.
one opposite island No. 20, one south. one
Conccrdia Bayou, about eight miles
above Greenvilla: width of breaks about
800 to / 000 feet April 2. Land now over
flowed or taat soon viii be from these
breaks roughly estimated at 25 10 l2O
miles No reiisble information yet as 70
amount of loss or destitution caused by
the flood VIII dspend largely on time
food continues interior points hitherto
accessible by raiiroad will probably soon
exhaust supplies on hand and can be
reached crly by skiffs I think vague
press statements of enormous damage
and suffering very much exaggerate pres
en-. conditions
(Signedl y ''NEWCOMER."
Memphis. April S.-Breaks on the st.
Francis ievee are charlottesville. Mo.
3 200 feet wide: just above Arkansas and
Missouri state line two breaks. each 1000
feet wide: between Osceola and Nodena,
Ark, seventeen breaks aggrecating
mile in width. This basin practically
overlooked from Gayoso, No. % the
mouth Of 81. Francis river for twenty to
twenty-five miles nack- Overlooked area
estimated ~ $500 square miles Breaks
in White river levees are: Three miles
heInv Helena. Ark. 500 feet: twenty
fvfe miles below ! 600 feet wide; four
teen miles below. 900 feet wide. Below
Modoc. AK. and foot Of Island No. So.
are six breaks. the lower being q mile
wide. Between Knovl,on. Ark. and
two miles above are three breaks aggre-
eating 1000 feet. I.aconia levee broken
inunsating Laconia Circle. Overlooked
area Of Write River basin estimated az
900 s1uare miles In upper YsZOo district
there is orr break opposite the mouth Of
S. Trsncis river aNout 500 feet wide. No
Information On which 10 base estimates
on Cverdowed asea OF upper Yszco d.
trict. NJ date f1r approximate esti-
mate Of loss and dssti.usion, which. how
esec. Is great.
(Slgredo FITCH"
Touching the matter of relief the neo-
ole IN the flooded district. which mas
been separated from the matter Of re-
pairing the levees. the secretary ot war
has mad some changes in The detail %
officers announced yesterday. The ser
vices Of the engineer officers are 80 bad
IL needed in other districts that Two
members Of the corps. Colonel Haines
and Captain Gaylord. were relieved. and
two infantry officers were substituted.
80 ;hat the detail work ssonds: Major
Sanger. inspector general; Major Craig.
. signsl corps. Captain Clarke. ordnance
department: Captain Martin ouar;ernts-
ter department; Lieutenant Richman.
Ninth Infantry. and Lieutenant Rowan.
Nineteenth Infantry. These last two
named officers are uow on duty n me
information bureau here. II has been
decided 10 make the purchases needed
al Memphis. Ntw Orleans. and 81 Louis
Al the tWo las named cities there
are already. Stationed officers % the com
-nissa-y generals department. and this
morning Connlissa-y General sullivan
ordered Captain DAVIS. enc of ne best