The record-union., 1897-04-03

Intact, the City at Present Being
in Imminent Danger.
MEMPHIS CTenn.), April 2.-The
flood situation has once more become
acute from a point a few miles above
Austin, Miss, as far down as the first
break at Perthshire, Miss. Another
crevasse in this line of levees would not
be surprising. The pressure on the
levee is brought about by the waters
of the ST. Francis basin, which are
here congested between the levees in
front of Helena. There is no levee on
the Arkansas down to San Souci to a
a point above Helena, a distance of 1OO
miles, and it is at Austin that the le-
wee system on each side of the river
begins and goes to the passes below
New Orleans.
The water is now so high in the st.
Francis basin that the current rushes
from the west and cuts along the east
shore levee for miles, and several
alarming kilograms have been received
from near Austin to-day. Boats have
been requested to run on slow bells,
ana ldDOrerS are SllcllS III
ening the embankments.
A crevasse at Austin would inundate
a strip of fertile country in the Tunica
and Coahuma countries twenty miles
wide and sixty miles long.
Reports from Helena, Ark, show that
the river is still slowly rising, and it
is almost miraculous that the levees at
Helena have not broken. Thousands
of people have been working day and
night and their energies are seemingly
exhaustless. The Missouri Pacific and
Cotton Belt roads have rushed tralnload
after trainload of sacks of sand into
the beleaguered city, and still stand
ready to help the Helena people. The
railroads have rendered great assist
ance to the levee boards. The Illinois
Central, Missouri Pacific and Cotton
Belt Railroads have devoted all their
great forces to the work of saving the
country. and that without charge.
Greenville is on an island, and Rose
dale, Miss, is in water from five to ten
feet deep. The funds of a bank in
Rosedale have been moved to the sec
ond story Thousands of head of cattle
are standing on the levee, and many
no covering TO protect them from the
water-soaked winds of night.
Back of Rosedale and throughout the
lower and middle delta country every
thing is under water. In many viii
lages communication with the outside
world has been cut off for several days
The threatened rise at Cairo is now a
certainty. The Mississippi above Cairo
and the Cumberland and Tennessee
Rivers will send a great flood into the
already filled St Francis, and from
Cairo to Memphis it is feared that the
deluge will mark a high water figure
that will be without precedent
At Memphis the river is falling to-
night. the gauge reading 1868 feet, a
fall of one tenth of a foot since last
night.
The calls for assistance from numer-
Gus points along the river are becom-
ing more and more frequent at the
headquarters of the relief committee in
Memphis. The committee is in receipt
of information that there are some
eighteen or twenty white people, prin-
cipally wcmen and children, in great
distress at point near st. Clair land
ing. about fifteen miles up the river
which is some six miles from Mound
City. They are located in houses the
lower floors of which are overfiowed
and they have no food and no means OF
obtaining it, Arrangements were
made to send supplies.
HIGH WATER AT ST. LOUIS.
ST. LOUIS, April 2.-The heavy rains
of the past two days are having an eff
feet on the streams tributary to the
Mississippi: and Missouri Rivers in Iowa
Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. AS a
result they are pouring torrents into
these mighty waterways and flooding
the lowlards through which they flow
causing considerable damage, but as
far as known no casualties.
Weather Observer Frankenfield to-
day warned people on this side of the
river and in East st. Louis. whose
places are in danger of being flooded
that the danger line will be reached
within the next fortyeight hours. Ad-
ditional warnings We're also sent tc
Clarksville, Canton, La Grange and
Louisiana, Mo-. and Quincy and Graf
ton, H., apprising them of the expect
ed rise
Mr.. Frankenffeld says the two points
where the greatest danger will exist
for the next twenty-four hours are
Hannibal, Mo-, and Quincy, III.
Railroads running west and south
were in much better shape to-day thar
on Thursday. Two trains We're dis
patched from here over the Iron Noun
tain, but none were due to arrive be
fore late this afternoon. The Missouri
Kansas and Texas trains and those or
the Mobile and Ohio are all late. bu
they are getting through. Great care
is being taken for the tracks are under
water at many points.
FLOODS IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
OMAHA April "A special to the
"Bee" from Woonsocket, S. D.. says
This town, although eight miles from
running water, is inundated by the
overflow of the Big Sandy. The wat
er is damned up in the river by ic'
gorges, and is flowing over the prairie
doing much damage to farm property
Many houses in town. supposed to b'
on high ground, have been abandoned
At Pierre the Missouri River is fall
ing, but a gorge is reported abov'
town. Yankton reports another twt