The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1897-04-09
FLEEING FROM THE WATERS.
Not Much Change In Flooded Dis
tricts Along the Mississippi.
FOUR FEET UNDER WATER.
No Pen Can Describe the Dcsolation-
Grccnvillc Under Water - IRE
mendous Rains.

n Jackson, Miss. special, dated April
list, says there is nothing encouraging
III the situation along the river front,
but the unbrilled waters are frolicking
along on their march to the sea, HNd
the people of the greatest cottoxHlk
ducing valley in the world are ~ "
for their lives. Several refugees ~
arrived III Jackson, and report that the
half has not been told; that no pen can
describe the desolation, the devastation
and ruin made by the water in the
counties of Bolivar, Sharken, Issequona
and others.
Greenville is still dry, but the waters
from breaks above and below are back
ing into the city.
Rosedale, atown of 200 inhabitants,
is four feet under water, according to
private advices received. Other small
towns are i'll the same condition, and
still others will be in day or two, but
no loss of life is yet reported. Fortu
nately the waters travel slowly and the
deniZens of this swamp have had abun
dant time to get out.
\ special from Alton, Ill. of April I.
says: One of the most tremendous rain
storms on record swept over this city
last night and the Mississippi is risin"
again at the rate of an inch hour. 1t
stands l9b feet above low water mark,
and only inches below the disastrous
flood of 1892. The highest levees are
being cncroached upon and alarm is
great throughout the farming regions
of the Missouri and Illinois bottoms.
Manufacturing institutions here are
fighting the waters back from fires with
immense pumps.
4 special from Jackson, Miss, dated
April 2d, says: The only change in the
situation in the delta is for the worse.
The water is still pouring through the
breaks and encroaching upon places
heretofore thought to be above the
danger line. Plantations never before
submerged are under water. The streets
of Grecnville are now navigable only
by boats. The flood from above having
met and Joined forces with the flood
from below. nearly one thousand fami-
lies III Greenvlllc are surrounded by
water, although some portions of
the little city are still dry. The
levees there still hold. Citizens of
Huntington tclegraphed the Governor
this morning to send 80 tents at once.
They were forwarded on the first train
but will have to make several miles of
the journey by skiif The State is do
lHS All III ltS power 10 ASSIST us uela
people, but from the depleted condition
of her Treasury can offer little else than
the labor of her 500 able-bodied con-
victs. Thousands of delta negroes are
now homeless and will remain so until
the floods suhsidc. but planters are
feeding and caring for their hands as
far rs possible.
At New Orleans the water is less than
i'll lso3, and the city can stand rise of
Il foot and half and vet escape a flood.
Tn" situation is very discouraging at
Helena, Ark.
\ special from Cairo, ILL.,, to the
ScrlppS- McEac Press Association,
states information was brought to
Cairo, by IL commercial traveller, that
n relief boat found the bodies of a
young girl, an aged wcman and n child
in n flooded house, on the Missouri side
of the river, at point about 30 miles
south of New Madrid. The people had
| either starved to death or died of fright.
The water was at the caves of the house,
and the victims were in the attic. A
negro and Il white man are also report
ed as having been starved to death on
| the platform of n temporary refuge in
| the same locality.