The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-18
THE RAGING MISSISSIPPI
THE FATHER OF WATERS SET
TING 4 BAD EXAMPLE FOR
THE RIVER FAMILY.
GREAT LOSS and MUCH SUFFERING
In the Arkansas Low Lands-Nillagc Of
Marion Five Feet Under Water
Houses and Stock Swept
Entirely Away.

Memphis. March 1.-THE Mississippi
river continues to rise and the situation
in the low lands Of Arkansas opposite
this city is serious. Tonight the river
stands 1868 feet Il rise of sryen-tenths OF
foot since last night. This is the high
est record since the establishment of the
weather office here in 1872. and probably
since the sinking of the low lands of Mis-
souri,. Arkansas ana Tennessee by the
earthquake several years ago. The gov
eminent gauge today recorded 1868 feet
above the low water mark, but owing to
n change in the gauge since the previous
high waters. this would reach ON the old
gauge 37.2 feet. The high water mark
OH the old gauge was 800. made in the
flood of 1890. The rise during the day
was slightly more than half II foot. and
the indications are that the big stream
will continue to rise slowly during the
next twcnty-fOur hours. On all of the
islands near the city and on the low
lands of Arkansas there is great suffering
among the people. and there is also great
loss of stock and produce, but no al
thcntic reports have been received of per-
sons being drowned. People are leaving
the low lands for this side of the river
ms fast as they can do so and are bring
ing with them all Of the stock and move.
able property they can under the pres
cnt conditions.
Today the Little Rock and Memphis
Railway managed to get its morning train
into the city. but made no attempt to
move the later trains II is stated that
arrangements have been completed by
which it will use the tracks of the Iron
Mountain company for its trains tOmOi-
row. The Kansas City, Fort Scott and
Memphis brought trains into the city I'M
I'll midnight Saturday night over its own
line but later washOuts between here
and Gilmor caused il to abandon the line |
aud use that Of the Iron Mountain be-
tween here and NcttlctOn. The latter |
road is still few inches above the wa
ter but u slight additional rise will stop |
all traffic from the Arkansas side.
Several of the small lcvecs or, rather, |
private dykes, around towns and planta- |
tons have broken. but so far as heard |
from there have been no breaks in the
many levce systems either to the north |
or south. All of these are being closely
watched night and day Several steam
ers literally packed with people made cX-
cnrSions from this city today 10 the over
1lowcd regions in Arkansas.
At Marion. where the break in the
dyke occurred Friday night, II scene of
desolation exists. The little town is four
or five feet under water. many houses
and cabins have been washed away and
The inha bitants have sought shelter else
where. Hundreds of horses and cattle
nave been destroyed by the rcsistlcss wa
Iers. ana today 400 swine. corralcd on Il
small strip of ground near Marion. were
swept away.
AZ Osceola grave apprehension is felt
ana today every man and boy in the
nelghbOrho0d went to work with Il will
building an additional lcvcc to protect
The town.
At Sans Souci. II small town immediate
" below Osccola the Anchor line steam
n Bluff City this afternoon attempted to
and her passengers and freight The
'itizcns and levcc pntr0lmcn ordered the
'aptain To keep his boat moving, saying
hat the waves from the steamers wheel
would break over the lcvcc. The cap
ain, however, attempted to land, when
he boat was met by II wholesale fusil-
ade of bullets from the shore, but for
no one was hurt. The boat
was headed southwark. and the captain
wisely proceeded on his course to Mem
This.
Word was received here tonight that
many persons We're surrounded by wa
or on Presidents island. five miles south
VI the city, and that their position is per
lous.
A steamer has been dispatched to their
'cSCuC,
At Helena the water is seven feet
lbovc the danger line, while at Nicks-
nrg il is within Il foot of il. The re-
,Orts from up the country are anything
Dut encouraging for this section of the
While the Ohio river is falling
It Wheeling, Louisville and Cincinnati,
here was n rise of four-tcnthS of an inch |
II Cairo during the last twcnty-four
hours, while the rainfall in the water
'hed tributary to Chattanooga in the
tennessee basin has been two inches.
Dispatches from north Alabama state
hat the food there is unprecedented.
Some of the streams are So full of water
hat people are compelled to wait for Il
lay before being able to cross them
At Chattanooga the Tennessee river
stands at 20 feet tonight. and will prob
IDLY remain stationary until tomorrow
Us the result of the rain last night and
Saturday. which fell in that section.
here having been fall of nearly two
inches The local observer expected Il
rise of three or four feet and places the
maximum height at ~ feet No damage
has resulted there and none is feared.
Residents along the Tennessee river be-
low Chattanooga have been driven out
by the rising flood and others are ready
10 vacatc.
Tonight the train dispatcher of the
iazoo and Mississippi Valley said that
all the reports received over the com
effect that the lcvccs were standing the
strain well.
The Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus
Railway has been shut of from the city,