The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-04-16
Terrible Suffering at Many Points.

S N
The floods of the Mississippi valley
and its tributaries continues to grow
apace. Millions of dollars worth Of
property have been destroyed and mill
lions more must be swept away before
the waters recede. Hundreds of lives
have been sacrificed and at least three
hundred thousand people have been
rendered homeless. The governors of
Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, ZEN
nessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri,
Kansas, the Dakotas, Nebraska and
Minnesota are receiving funds for the
Snfortunates in distress.
Secretary of War Alger has forward
ed all the available tents in the de-
partment to the flooded districts, but
these will be inadequate. He has also
ordered the expenditure Of $4,000 cash
to relieve the su%fferings of homeless
citizens and their families. This is the
first time that the war department has
eve felt called upon to spend cash to
relieve want outside of the regular ar
my.*
GreenvilIe, Miss, Being Swept Away.
One-third of Greenville, Miss, is a
desert of water, a scene of desOlatiOn
impossible to describe. The water is
in nearly 200 houses and is kept out
of the stores in the heart of the town
only by the protection so timely
thrown up by the citizens to stop it's
destructive progress. Mail goes and
come in skiffs, doctors visit their
patients in skiffs, social visits are made
in skiffs, and skiffs are property equal
almost in value to what the mule was
a few days ago. The water is deepest
in the extreme northern limits, where
it has reached a depth of about sever
feet. From this point it shows a grad
ual decline.
New Town, Miss, a very thickly
built district, peopled almost entirely
by negroes, is under water, the depth
ranging from a few inches to five feet.
The Belle Air, which contains many
pretty homes and was beautiful with
green lawns and blooming shrubs, is
" RI oIO lhC ILL., llSd1S luS DSO~ |
pie have of leaving or returning to
their homes is by boats, which are
numerous and various. The water is
not as high as in 1890, but will soon
reach and pass that mark. Greenville
Itself is a city of refugees of from IS
600 to 10000 souls. Relief boats from
the interior are bringing in nearly ey-
cry hour loads of destitute food suffer-
-ers suddenly caught by the waters and
driven from their homes. Hundreds
and thousands of head of stock are
being driven in from every direction.
The back water from four creyices is
pouring in fearful floods every hour,
and the situation is growing rapidIv
worse. At Helena, Miss, the river is
still rising; at st. Louis, Miss. if is
rising, and the Arkansas is threatening
to rise in a few days. Business men
are blue, but try to keep cheerful. The
worst has not yet reached the Yazoo-
Mississippi Delta, and the half of ifs
tale of woe has not been told. AS soon
as the different towns and cities AL
ready submerged are reached by boat
parties from Greenville and as soon
as the remote districts and planta-
lions can be heard from, there will be
enough to sadden the hearts of those
far away who are now eagerly wait
ing for new and hoping against hope.
Reporter Gathering News.
The Post-Dispatch correspondent
went by skiff from here to all points
possible by water in a radius of fifteen
in every direction from this city,
says a telegram from Greenville, Miss.
1t was a common sight to see rabbits
or domestic fowls floating on drift
wood deer on little islands here and