Evening star., 1897-04-16
WATER TO BE HIGHER
Preparations Being Made for 1t at
New Orleans.
Loss OF LIFE ON DAVIS ISLAND
Fifteen Bodies Said to Have Been
Found.
OF LIFE ON DAVIS ISLAND
RIVER LOWER AT ST. LOUIS

teen feet by April 90 says the weather
bureau. as far as New Orleans is concern
ed 1t will probably come sooner 1t will
not mean any danger to the city. but water
VIII cover the wharves and wet adjacent
streets. The railroads are already elevat-
ing their tracks, and platforms have been
built at depots, but the steamboats, COM
plain that no provisions have been made
for them. The entire wharf front will
probably have TO be rebuilt and raised
The Louisiana line is still holding, strange
TO say, though rises of three inches and
more day are quite common. 1t looks as
II the limit of endurance or height must
come sopn. A much higher river will wash
over many of the banks. and in their pres
ent softened condition they will be so bad
ly soaked that it is a question of their abil-
ity to bear the weight against them: still
perfection of drainage going on all along
the line will help out in the crisis The
flood wave has about reached :he fifth dis
trict. and If that and the Tensas district
pass muster. there is no reason why the
levees between Baton Rouge and New
Orleans should not escape.
The second break on Bayou La Fourche
is not creating much alarm. There is now
a crevaSse on each side of the bayou. but
the water could not have picked out better
spots. running off into large areas of
swamp lands. 1t has reduced the height
of the bayou, and If the planters can hold
the rest of the line many valuable planta-
tions will be saved.
LOSS of Life on Davis Island.
special to the Times Democrat from
Vicksburg says: All sorts of stories con-
cerning the loss of life on Davis Island
were current here. but Mr.. George Flan-
ngan, one of the rescued party, reduced
the death list to one man certain. and two
nfb her mis- n
drowned
River Falling Mt st. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, April 16-The Mississip-
pi river is still falling here. drop Of almost
a foot being recorded for the past twenty
four hours.
This makes the gauge read 26.6 feet. al
most four feet below the danger line. Both
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers above
here show a rise but DR. Frankenfield. the
local weather observer. says today that the
river at ST Louis will change but little
during the next two days The Missouri
and upper Mississippi rivers will rise slow
Iy.
"A special from Vicksburs, Miss, says:
The refugees who came from Davis Island
en- the government steamer John r. MeigS
and the steamer Atlanta report the drown
ing of eleven persons, all coIored, on Davis
Island Wednesday evening. Homer Moore,
Pete Clements and wife and Henry Gar
land were drowned on the Hurricane plan
tation. The other seven are reported
drowned on other parts of the island, all
women and children, from the Palmyra
place. The loss of stock on the island has
been very great The steamer Florence re-
mains at the island to rescue people and
ferry stock over TO the Louisiana MAIN
land
A special from Natchez, Miss, says: 1t
was thought that all on Davis Island had
escaped after the crevasse, but fifteen
bodies have been found floating around the
cid Brierfield plantation, which was the
homestead of jefferson Davis. The sur
viving Inhabitants are huddled in tents on
top of the levee- From appearances this
overflow will be worse than ever known
before
Encouraging at Omaha.
OMAHA, Neb., April 16.-During the
night the river raised inches. but is sta
tionary now at Omaha and falling above.
the work done on the threatened dykes
during the night held back the flood. and
this morning 1t seems that the gravest
danger has passed. The wind is from the
south, and the waves are driven away
from the dykes. The water has spread a
little more over the bottoms but the ad-
ditional damage is Insignificant Large
gangs of men are still busy STRENGTHENING
the weak spots with fair prospects Of pre-
venting the cut off.
The river here Is now falling At noon
the government gauge showed III feet
above mean low water, a fall of q and was
still going down. Forecaster Welsh saws
the river will continue to fall here remain
Ing stationary from Plattsmouth to ST.
Joseph.
Higher Water Expected.
PlTTSBURG, Pa, April 16.-The con-
tinued rains caused a rise in the rivers to
il feet q inches. but the water is now fall
ing. with Il feet inches on the marks.
hlgh stage of water is expected for sew
eral days, as the indications are favorable
Tor more rain here and at the headwaters
Many Cellars Invaded.
DAVENPORT. Iowa, April 16-A finch
r1se has brought the waters of the Mis-
sissippi within six inches of the danger
line The rising flood has invaded the cell
lars OF many jobbing houses, and the levee
Is almost entirely under water Muscatine
Island, the great melon raising ground ia
reported to be largely under water. Rains
commune and the situation daily becomes
more serious.
In the neighborhood of Burlington. Iowa
tne river Is six miles wide. and covers a
wide area OF valuable bottom farm land II,
Illinois. The farmers there have given mn
nope OF getting in their crops and much
loss will result. The river is still rising
on THE MISSOURI
Submerged Railway Tracks aIo,u
the River.