Evening star., 1897-04-10
Gloom Hangs Over the Valley of the
Mississippi.
DESPERATE WORK ON FHE LEVEE
Doubtful if the Banks Can Stand
the Strain.
PERIL IN NEW ORLEANS

NEW ORLEANS. La. April 10.-Gloom
hangs over the valley. Everywhere the
river is rising. AS the mighty stream rolls
toward the sea its great weight bears upon
the banks. Nerved by the appalling thought
of the ruin its entrance through any of the
protecting levees would bring thousands
of men are at work strengthening the bar
riers. Any tiny rivulet trickling through
the broad embankments is cause for a sig
nal of alarm Keenly each sign is watched
for. rapidly relief train responds to the
call, hurriedly a lumber bulwark Is built
ard earth-filled sacks packed in behind So
far each summons has been promptly all
swered and each effort met with success,
but the water is growing greater i'm volume
and mightier in force. the alarms coming
with more frequency and ii Is doubtful if
the splendid system can prevail against the
lcng-continued strain, which has Just begun
anew.
Yesterday Gov. Foster answered truly
that Louisiana was in need of relief
None can tell what his answer will he a
week hence Still LouisiIan is better fixed
than her sister states. Her levees are
stronger and her levee boards are in good
LhaAciii concit-on- A railroad runs along
the river on edch side almost to the uDper
line OF the state. and men and material
can be placed with greater facility In all
this hangs her hopes
Aotl Is dHeduy greater than
known before. but each days record will
be broken by the next day for at least a
week to come. and the levees already biilt
Up TO stand the water expected are being
tain to come
Right here in the city. despite the care
fully built and solid wall around it, the
engineers have advised increasing the bull
warks. and Mayor Flower has ordered
all the city forces to be in readiness to
aid the levee board in case of emergency
The night guards have been doubled. the
directors of the fight all along the state
line nave little chance 10 sleep, and the end
of the struggle and it's results are beyond
even the hazard of a guess.
Gloomy News From Greenvflle
JACKSON. Miss. April 1O.-The Assoc-
ated Press correspondent at Greenville
wired at noon today as follows:
There can be no exaggeration of the flood
situation in the Yazoo. Mss. delta. River
bulletins cf Friday evening indicated an IN
definite prolCngation of the flood height in
the Mississippi valley from Cairo south
throughout al the country tributary to the
Mississippi there were heavy rainfalls
The crisis is yet TO come. and the vast ex-
tent of human suffering and destruction
OF property cannot be conceived Here in
the delta alCne il may be truthfully said
that the half has not yet been told The
river Is still at a stand because of the
water coming back into it from the ST.
dHciS dl felef4, ana the White and
Arkansas. just above Arkansas City keeps
up the rise at the latter point, in spite
or all the breaks in the leyees south of
that place.
People here and where the water has not
redcheu tnem, strange to say. have only
Just begun to realize the magnitude OF the
calamity.
Yesterday afternoon a call was issued by
representative colored men for a meeting
10 organize a standing relief committee.
The river bulletin just received promises
a further rise at Cairo. TO begin about to-
morrow, and continue for several days
The Ohio is again rising from PittsDurs
south, and the Arkansas is again rising.