The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-05-01
STORM,

accompanied Dy f1eksy NIuus Div
Rutsts, Spreads Devastation Broadeast
Over One Hundred square Miles Of Terri
tory-A CycIane Adds Its Powers md
Floods Swell the Grand Total of Damage
DALLAS. Tex, April GA special to
the News from Eufaula, 1. T., yester-
day, says:
A series of c~loud-bursts and heavy
wind and rain storms occurred in and
around Eufuala all of last night and
extended over about one hundred
square miles of territory. The rain fell
in torrents and was the heaviest for
fifty years. Farm houses, fences and
crops were washed away to an extent
amounting to n calamity.
The North Canadian railway bridge
is so badly damaged that no trains can
cross it and it cannot be repaired for
"a hours. The south-bound passenger
train had scarcely passed it at 9:45 last
night when the south end gave way.
Many trains are tied up at this point,
and there is a series of washoutS for 20
miles hat are impossible for the pres
ent. The damage to crops is beyond
estimation, nearly every acre of ground
for many miles in all directions will
have to be ~replanted, many farms are
entirely under water, several covered
wagons floated down the South Cana
dian river this morning, accompanied
by small houses and household furni-
ture.
All ferryboats were washed away
and communication cut off. So far no
news of loss of life has been received.
Much property vas destroyed in Eu-
faula by the wind and rain. A cyclone
passed about five miles south of town,
destroying some houses and killing
some cattle, but the full loss cannot
be ascertained at this hour. The riv-
ers are now falling, but repairs cam
not yet be made on the railway bridge.
Rain and Gloom Characterizes the Lowe.
River Situation.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 25.-This has
been a rainy and threatening Sabbath
in the lower Delta county and Louisi-
ana levees are being taxed to their ut
most. At Natchez the river guage
shows a rise during the last "a hours
of one-tenth of a foot. Showers nave
prevailed in this section all day, and
to night a steady down-pour is re-
ported. The leveeS are soft and mushy
and with a continued precipitation it
is feared that the em~bankment will
give way.
A telegram from Clayton, La. re-
ceived tonight states that the Tensas
river has risen over one foot since last
night and the swift stream is full of
heavy drifts. The backwater from the
Biggs crevasse is showing itself near
Vilada and it will cover many acres Of
loch land in that section.
At Greenville the river fell two
tenths of a foot in "a hours. Light
showers prevailed all day and the
weather tonight is warm and unset
tied.
At Memphis a fall of one-tenth of q
foot is recorded. The river at Cairo
is falling at an increased rate. The
big stream has dropped nine-tenths of
a foot since last night, and the gauge
now reads 42.7, or 81 feet above the
danger line. Rain is falling at Cairo
tonight and the weather is somewhat
cooler.
Broke Over the Levee-No Attempt to Run
Trains.
OTTUMwA, Ia, April 25.-The river
broke over the levee last night and
flooded the bottoms, carrying several
houses down stream. To-day in some
places the water is above the first
story of the houses. One Burlington
main line track is impossible and hun
tempting to prevent damage to
the other line. The situation is crit
zeal, but it is now believed that
the Burlington will keep the main lire
open. The Wabash and Milwaukee
trackes are gone here for a distance of
200 feet, and the other roads are tied
up. The Rock Island has miles of
track under water. No attempt is be-
ing made to run trains. The river was
still rising slowly tonight.
Providential Weather-A Costly Fight.
New ORLEANS, April 25.-The river
is still 10 feet above low water, and
the fine stretch of weather has en-
abled the levee force to hold the banks
despite the terrific strain. The
weather has been providential, for a
few stormy nights would have meant
several almost to a certainty.
The fight is a costly one,a as can be
judged from the fact that last weeks
work on the C~arrollton levee, about
one-iteenth of the city system, cost
S14,O 600. A number of weak spots have
been added to the list, but the levee
boards have gone promptly to work in
all cases and danger has been bridged
over.
Capt Derby, of the United States en-
gineers, has already begun
ments to rebuild the levees where de-
fectiye and the levee board across the
river has turned over three levees to.
the governments supervision.
Found the Keys of the Bank.
SOMERswoRTH, n. H., April 26.-The
room in Rervyick Of T F Kanu +booo