The record-union., 1897-04-07
Driving Hundreds Of Families From
Their Homes.
Sections of the City Which No One
Thought Could be Reached by the
Flood Now Under Water, Causing
nuch Suffering Among the Poor
PeopIe-The Situation i'm the Mis-
sissippi Delta.

ST. PAUL CMinn.), April Ga Fargo,
N. D., special to the Dispatch says
the situation is appalling. While the
Red River rose only three inches last
night, the Big Coulee, west of this city,
took a sudden squirt and went up four
teen inches flooding the entire west
side of the town and driving hundreds
of people from their homes. The water
works at the reserve station were COM
PEELED to shut down. There is much
suffering among poor families. A re-
lief committee operated jointly by the
City Council and the County Commits
sioners, established headquarters this
morning Sections of the city which
no one dreamed could be reached by
the flood are now under water.
IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA.
MEMPHIS (Tenn.), April 6.-The
feature Of the flood condition in the
Mississippi delta is the gradual spread
of water over an area that hitherto was
never overlooked. The upper crevasse
in Tunica County is 1000 feet wide,
and so great is the outpour that water
from below the break is being drawn
up to ard hurled out over the fertile
valley through the crevasse- All OF
the country west of the main line Of
the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley rail-
road is flooded, and in many places the
water has gone over the tracks, filling
the Yazoo River.
The fall in the main channel at He
lena, Greenville, Vicksburg and Arkan-
sas City is due to the filling up of the
delta and the lower White River coun-
try.
The supreme question is the duration
of the flood. If the lower levees along
Louisiana and Southeastern Arkansas
should haid, which it is believed they
will not do, the emptying of the delta
and ST. Francis basin will be slow. If
they break and the river continues to
fall at Cairo, the upper St Francis
basin and the delta will be clear of
water by May 9Th. II this should
prove true, there will be no difficulty in
growing cotton. But breaks in Lou
isiana and Southeast Arkansas will
hold water in that territory until the
middle OF May, far afater the usual
time for planting cotton in that terri
tory.
The river at Memphis is stationary
tonight.
GREENVILLE (Miss.), April 6.-The
situation in the Yazoo- Mississippi delta
valley is growing more desperate daily.
Fully 100 towns are under water, and
many are surrounded and cut off
There is no cessation of the constant
inpour of the flood of water into the
valley from five rivers.
SITUATION AT KANSAS CITY.
KANSAS CITY, April 6.-The Wealth
of a of ronint
given warning against a flood of the
Kansas City bottoms. The danger line
is 214 and the river has already passed
the 1S-foot stage, and for two days past
has risen at the rate of a foot every
twenty-four hours. The Weather Blu
reau warns business men and jewellers
on the bottoms to prepare for flood
within four days.
Below Independence, Mo, the river is
cutting badly. w. c. Adams reports
that the river has steadily eaten away
at his farm Of 100 acres. near Anterior,
until he has but thirty acres.
LOUISIANA LEVEES SAFE.
NEW ORLEANS, April 6.-Another
day of good weather has aided the work
of protection, and the Louisiana levees
are safe. Supplies are hurried in every
direction, and the mud forts are rising
above the levees, making them safer
and stronger to resist the general yield
ing. In the city are many fiat cars
loaded with gravel filled sacks. ready to
be moved at a moments notice, and the
country is following the city's example.
OVERFLOW OF GRAND RIVER.
CHILLICOTHE (Mo), April 6.-The
overflow of the Grand River is becom-
ing serious. The people are leaving the
bottom lands and coming to town. One
family has been surrounded by the
waters and has been rescued by boats.
There has been no loss of life yet, but
great damage to propertY has resulted