The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-04-13

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE hrDt Of
the detailed reports from the inspecting
officers came to Secretary Alger this af-
ternnon, from Lieut.. Whitney, az follows:
MEMPHIS. Tenn, April u.
"As result OF personal inspection Of part
of the Memphls-Calro district north Of
Ashport, Tenn. ninety miles by river,
found eighteen crevasses in the leveeS
varying in width from Afty to 1000 feet
and widening some. The increased dam
age Of leyees Will be considerable unless
the ends OF breaks are heavily capped.
No fresh crevasSes are now anticipated.
The flood is completely over. The United
States levee at Ashport and south for M
teen miles except in few Of the higher
places: three crevagses in this stretch.
Top is being badly damaged on account
Of sloughng. have reported latest de-
tails as to location. extent and CONDITION
To the engineer officer In charge OF this
district. Water at the maximum was
three to four feet higher on the gauge
than ever before known. 1t has been
failing ten to twelve inches every tweh-
Iy-fOur hours and Is now about on
stand, but still higher than any previous
flood.
The maximum approximate length and
breadth and area OF the inundated dis
trict are as reported in my previous tele-
grams. In addition there is about forty
live square miles in Tennessee, nine miles
long and five miles wide On an average.
l found about 5000 refugees l9-2O color
ed and ], 800 more have been brought 10
Memphis, Most all have some sort OF
shelter, but are suffering for want OF nee
e,EsItLes. Judging from reliable reports
this number represents barely one-quaF-
ter Of those needing immediate asslst-
ance in this portion OF the district,
Stock Is suffering terribly; one"thlEd 20
one-haf Of the cattls Is drowned and s Lle
remainder will die unless forage supplies
from outside. The ready resources OF the
district are exhausted. The condition IN
Mississippi county (Tennesseel is repre-
sentative, nine tenths OF It's 500 square
miles are covered with water and three 10
seven feet deep. About 10 per cent OF
this was under cultivation. Many cabins
are washed away or torn up. Those
standing are filled with people ana RES
cued stock on raised floors and on RATS.
out OF 10000 population, 5000 are de-
pendent and needing. -Four lives report
ed lost by drowning.
The conditions in Crittenden. county
are even worse and the suffering Is rap
fdly Increasing due 20 prolonged high
water. Most OF the refugees are collect
ed on high ground and at poirts on lev
eas. l have noted their location and ap-
proximate number They can be reach
ed nom Mernphi1 by asEalinE boat. when
should leave supplies frr HTe days Al a
time at certain relief stations, each In
charge OF one responsible resiceIt'
Would recommend that an officer DIS
tribute ratlonS and take receipt from per-
son in charge OF station. Those bhck
from the river can be reached BY sEnau
boats from these stations Sufferers IN
my section can and should be relieved
where they are. This Will prevent seTi,
Gus Generalization OF labor later Woulu
recommend furnishing simplest food
StnuIIes corn meal and side meat ard
that every ration be accompanied by for
age for two head OF stock. l start soon
as possible for the northern section"
Governor McIJaurtn telegraphed Sec
retary Alger this afternoon az follows:
JACKSON, Miss, April Il.
"In addition 10 names and places here
tofore telegraphed you. ! suggest d. N.
Hebron and Charles +. Wright, at Vicks-
burg, for relief for flood sufferers.
General Gillespie has forwarded TO the
war department the following telegram
from Captain Derby, the engineer In
charge at New Orleans, dated this after
I'VE are still In good state and hopeful.
CarroIiton gauge now reached the high
est point"
The following report OF the situation
at Moorhead, Minnesota, came from Ma
ior Sanno tust before leaving for GTanu
Forks:
MoORHEAD, Mimi, April II.
Adjutant General, Washington.
"Had n conference with She relIes
committee at which George y. Lamp
here presided. the mayor and city at
torney teinE present. Seveuty-hVe ram
Ilies consisting OF three hundred and
twenty-five souls. have been Hooded out
and are being cared for by the commit
tee. These people mostly owned anu oc-
cupicd small dwellings In the flooded
district and are now quartered IN pub-
lie blIIdings or among friends. FItiy
houses have fiOated on some distance.
and twenty-five more are water-soaked
10 the roof. The committee estimates
| jt will cost 5000 to replace and repair
tbe dwellings before they can be made
hnbitabIe and would prefer that the
Voyernlnent assistance should De in TINS
direction provided the appropriation
will admit or IT,
Telegram from other officers on in-
suertIon duty show that there Is more
destItutlon than was supposed IN upper
md NtgEnlFl