Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-15
LOUISIANA LEvEEs, BEARING A TIRE
MENDOUs BURDEN.
THOUSANDS OF MEN AT WORK.
WATER IN THE DELTA COUNTRY
HAS NOT BEGUN TO RECEDE.
Little Hope of Raising Crop-seven
Persons Drowned Near Helena
and Two Near GreenvilIe-
Many others Are
in Peril.

Memphis, Tenn April 1.-THE river con-
tinues TO rise at Vicksburg and all points
south and the situation along the Louisiana
system of levees is acute. The waters are
being hurled with tremendous force, and
several thousand men are working and
watching. night and day. in one grand eff
fort TO hold the embankments intact.
Reports from the overfowed Mississippi
delta tonight are not encouraging. The
expected fall in the waters that extend for
miles and miles over the fertile valley has
not occurred. Many Well known planters
express the fear that the yellow stream
will not recede until June-too late to plant
this years crop. Much suffering still eX-
lists in the Sunfiower and Bogue Phalia
county where hundreds of families have
deserted their cabins and are huddled on
high grounds. Many cabins are submerged
TO their very roofs, while several have been
swept from their foundations and carried
away by the swift current.
On plantation ten miles west of Helena
Sylvester Sanders, colored tenant, his
wife and five children We're overwhelmed
by the current and all perished.
Near Greenyille to-day two negroes were
drowned in attempt 10 reach dry land.
Word reached Vicksburg during the day
that many negroes were in imminent peril
at Davis Island, where the break in a pri-
vate levee occurred yesterday.
A relief steamer was Immediately dis
patched TO the island. The river stands
stationary tonight. Throughout the over
flowed districts, rain fell in torrents last
night. At Helena, the downpour was so
violent that great pumps were put to work
in the lower part of the city. The water
gained so rapidly that the pumps had to
be discontinued, on account of the driving
belts becoming soaked and unmanageable.
The whole of the southern part of Helena
is under water from one TO four feet deep
and those who had provided themselves
with boats were fortunate. The pumps
were started up again tonight. and it is
expected that the water will be thrown out
of the streets in three or four days. Owing
10 the great transforms, the river did not
fall at Helena to-day, but stands station
ary.
At Memphis, the river is stationary to-
night. AS the river is falling at Cairo, and
as the rainfall throughout the territory
draining into the Mississippi at Memphis
and above has been heavy. the local OBJ
server predicts that. during the ensuing
twenty-four hours, there will probably be
slight rise at this point.
The work of relieving the flood sufferers
with the government funds appropriated
by congress for that purpose is progress
ing smoothly. In the two districts extend
ing from Memphis to Cairo and from Mem
been established and placed in charge of
responsible men. Nothing remains to be
done in these districts now except to ship
supplies every week to the relief stations.
So far no relief stations have been definite
ly established in any of the districts below
Helena, but the army officers who have
been sent into those districts on a tour of
inspection are expected to report within a
few days. When these reports are filed
and the relief stations suggested the army
officers will then have the entire situation
well in hand and will be able TO supply the
needs of all the food sufferers in the entire
overfiowed country.
Nlcksburg. Miss. April A.--At 6 o'clock
this evening the situation is, indeed a
gloomy one. Cloudy, with light rains and
"A nigh wind Tonight, and the great sea of
w5tei slowly but surely rising. promising
10 go above all work for its retention and
the protection of the great valley, is the
situation. At p. m. the river has reached
Dis feet on the gauge. Every inch now is
more than a foot some days ago, for miles
of the Louisiana line have stood their ex-
trome limit, and the rising river is being
made by any people. Human endurance
is fast giving way. and il is now only a
question of how much more and how much
longer the working forces can last. At the
above named hour the conditions are such
as to cause the greatest anxiety and alarm
and each coming hour is dreaded. A tel
egram just received reports the Louisiana
line In the Fifth district as still resisting
the feod.
At Milliken's bend. however the pres
sure is very great and the levees there are
in such condition as TO cause much anX-
iety. A large force is at work raising the
levees at that point The general situa-
tion is but little changed from that of yes
terday. Forces of men are at work night
and day all along the line from Biggs'