The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-13
Will in All Probability Soon be Gov
cred With Water.
Little Change in the Situation in the
Mississippi Delta - The Water
Rapidly Falling at Helena, and is
Stationary at Greenville, While at
Cairo and Points Above a Rise is
Noted.

MEMPHIS (Tenn), April 12-The
mighty sweep of the waters south of
Vicksburg has at last had its effect
upon the lower levees, and tonight
telegram from Tallalah, La, reports
the levee which protects Davis Island
has given way, and that the island
will, in all probability, be flooded.
Twenty-Five hundred people inhabit
Davis Island, which consists of about
a thousand acres of land. The place
is situated in Warren County, Miss.
Throughout the upper delta the flood
situation shows little change since last
reports. The work of Government re-
lief has been actively inaugurated.
Many people are being fed and housed
at Greenville, Rosedale, Helena, Friar's
Point and other points along the river.
The relief steamer is now plying up
the ST. Francis River with food and
forage for man and beast.
At Helena the river has fallen two
tenths of a foot in the past twenty
four hours. The Weather Observer at
that point says tonight that steady
fall will be noted in the river despite
the rise at Cairo and up-river points.
The Williamson crevasse has Widened
considerably, but the velocity of the
water has abated, and no further
breaks are feared.
AT Greenville the river is stationary
tonight. Captain H. c. Martin, repre-
senting the Secretary of War, arrived
at Greenville to-day. and is now thor
oughly investigating the needs of the
sufferers in that territory, and will
base his report as to the amount of
rations to be distributed in Washing
ton County upon the result of his OBJ
servations. Fully 5000 negroes in
Washington County alone are penni-
less and must be taken care of
At Memphis the river is still falling
slowly The river at Cairo and points
north is rising.
FLOOD AT OMAHA.
OMAHA, April -. The Missouri
River has risen almost two feet At this
point in twenty-four hours and is now
higher than at any time since 1881.
AT noon the Government gauge showed
14.S feet above mean low water, and
the gauge at the pumping station sew
en- miles north, where the channel is
confined, showed 1913 feet. On the
Iowa bottoms north of Council Bluffs
the water is four feet deep, but is
held back from the city by dykes. On
the Omaha side the factories along the
river have taken precautions against
overflow A portion of the Burlington
tracks was washed out this afternoon,
and tonight a force is at work trying
to prevent further waShouts
The big Omaha and Grant smelter
no Willow Snripoc DictiUacu a 10
only a few feet above the stream to-
night The threatened cutoff at Blair
has been averted, for a time at least.
Northwestern officials say their bridge
there is safe. At Yankton a huge ice
house was foated against the Great
Northern bridge over the Pine River,
and both structures are threatened
with destruction. Heavy rains fell in
all this section last night, and the
streams emptying into the Missouri
are all running bank full again. The
river here will rise for at least twenty
four hours longer.
This evening the river broke over
into it's old channel at Omaha, flowing
into Florence Lake, which was formed
when the river changed it's course
nearly twenty years ago. Tonight the
water is pouring down through the lake
and has flooded the bottoms in the vi
cinity All the houses in North Omaha,
200 or 800 in number are surrounded
and the inha bitantS have been moving
to higher ground. The Missouri Pa
cific and Elk Horn tracks are under
water, the roundhouse of the latter
road being surrounded. The river is
still rising rapid1v
ALGER'S INSTRUCTIONS TO CAP
TAIN DAVIS.
WASHINGTON, April 12.-Secretary
Alger this morning sent the following
order through Adjutant- General
Ruggles to Captain Davis, the commits
sary officer at Memphis, with instruc-
lions to forward the same to all the Off
GERS now distributing rations:
THE Secretary of War directs YOU to
use every possible effort to prevent peo-
pie who are receiving aid from the Gov
eminent from gathering in the cities.
for as soon as the water subsidies their
services will doubtless be required to
move on the levee and till the fields. and
besides it would be great expense to
transport them back to their former
homes when needed, even if thew should
desire to do So"
BIMETALLISM.