The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-07
A CALL FOR HELP.
President Mckinley Sends a
Special Message
To Congress Asking an ApprO-
priatiOn of Money
TO AID SUFFERERS
From the Great Floods In the
Mississippi Valley.
$15O,OOO to 100000 Thought
to Be About Right.

Washington, April THE president
today sent the following message to the
senate and house of representatives:
Informa ton which has recently come
to me from the governors of Arkansas.
Mississippi and Louisiana and from
prominent citizens of those states and
Tennessee, warrants the conclusion that
widespread distress, involving the de-
structiOn of a large amount of property
and loss of human life has resulted
from the floods which have been sub
merging that section of the country.
These are stated on reliable authority
to be the most destructive floods that
have ever devastated the Mississippi
valley, the water being much higher
than the highest stage it has reached
before.
From Marion, Ark, north of Mem
phis, to GreenViIIe, Miss, a distance of
more than 25O miles by river, it is re-
ported there are now at least so towns
and villages under water; and a terrific
ry extending from 100 miles north of
Memphis to 200 miles south and from
five to 40 miles wide, is submerged.
Hundreds of thousands of acres of cul-
tivated soil with growing craps are
included in the submerged territory. In
this section alone there are from so, 900
to $4,000 people whose property has been
destroyed and whose business has been
suspended.
Growing crops have been ruined,
thousands of cattle have been drowned
and the inhabitants of certain areas
threatened with starvation. AS a great
majority of the sufferers are small far
merS, they have thus been left entirely
destitute and will be unprepared for
work, even after the floods have sub
sided.
The entire Mississippi valley in Ar
kansas is flooded and communication
with many points cut off In Mississippi
q fGfE IO in
Louisiana with a, single exception have
held, but water is rising, and the sit
uation there is reported as being ex-
tremely critical.
Under such circumstances the citizens
of these states look for the cooperation
and support Of the national government
in relieving the pressing cases of desti-
tuition for food, clothing and shelter,
which are beyond the reach of local ef-
forts The authorities who have COM
municated with the executive advise
me their first and most energetic duty
is to provide as far as possible the
means of caring for their own citizens;
but nearly all of them agree in the Opin-
ion that after their resources have been
exhausted a sum aggregating at least
$15O,0OO and possibly 100000 will be re-
Quired for immediate use.
Precedents are not wanting that in
such emergencies as this congress has
taken prompt, generous and intelligent
action involving the expenditure of con-
siderable sums of money with satisfac-
tory results. In 1874, $09U,OOU was aDDrO-
priated, and in 1882, $35OO0 was also
appropriated for relief in the same di-
rectiOn, beside large sums in other
years.
The citizens relief committee of Mem
phis, which has taken prompt action,
has already cared for frfom 5000 to T.,
900 refugees from the flooded districts
and they are still arriving in that city
in large numbers daily. Supplies and
provisions have been sent to the various
points in Arkansas and Mississippi by
this committee, but the most that can
be done by these efforts is to partly re-
lieVe the most acute cases of suffering.
No action has yet been taken for the
great ma jority of the inha bitants living
in the interior whose condition has al
ready been described.
Under these conditions and having
exerted themselves to the fullest extent
the local authorities have reluctantly
confessed their inability 10 further cope
with this distressing situation unaided
by relief from the government.
It has, therefore, seemed to me that
the representatives of the people should
be promptly informed of the nature and |
extent of the suffering and needs of |
these stricken people, and 1 have COM |
these facts in the hope and
belief that the legislative branch of the !
will promptly reinforce the |
work of the local authorities in the |
states named.
VIM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion. April Z 1897,