The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-25
THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LOW
LANDS INUNDATED THE
WORK OF RESCUE.
OSCEOlA AND MARION ARE BADLY DtlUGED
From Two 10 Fifteen Feet Of Water in
the IIouscs-Thc River IL Forty
five Miles Wide ut Memphis.
Missouri River Rising al
Omaha. Ncb.

Memphis, March 21.-ronight for the
first time in scvcrai wccns the Mississippi
river IL reported falling Mt Memphis, the
gauge registering 81 feet, against H.l
last night.
Several breaks in the lcvecs are known
20 have occurred between Osccola and
Helena, Ark. and the water is pouring
through these crevasses. The break
at Sans Souci is widening and
ahc ronr Of waters ut this point can be
heard for miles. Three additional breaks
are reported 1T Sans Souc, and If this
Is true the situation Of the people in
eastern Arkansas will be- greatly intensl-
fled. The condition of the lcvccs south
of Memphis remains the same rs ycstcr-
day. A dispatch from Nicksburg says
that the reported crcyassc AT Modoc,
near Helena, is confirmed by the officers
Of the steamer State of Kansas which
passed there last evening, ana by as
patches received nj Nicksburg. The lcYcc
at Modoc has been considered III hope
less condition for several days. The wa
ter will run into the White river very
fast and find its way back into the Mis-
sissippi in II day or two. River men say
the effect will bc only temporary, but
The decline is reported nj fpOm one to
two inches along the SDhama county
the water has been most desperate The
Kansas also reports breaks lower down,
but these are probably 1T protection leNcc
points.
The scenes ut night along the great
river are the same as for som" time past.
Lights are shining from patrol bontS, coy
tring every inch of territory.
The river ut Helena registers 10 ana
has/bcen falling sine" I II. IN.
Al Grccnyillc the river continues 10
rise and has reached II stage of " feet
and win continue TO rise until Aprll !
If the lcvccs remain intact.
The break at Modoc will cause no relief
below the mouth of the Arkansas, rs the
waters of the crcvnssr will find its way
back TO the Father Of Waters through
the White and Arkansas rivers, swelling
those streams.
The river continues to rise NJ all points
south of Nicksburg.
The railway situation ut Memphis To-
night is somewhat better. The MiSslS-
sippi Valley road sent its trains south
tonight, the track at Lake View having
been raised above the water level The
Iuinnis Central south and the Kansas
CITY. Memphis and Birmingham east are
running on time.
The Memphis and Charleston and tn"
Nashville, Chattanooga and 81. LOUIS
roads are moving local passenger trans
hut the former can not go be!uhu 'hr
Rig IIotchic river, while the latter road
cnn not cross the Tennessee. Railway
communication with Nashville ~ ch'irc-
ly cut Of The Iron Mountain tracks Oh,
the west side is still above water ana
all roads entering the city from ,hat III
rcction are moving tIh'hS oN'' ''V i''''
Mountain tracks.
Over in Arkansas the town Of Marion
IL in bad condition. All the houses
are surrounded by water ana the whol,'
face of the earth is submerged, except
here and there n small Indian mound
that il uboye the water. There are
many breaks in the lcvcc, or ut least
many places where the water Is run
ming over the lcvcc like II mill race. me
water il also pouring over the Kansas
CITY Railway ut three places III III"
town of Marion and possibly ut more
At these places the current is exceed
inyly randi and the waves roll and dash
ten feet high. No. further loss oil NE
is reported today.
If is hourly expected that the lcvcc ut
Lmxora will break. The high water
caused by the breaking of the lcycc near
Oscroa win reach from the MlsslsSippl
river TO Rig lake and will fill the 81.
Fraucis basin. In the houses the water
is already from two to fifteen feet deep
The most of the live stock in this district
viii surely perish. No deaths have yci
been reported. but the people viii sniler
immensely before the water rccedcs'
The government boat ltasca returned
today from Island 10 with two large
hargcs loaded with live stock There
were also about thirty flood refugees
ON board All the inhabitants Of Island
10 have now been rescued ana the isIaho
Is dcsolatc. The ltasca found the few
pcopc who remained on the island IN Il
fearful condition, some of them having
been in the water for several days NJ
deaths are reported.
The Hardin made another trip down
the river ~ far Ms Horn lake and re-
turned to the city with 100 persons and
a large number Of horses and cattle on
hoard. At Four Mile bayou quite II mum
ber of negroes were rescued. They wcr,
MI in n dilapidat,d condition. y perfect
swarm of negroes were found along IN,
Illinois Central tracks. having taken RET
ugc there. They were shooting craps ana
having II good time generally and cN
pressed no desire to leave the railroad
Presidents island has been dcpopulatct
by the rcscuing boats, and the lnhabI
tants are now in this city.
Tho luy Patton left for lamhcthsNlllS
which is situated twenty-five miles NJ
the river today. The Pearl carried som'
hargcs M with her in order to rescue thu
stork. The current is 50 swift over the
banks of O,d river that Il steamboat
can not enter the fields beyond. Tn,
Hrrcs viii hc let down over the current
loaded with stock, and then drawn mp.
Today SEQ Mcmphians went ON cNcur
sious ON the river, which is torty-hv,
miles wide at this place,
There is probably not Il man. more
familiar with the country back of IN,
levec than Capt. pharr, chief engineer OF
the ST. Francis lcvcc board. aud today
nc said that he was sure that the water
from various breaks in the system haC
foodcd 100000 acres of land. He baseC
his calculations on the amount OF Ian,
in the district subject to protection iron
the leyee system. which, he said. was J.,
100000 acres. OF this he thinks fully n
Der cent is inundated, He is also author