The San Francisco call., 1897-03-22
No ABATEMENT
OF THE FLOODS
Situation in Many Places
Hourly Grows More
Alarming.
Sensational Rumors of Casualties
Add to the Widespread
CONSERVATION.
Dire Distress Exists in Arkansas
and an Urgent Appeal for
Help Is M de.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-. March 2l.-Latest ad-
vices from the flooded country south OF
here state that the situation is hourly
growing worse. Out of thirty-eight tele-
grams received here from the lower river
bu, one records cessation OF the rise
This was from Cairo. ILL.,, but the halt OF
the flood there is due to the breaks in the
levees adjacent in Kentucky and Missouri.
The most dishearrening intelligence
comes from the Iowa and Dakota valleys
of the Missouri River. Warm weather
has turned the snow to water, which is
added to the already overfowed streams.
Work on levee barriers is practically aban-
doned in Arkansas and Mississippi as use
less.
At Chicot, Ark, bargeload of sand
bags was dumped into a levee break.
They only served to widen the break.
This is the experience at other points and
work on the outer barriers is abandoned
and every hand is turned to save the inner
| levees.
A dispatch from Ripley. Tenn, says
there is a strong current through Reel
Foot Lake and the old river bayou. 1t Is
feared the river will seek its old channel
through the lake, which was shifted
twenty miles west by the earthquake OF
1872. South of Helena, Ark, the levee
breaks are most numerous and the dam
age greatest.
The five steamers employed by the
Memphis Relief Corps were REINFORCED to-
day by two Government boats towing
o,o1ya al tbosr
through tree tops. The steamer c. B.
Bryan, from Memphis, yesterday brought
in thirty people and bargeload of live
stock. At Austin, Mss, iorfy miles be-
low Memphis, but two houses remain on
dry land. From these twenty-four people
were rescued.
A relief committee has been organized
in Little Rock. Ark.
Major bury. in charge of the river
and harbor work at ST. Louis, has re-
ceived telegram from Secretary of War
Aiger directing that help and rescue
measures be at once undertaken by the
United States feet in this vicinity.
The Merchants Exchange has taken up
the rescue work. A wholesale shoe mer-
chant received this appeal from q cus-
toner at Osceola, Ark: Our entire coun-
try is in. great distress from overflow.
We need help badly. Start subscription
at once"
Governor Jones of Arkansas sent a CON-
pany of militia to guard the levee of
Desha County, as there were fears that
Missouri men might try to save their
own homes by cutting the levee on the
Arkansas side.
Unconfrmed reports Of great loss OF life
are met at every hanu, but The death-roll
cannot even be approximated until the
food subsidies. The situation is indeed
-.,L
diate improvement.
DES MONIES, Iowa, March 21.-The
Des Moines River, contrary to all expec-
tations, and in the lace OF the fact that
the weather has been cold for twenty-.our
hours, has risen three feet since last
night and is now over sixteen feet above
normal, and still rising. The Fort Wayne
Electric Company's dam is holding the
water so that i'll the upper part of the
city large district is flooded that, but
for the dam, would be above high water,
and in the event of further rise dyna-
mite may be used to break the dam and
let the floods. through. About 300 fami-
lies have been driven out OF their homes
by the water, but aside from this the dam
age thus far is not heavy, as none OF the
larger buildings have been moved by the
flood.
The Chicago and Great Western road
reports from Cedar Falls that the Cedar
River is so far out of its banks that the
passenger depo: there is flooded and
rise of few inches more will make the
crossing of the river by trains impossible.
At present box car is being used for
depot Southwest of here on the same
road the Skunk River is higher than ever
and trains are piloted over the weak places
in the grade with the greatest care.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa, March 21.-The
Floyd River, which had considerable
part OF Sioux City under water last week,
is again within its banks. The Big Sioux,
however, is still rising and causing untold
damage between Sioux City and Sioux
Falls. Other streams in this locality are
about stationary. Bridges are out every
where and little damage is left to be done
even should there be another rise.
The Missouri is rising, but still remains
within it's banks. It is showing tendency
to gorge, but rising water has thus far
washed the Ice-jams out soon after they
formed.
Sensational rumors are current here to.
night of several big cut-offs on the Mis-
souri, river in which great damage was
done to farm property and live stock. As
the reported changes occurred at points
distant from any towns, 1t is difficult to
verify the rumors River men say the ac-
counts are apparently exaggerated, how
ever.
The Little Sioux is reported as doing
great damage tonight near Correction
vile and Otto, this county. Residents of
the bottoms are moving to the hills. On
the Big Sioux several carloads of cattle
were lost this evening.