The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-02
WORKING LIKE Demons.
HERCULEAN EFFORTS TO SAVE
FLOOD THREATENED CITIES

ments Around Cities Threatened With
Total Desfructiou-Sev.ral Towns Said
TO be Doomed by the Floods.
Washington. March 31.-General Will
son, chief OF engineers. received the
following telegram this morning from
Lieutenant Newcomer. army engineer
officer in charge at Memphis: Three
crevasses are reported in the lower
YaZoo levee district-one at Dearfield
north OF Lake Lee. Sunday night: one
opposite island No. 20 Monday after
taw bend. this morning
The Mississippi river commission, now
in session at New Orleans. has re-
quested to be informed promptly by
telegraph when President Mckinley
signs the joint resolution OF congress
making $25o,OoO Immediately available
for work on the river between its head
and mouth. The commission desires to
spend the money at once, believing
that prompt action at this time Will
save many lives and much property.
Weather Bureau, Washington, March
31.-Special river bulletins: The fololw-
ing reports have been received from
weather bureau officials in charge OF
river Districts
Memphis, Tenn, March 31.-A sev re
break has occurred just south OF Gun
nison, Miss, making four on the Mis-
SiSsippi front. 1t is believed that the
whole region from Australia south TO
Vicksburg will be inundated. Helena,
Rosedale and Greenville are in great
danger. Gunnison is flooded badly.
The flow out OF the st. Francis is in
creasing. No further rise is looked for
at Memphis.
Helena, Ark, March 31.-There has
been a rise Of over three inches in
twenty-four hours. The river will rise
three inches per twenty-four hours for
a day or two. The levees are holding
for thirty miles below Helena. They
can hold on one foot or more in Helena.
Destruction is going on below, and will
probably get worse.
Cairo, ILL.,. March 31.-Seep water
continues increasing; it has risen about
one inch during the past twenty-four
hours. Many one-story houses in the
lower portions OF the city have been
vacated otherwise the situation re-
mains the same as reported Tuesday
afternoon.
St. Louis. March 31-The rivers in
st. Louis district will remain nearly
stationary for day or two. The rain
today will check the fall, but will prob
ably not cause another rise within that
time.
Vicksburg, Miss, March 31.-No antic-
ipated reports Of crevasses were re-
ceived this morning. The crevasses al
ready reported will be very disastrous
in the delta.
New Orleans, March 31.-No breaks
were reported this morning. The Gre
t.
land, OF yesterday, will cause only local
damage and will relieve the pressure
on the lower bayou levee some. Brisk
southerly winds, with rain now falling
locally, is causing some heavy wash,
but no damage is yet reported.
During the past twenty-four hours
the average rainfall in tenth inches
has occurred over the respective river
basins, viz: Ohio. one: Central Mis-
sissippi, four; Arkansas and lower Mis-
souri,, six.
The Missouri, Ohio. Cumberland, Ten
nessee and lower Arkansas rivers have
fallen slowly. The Mississippi has risen
from st. Paul to Dubuque, being IL
foot above the danger line at Lacrosse;
fallen from Davenport to below Cairo,
and risen slightly from Memphis to the
mouth, except at Arkansas City, where
it has fallen Z Of a foot. due to the
break in the levee near that place.
The Red and upper Arkansas have
risen.
WILLIS L. MOORE,
Chief OF Bureau.
jackson, Miss. March 31.-The con-
dition Of affairs in the Mississippi val
ley grows daily more exciting, and ii lie
probable the worst has not been ex-
perienced. One or two more big breaks
one Of them 1000 feet wide, occurred in
Bolivar county last night, and the
waters from the last, joining forces
with three other streams are now rush
ing towards the south, carrying de-
struction to houses, barns, gins,
fencing, live stock, etc. Fortunately
the people OF the delta had taken time by
the forelock, and had either secured
their horses and cattle on high points
and mouNds or had driven them out TO
the foot hills, where they Will remain
till the waters subside. No efforts are
being made to stop the breaks, they
having gotten beyond human control
and work in that direction is fruitless;
| but every possible energy is directed
towards the preservation and strength
ening OF miles and miles OF mushy
banks still standing.
Captain J. ]. Evans, president OF the
state railroad commission and Warden
AcLaurin. Of the penitentiary returned
last night from Greenviile, in which
vicinity they have been for week or
| more, directing the labor OF $50 convicts
in preventing the breaks and overflow
and report that the state farms, eleven
, in all. are now under water or will be
by tomorrow, and that the extent Of the
| disaster is beyond all computation.
So far, the levees around Greenville
| have stood the strain. No breaks are
4 reported within less than ten miles OF
either side, and as the river. on account
OF four breaks above, has fallen nearly
two feet in front Of the city, there Ii
good chance that she will escape the
awful calamity that has been SO strong
. " threatened for a week.
News here this morning was tha,
| Greenville was six feet under water
| coming from breaks above but private
| advices received later in the day say
| the town is still dry. Traffic on the
| Yazoo and Mississippi Valley, a part OF
| the Illinois Central system, has about
| been suspended above Vicksburg, and
| there il no telling when a train will bt
| able to get all the way through again
News from all points along the river
, at Vicksburg, Natchez and other placei