The Butler weekly times., 1897-04-15
AID FOR FLOOD SUFFERERS.
Congress Makes an Approprl-
alton of 100000.
A MESSAGE FROM M'KlNLEY.

A MESSAGE tROM NJ kiNltf.
The President Explained the Need Of Govern
m.nt Help and Congress Acted Quickly.
Washington. d. c., April The
President to day sent the following
message to the Senate and House of
Representatives:
Information which has recently
come to me from the Governors of
Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana
and from prominent citizens Of these
states and Tennessee warrants the
conclusion that widespread distress,
involving the destruction of large
amount of property and loss of hu. .
man life, has resulted from the foods
which have been submerging that
section of the country. These are
stated on reliable authority to be
the most destructive foods that have
ever devastated the Mississippi Val
ley, the water being much higher
than the highest stage 1t has reach
ed before. From Marion, Ark, north
of Memphis, to Greenville, Miss, a
distance Of more than $50 miles by
river, it is reported there are now at
least fifty towns and villages under
water; and territory extending 100
miles north of Memphis to geo miles
south and from fye to forty miles
wide is submerged.
Hundreds OF thousands of acres of
cultivated soil with growing crops
are included in the submerged terri
tory. In this section alone there are
from $4,000 to $4,000 people whose
property has been destroyed, and
whose business has been suspended.
Growing crops have been ruined,
thousands of cattle drowned and
the inhabitants of certain areas are
threatened with starvation. As a
great majority of tho sufferers are
small farmers, they have thus been
left entirely destitute, and will be
unprepared for work even after the
floods have subsided.
The entire Mississippi Valley in
Arkansas is flooded, and communica
tion with many points cut off, In
Mississippi q like condition exists.
The levees in Louisiana, with a
single exception, have held; but the
water is rising, and the situation
there is reported as being extremely
critical.
Uuder such circumstances the citi.
zens of these states look for the
CO operation and support of the Ma
tional Government in relieving the
pressing cases of destitution for
food, clothing and shelter which are
beyond the reach of local efforts.
The authorities who have communi
cation with the executive, recognize
that their first and most energetic
duty is to provide as far as possible
tie means of caring for their own
citizens; but nearly all of them agree
in the opinion that after their re-
sources have been exhausted, sum
aggregating at least S15O,OOO, and
possibly 100000, will be required
for immediate use.
Precedents are not wanting that
in such emergencies as this Con
gress has taken prompt, generous
and intelligent action, involving the
expenditure of considerable sums of
money with satisfactory results. In
1874 $590,O0O was appropriated and
in 1882 $35O,OO0 was also appropri
ated for relief in tho same direction,
besides large sums in other years
The Citizens Relief Committee of
Memphis, which has taken prompt
action, has already cared for from
5000 to 1000 refugees from the
flooded districts and they are still
arriving in that city in large num-
bers 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 suffer
ing. No action has yet been taken
y