The herald., 1897-04-13
BIG MUDDY
is RAGING
The Flood Center Moves
NOrthWard
OMAHA is HALF SUBMERGED
AND THE RAIN-FED RIVER rs
STILL RISING
OMAHA is HALF SUBMERGED
Mississippi River Levees South of
Vicksburg for the Most Part
Hold Firm-Relief Work
Associated Press Special Wire.


OMAHA, Neb., April 12.-The Mis-
souri, river has risen almost two feet at
this point in twenty-four hours. and is
now higher than at any time since 1881
At noon the government gauge showed
14S feet above mean low water and the
gauge at the pumping station, seven
miles north, where the channel is con-
fined, showed 1873 feet On the Iowa
bottoms north of Council Bluffs the
water is four feet deep, but is held back
from the city by dykes. On the Omaha
side the factories along the river have
taken precautions against overflow. A
portion of the Burlington tracks was
washed out this afternoon, and tonight
a force is at work trying to prevent
further washouts. The big Omaha
Grant smelter and the Willow Springs
distillery are only a few feet above the
stream tonight. The threatened cutoff
at Blair has been averted for the time
at least. The Northwestern officials say
their bridge is safe. At Yankton a huge
ice house has fioated against the Great
Northern bridge over Pine river and
both structures are threatened with de-
struction.
Heavy rains fell in all this section
last night, and the streams emptying
into the Missouri are all running bank
full again. The river here will rise for
at least twenty-four hours longer This
evening the river broke over into its old
channel at Omaha, flowing into Florence
lake, which was formed when the river
changed its course, nearly twenty years
| ago. Tonight the water is pouring down
through the lake and has flooded the bot
| toms in the vicinity. All the houses in
North Omaha, two or three hundred in
number, are surrounded and the inhabi-
tants have been moving to higher
ground. The Missouri Pacific and Elk
horn tracks are under water, the round
house of the latter road being surround
ed. The river is still rising rapidly.
FARTHER SOUTH
MEMPHIS, April 12-The mighty
sweep OF the waters south of Vicksburg
has at last had it's effect upon the lower
levees, and tonight a telegram from
Tallalah reports that the levee which
protects Davis island has given way and
that the island would in all probability
be Hooded. Twenty-Five hundred peo-
pie inhabit Davis island, which consists
of about a thousand acres of land. The
place is situated in Warren county.
Mississippi.
throughout the upper delta the flood
situation shows little change since last
reports. The work of government relief
has been actively inaugurated Many
people are being fed and housed at
Greenvilie, Rosedale. Helena, Friar's
Point and other points along the river.
The relief steamer is now plying up the
st. Francis river with food and forage
for man and beast
At st. Helena the river has fallen two
tenths Of foot in the past twenty-four
hours. The weather observer at that
point says tonight tha steady fall will
be noted in the river, despite the rise at
Cairo and up-river points. The Will
hanson crevasse has widened consider
ably, but the velocity of the water has
abated and no further breaks are feared.
At Greenville the river is stationary
tonight. Captain H. C. Martin, repre-
senting the secretary of war, arrived at
Greenville today and is now thoroughly
investigating the needs of the sufferers
port as to the amount of rations to be
distributed in Washington county on
the result Of his observations. Fully
5000 negroes in Washington county alone
are penniless and must be taken care of.
At Memphis the river is still falling
slowly. The river at Cairo and points
north is rising.
ALGER OPTIMISTIC.
WASHINGTON April 12.-Secretary
Alger thinks the worst of the flood dan
gers have passed in the Mississippi val
ley, and with the force of the war depart
ment which is in the field and co-opera-
ton with the local relief committees,
there is small danger that great suffer
ing will be permitted to go unchecked
and unrelieved.
Secretary Alger this morning sent the
following telegraphic order through Ad-
jutant-General Ruggles to Captain Da-
Wis, the commissary officer at Memphis,
with instructions to forward the same
order to all the officers now distributing
rations:
"rhe secretary Of war direct you to
use every possible effort to prevent pep
pie who are receiving aid from the gov
ernment from gathering in the cities, for
as soon as the water subsidies their serv-
ices will doubtless be required to move
upon the levee and till the fields. and,
besides, 1t would be a great expense to
transport them back to their former
homes when needed, even If they should
desire to do So"