Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-21
WATER STILL RISING.
SITUATION At HELENA, ARK,
MORE SERIOUS THAN EVER.
GOVERNMENT AID EXTENDED,
Secretary Aiger Orders Boats
Sent to Cairo for Use In
the Work of Saving Life and
Property.

levees from one end Of the city TO the
other The water is coming into the
northern suburbs, where 1t has been ex-
pected for several days but as 1t only
affects portion Of the town occupied
by small cabins principally, no danger
to the city proper is apprehended. The
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad
people are at work with a hundred men
on their tracks. which run on the top
Of the levee almost the entire length OF
the river front.
The Kate Adams brought up a dozen
families this morning from the over
flowed district below, among them c. w.
ARRAY, who has been living at Modoc
until within a few days ago. when he
moved over to Rescue. only 10 get into
il worse tnan ever, the levee breaking
at Rescue last night. He left this morn
ing at o'clock. and at that time the
break was 200 feet wide, and growing
wider all the time. Major Dabney Is
there. with quarter-boats, and the Ralph
has also gone down and will look after
the rescuing of the people and stock. This
break will undoubtedly relieve us here
some. but at the present time there has
been no perceptible change.
The river is rising very slowly. The
water has gone over the levee below Mo-
doc. and is flooding the White-River bot
toms. The people down there have all
gotten out Of the way. and no loss Of life
is expected. 1t was reported this morn
ing that the levee had broken at o. X,
twelve miles above, but this was later
refuted
MISSISSIPPI LEVEES INTACT.
VICKSBURG. MISS, March 2o.-The
weather this morning is very favorable
TO the permanency of the levees, being
calm. warm, and bright. Tools and ma
terials are being rushed forward on every
train to the leVees in Mississippi. All
Mississippi levees are reported intact to-
day. There is no news from the Lea
levees. The river has risen eight tenths
of foot here during the past twenty
four hours This is an abnormal rise at
this stage of water, and 1t is now Al 81
The YaZoO. now banks FULL is largely re-
sponsble.
GOVERNMENT RELIEF.
WASHINGTON, March 2O.-Secretary
Alger acted promptly to-day to reIeVe
the flood sufferers of the Mississippi VAL
lev by the use Of vessels belonging TO the
war Department. Senator Cullom,t Oh
Illinois. presented to the Secretary TINS
morning an appeal from the Mayor oil
Cairo, H., for governmental assistance
TO save life and property. Secretary Anger
al once telegraphed Major HANDY, he
engineer i'm charge OF river work az 81
Louis. and Colonel Gillespie, the president
Of the Mississippi River Commission dl'
racing them to have all government
foats sent to Cairo, and to confer with
the Mayor. Board Of Trade, and Circuit
Judge Roberts as to the measures TO be
taken for relief.
CRBVASSES.
MEMPHIS. TENN, March 2.-The
most important development IN the hoou
situation to-day is the break that oc-
Cured last night at Sans Souci, on the
Arkansas side. abops seventy-five miles
north. 1t was 200 feet wide. On the
same stretch Of levee Il section OF ten
miles between Elmort and Osceola has
been abandoned because the water was
higher than its top. South OF here the
grayest danger exists at Australia, on the
Mississippi side where break Is immi-
nent.
A break is reported to have occurred
at Rescue, near Friars' Point. However,
IL is only a pocket levee. on the Arkan-
sas side the levee from Modoc to Avenue,
i'm the Helena district, has been aban-
doned for more important and urgent
work at Yellow Banks. At the latter
place the water is two feet higher than
the regular levee, but sacks Of sand are
employed against the excess, and are thus
far holding well. The river here has re-
NAMED stationary all day, owing in some
measure 10 the breaks in and oYerhows
Of levees above.
WARNING FULFILLED.
ST. LOUIS, MO, March 2O.-The warn
ing sent out by the government signal
service Yesterday that the Mississippi
river and all its tributaries would con-
tinue TO rise has been fulfilled to the let
Ter. Communication has been very diff
calf with the flooded districts, but dis
matches show that all have suffered
alike. though widely separated. 1t is es-
tinated that section Of country with
an area equal TO that of the State OF Mis-
eouri is now under water, and that the
worst is not over. Advices from Cairo,
Paducah. Memphis. and Helena show
that the region beginning north OF New
Madrid. Mo, and running west TO and
including the valleys of the ST. FRANCIS
the White, and the eArkansas rivers IN
Arkansas. and east in Kentucky and
Tennessee. to and including the valleys
of the Tennessee the Cache, the Obion
and the Yazoo rivers, and south to the
Red river. are under water The inter
vening ranges Of hills and high grounds
are the only places OF refuge.
LOSS OF LIFE.
The dispatches received here tell but
one story-lives lost, stock drowned, and
a country desclated. AT Carlo H., to-
dav. the river reached 500 feet, and Is
rising slowly, which is but one foot short
Of the high record of 1883. All the country
south Of there to Memphis is submerged.
A relief steamer from the flats below
Birds Point brought I'm four families
IL /. reported that a fht-boat containing
a number of people was sunk at Island
No. 10. All the cottonfields in the Val
ley of Forked Deer river, in Tennessee
are under water. The Memphis Relief
Association has five boats al work
These boats 90 10 points that are some
twenty miles from streams navigable IN
ordinary stages Of water.
The unanimous opinion Of ST. Louis
river-men is that conditions must be-
come worse before there can be per-
aanent relief. They say that numerous
breaks in tthe lower levees will really
be blessings as they will be natural out
lets for the deluge that is certain tc
come from the melting SHOWS OF the
North.
SITUATION IN INDIANA.
PRINCETON, IND. March 2O.-On ac-
Of ha MI rising DeO-
pie are deserving the Wabash, Patoka,
and White river-bottoms, and making all
possible haste TO the hills Many Of the
unfortunates have no boats, and are COM
PEELED 10 wade in water from one loot
10 two feet deep. one poor fellow waded
in water up 10 his waist several miles,
carving his wife who was dying with