The San Francisco call., 1897-04-14
LEHEES GIVING WAY.
Rise of the Big Rivers-U.ter
Desnair of TIE Sufferers.


VICKSBURG, Miss, April 13.-A tele-
gram was received this morning from
Ashwood, La, asking that boats and
baTges be sent at once 10 Davis Island,
twenty five miles below Vicksburg, and
stating that the residents had given up all
hopes of saving the levee around the
island, which protects it from the back.
water of Lake Palmyra. The principal
plantations on the island cover 5000 acres
of the richest land in the Mississippi Val
ley.
telegraph message from Brunswick,
raceived at noon, asked bat boats be sent
to Australia Island to remove stock.
This valuable tract of land is owned by
Ashley & Co. There are over 10000 a. res
on the plantation in high state of cult
vation. The island was protected by a
complete protection-Ievee, which gave way
this morning. The water is fast covering
the property. The levee had withstood
all previous floods, having record of be-
ing the only one above the high water of
1882 on the river from Memphis south
ward.
The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Rail-
road can no longer run trains north. The
entire line is covered with cars to keep the
track from floating away.
NEW ORLEANS, La, April 13.-The
rapid rise OF the river from Vicksburg to
the gulf during the last three days has
been far greater than expected ana leaves
little hope of saving the ievee. The rise at
Ficksburg has been one foot and one
tenth. There is no indication of any re-
lief. Senator Cordill, one of the best
levee experts in the State. telegraphs from
st. Joseph that the people have given up
in despair.
A great crevasse is inevitable on the
Louisiana line. The Mississippi has
broken its record at nearly all points be-
yond the YaZoo in the last two days. The
river at Vicksburg is above the famous
high-water mark of 1863. which destroyed
nearly the entire levee system and
wrought damage which it took quarter
OF century to recover from.
At New Orleans the river is now 1872
feet and rising at the rate of two-tenths of
foot a day. Thibodeaux, in Lafourche
parish, the outlet of the Mississippi, is one
and one-half feet above the hig hest ever
known there, and it is considered certain
there will be some breaks. These heights
represent the average condition OF the
river from Vicksburg TO the gulf.
The next twenty-four hours will prob
ably settle the question whether the Lou
isiana levees can withstand the food any
longer.
OMAHA, NEBR., April 13.-More than
100 families here have been forced from
lHeF MONIES IN the lOWIanQS Dy the nOOQS
of the Missouri. They had to go quickly
and everything was abandoned to the
water. The food is pouring upon the low
lands of the East Omaha bottoms in
stream estimated to be 1000 ieet wide.
One branch cuts directly eastward,
pouring into Florence Lake. The mass of
water ia the lake has broken up the
levess built to separate it from the cutoff
lake and is now rushing into the latter.
This is the old channel OF the river. and
many fear that the turbulent Missouri
will come back to its former bed.
A second branch OF the food is sweep
ing over plowed and planted fields and
driving residents from their homes in
North Omaha. Ii is also pourin ginto the
cutoff lake. Thus the two streams of the
flood are both throwing mass of water
into the cutoff IaKe and gradually eating
away the great channels. In the last
twelve hours the cutoff lake has risen
almost two feet.