The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-16
THE SITUATION DEPLORABLIE

Asppt ana Mt&sOurt ntsSts " suc -
e~rc.se-Reports From the Delta Not I'm
coursging TIT Missouri Doing Great
Damage.
Memphis. Tenn. April 1.-THE river
| continues 10 rise slowly at Vicksburg and
all points south. and the situation along
the Louisiana system of levees is acute
The waters are being hurled outward
| with tremendous force and several thou
sand men are working and watching night
| and day 10 hold the entertainments in
tact.
Reports from the overlooked Mississippi
delta tonight are not encouraging. Tho
expected fall In the waters. that extend
| for miles and miles over the fertile val
| ley has not occurred. Much suffering sun
exists I'm the Sunnower and Bogue-Phaiia
country. where hundreds OF negroes have
deserted their cabins and are huddicd
on high grounds and the railroad tracks
| Many cabins are submerged to their very
roofs. while several have been carried away
by the swift current. on a plantation
ten miles west of Helena. Sylvester San
ders. n colored tenant, his wife and Eve
children were overwhelmed by the cur
rent and all persisted. Near Greenvillc
today two negroes were drowned In an
attempt TO reach dry land.
At Rosedale the work OF relief con-
tinues. Rations will be sent TO the Sun
flower district tomorrow. At Greenville
the river stands stationary tonight.
Throughout the overlooked area rain
fell in torrents last night and part OF to-
day. At Helena the downpour was OF
such violence that great pumps were put
to work in the lower part of the city.
pumps had to be discontinued. The
whole OF the southern part of Helena In
under water from one TO four feet deep
The pumps were started again oniEh
and ii Is expected the water viii DC
thrown out OF the streets In three or
four days. Owing to the great storm. tho
river did not fall at Helena today. but
stands steady.
At Memphis. the river is steady tonight
rain fall throughout the territory draining
into the Mississippi at Memphis and
above has been heavy, the local observer
predicts that during the ensuing twenty
four hours there will probably be a slight
rise at this point.
Cairo, Ills, April 1.-THE crest OF the
tonight and tomorrow win likely see :
fall i'm the river. The gauge tonight reads
1913 feet, showing only n slight rise since
last night and no change since this morn
ing.
Omaha. Neb.. April 14-There is less
danger of the threatened cut on by the
Missouri river tonight. ard unless there
is an unlocked for rise or a high wind
from the north il is not probable that
much more damage will be done. The
hastily built dyke that stemmed the tor
rent from Florence lake on Tuesday was
greatly strengthened today and has al
most stopped the flow at the most threat
eninS point. The water has spread out
over a wider stretch of territory and
surrounds a few more houses, but the
hanging OF the channel of the Missouri
has been averted. for the present at
least.
The work men employed along the levec
struck today for double pay. They were
Il In emf nm hntIr nNl
80 cents. Their demands were refused
and they quit work. other men were
On the Iowa side of the river. south or
Council Bluffs. the water has inundated
farms for a distance of three or four
miles back from the streams. The water
came up in the night and the farmers re-
port many hogs, cattle and horses drown
ed. The reports are coming tonight from
every point along the river AS far south
as st. Joseph. The flood IS the worst
since the inundation of 1851. and Is doing
rivers edge. The food seems to have
reached its height and will probably fan
from now on.
Kansas city, April H-Thc Missouri
river reached the danger line AT 2;I
o'clock this afternoon and Is rising
in more spite Fapid ay i than rrs on TI w;s,h,
The gauge now reads p fee, with
an additional rise of one foot pre-
dictcd by Friday noon. Already the ef-
fects of the rapid rise are beginning 10 he
felt i'm the west bottoms. Across the
river along the Harlem shore, only n foot
Of banks remain, but 1t is feared the
water may back up from Randolph. an
eastern suburb. behind Harlem and flood
it before 1t effects Harlem. The Kansas
river. a feeder of the Missouri. IL at n
standstill and the Missouri may back up
on Armourdale. a suburb on the smaller
stream. Much green stuff ~ floating
down. an evidence that the banks north
of here are being cut away. Warnings
have been sent out to make preparations
for serious flood.
7 E.. Anil $500
part of the Fort Leavenworth reserva-
ton on the Missouri side is under water
and the federal prison farm on the Kan
sas side is covered with lakes. The wafer
is encroaching on Stillings, the village
across from L~cavenworth and several
ia MarshaI hay Mo- oee hp IGTcsa NJ mSVe O., the
best farms of this county are river bot
tom lands. The water is already over
move. It.is feared there will be a rise
nearly equal to the great flood OF lsA-
when large steamers ran through the
Wakena prairie, ten miles fromt he main
Memphis. April 1.-THE work OF reliev-
ing the flood sufferers with the govern
ment funds appropriated by congress for
that purpose is progressing smoothly. In
the districts extending from Memphis to
Cairo and from Memphis to Helena, local
relief stations have been established and
placed in charge of responsible men
Nothing remains to be done In the dis
tricts now except to ship supplies every
relief stations have been definitely estab-
lished in any Of the districts below He
lena.
Nicksburg, Miss. April 1.-THE steam
or John X. Meigs, left for Davis island
at 6 O'Clock this evening as soon AZ she
could possibly get up steam. The gov
eminent steamer Florence. CHANGING to
arrive from Greenville In time, was also
sent to the island. a small steamer was
already there, and the Natchez mail boat.
st. Joseph, passed there this mornig and
was no doubt hailed by the people. The
boats should suffice to relieve those in
distress and IL is believed they will be
in time, except In the smallest number OF
cases, at the worst.
The steamer Ruth came from Austria
liza plantation today with a load OF stock
and negroes. The latter are very numer-
Gus now, but most of them are living
some how on their resources. Captain
Martin charged by the war department
with the duty Of inspecting the situation
with a view to future relief. returned
from GreenyilIe by river today His re-