Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-19
MANY RIVERS RAGE,
ALL POUR WATERS INTO THE OVER
FLOWED MISSISSIPPI.
GREAT DISASTER Is IMMINENT.
THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD THE
LEVEEs MUCH LONGER.
Tributaries of the Missouri Out of
Their Banks-six Lives Lost In
the Floods - Heavy Rains
Reported In Many
Places.
GREAT DISASTER is IMMINENT.

Memphis. Tenn, March 1s.-To-night the
great flood claims five more victims Near
Marion, Ark. Eta Lix and her four chill
dren were trying to make their way to
Marion for shelter and while crossing
a railroad trestle, the strong current
overwhelmed the party and all perished.
The Oldest child was girl aged Is and
the youngest an infant of 5 months. The
river Is still rising at Memphis and the
indications are that 1t will continue to do
so for some time to come. The river to-
night stands at 36.9 feet, a rise since MORN
ing of one-tenth. Such is the pronuncia-
mento of the weather bureau at Memphis.
The conclusion as to continuation in the
rise is based upon the fact that the rise
is continuing at Cairo and the further
fact which is behind the rise at Cairo.
namely, that of heavy rains in all districts
which feed the big river, both along the
upper portion and the middle valley.
Throughout the entire northwestern ter
ritory. the drainage from which swells the
volume Of water in the Upper Mississippi.
these rainfallS continue The same condi-
tions prevail in the territory which feeds
the Ohio and other tributaries, while the
heaviest rains of all are descending over
the already submerged Arkansas territory.
On the eastern side of the river continu-
Gus rains are the rule. At Memphis and
throughout this district the rainfall in the
last twenty-four hours amounted to 2.6i
inches. while across the river at Helena it
was 2.42 inches. So long as the heavy rains
continue there is small chance of a cessa-
tion of the overflow.
Shortly after 1 o'clock yesterday an Of
fetal bulletin was sent out from the wealth
er bureau of Memphis reporting fall of
two-tenths of foot in the river since yes
terday morning. This bulletin was pub
lishcd as a piece of cheering news in the
local press and was telegraphed over the
country Subsequently. Mr.. Emery, of the
weather bureau, discovered that the state
ment contained in the bulletin was abso-
lutely erroneous, that no fall whatever had
taken place. but that the weather bureau
employees wEo had read the gauge at l
o'clock had made 4 mistake. As matter
of fact, the river was stationary from yes
terday morning at o'clock until yesterday
evening at o'clock. when the rise contin-
ued.
At Cairo the rise continues in about the
same proportion, two-tenths of a foot be-
ing recorded I'm the twenty-four hours end
ing this morning, when the gauge indicated
fifty feet. This is ten feet above the danger
line and within two feet and fraction of
the extreme high water mark reached
about week ago.
At Helena where the rainfall was almost
as heavy at at Memphis. being 2.i2 inches
the river rose eight-tenths of u foot in the
twenty-four hours ending this morning
Wnen the gauge tnulCateN Iett, WnlCl Is
81 feet above danger line.
At Nicksburg, the river rose another
eight-tenths of a foot, the gauge register
ing ie.7 feet. which is IL feet above dam
ger line.
At Greenville, the rise in the twenty-four
hours was SiN-tenthS of a foot, SOS feet
being registered on the gauge. This is
within two-tentks of a foot of the danger
line.
AT Shreveport and New Orleans, the river
continues to rise.
The work of rescue and relief goes for
ward with unabated zeal.
Four or five rescue steamers arrived
here bringing several hundred refugees.
nearly all of whom are destitute. to he
cared for by the charity of Memphis peo-
pie. The relief committee has its hands
full, As long as the overflow continues
diate pressing wants of the flood suffer-
ers. Inasmuch as all of the sufferers prac-
tically are residents of Arkansas. the re-
lief committee telegraphed to Governor
Jones. of that state. asking his co-opera-
ton in relieving the dire distress in which
thousands of the people OF his state We're
The governor replied that there were no
funds at his disposal.
The local relief committee has sent out
an appeal to the individual citizens of Ar
kansas. Tennessee and Mississippi. Tonight
Yazoo Valley railroad abandoned its trains,
owing to the encroachment of the water
over its tracks IL few miles south of sIem-
phiS. The railroad situation on the Arkan-
sas side of the river remains unchanged.
all trains entering the city over the Iron
Mountain tracks, which remain few
inches above the water.
Several small breaks in the old levees are