The herald., 1897-04-05
CORPSES
UNBURIED
For Lack of Dry Land for
the Graves
MUDDY, MURDERoUS WATERS
ARE ROARING THROUGH THE
BROKEN LEvEEs
A Hundred Mississippi Towns Are
Submerged and the People
Are Starving Miserably
MUDDY, MURDERoUS WATERS
ARE ROARING THROUGH THE
BROKEN LEvEEs
Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 4.-The relief
steamer Ora Lee arrived at Mariana,
Ark. late this afternoon, having made
steamer went up the St. Francis river
There were on board 100 refugees and
two hundred head of cattle. The
steamer went up the st. Francisc river
as far as Cut on. and then worked her
way down stream, rescuing people from
perileus positions. The suffering along
the st. Francis river is appalling. The
water through the entire neighboring
country is tonight from six to fifteen feet
deep. The relief steamer had on board
the body OF Mrs. McMain, from Ragio
City. Tho body was found at Ragto and
was taken to Mariana for burial. there
being no land at the former place on
which to give It interment. The st.
Francis Is rising from three to five
inches daily.
Another disastrous break in the Miss
iesippi levee occurred this morning at
o'clock at Flower Lake. six miles south
of Tunica, Miss. The crevasse, while not
yet Of great width, II fully fifteen feet
deep, and The water Is pouring through
the opening with fearful velocity. This
will probably be the most destructive
break that has occurred in the delta. The
most fertile farm lands Of Mississippi,
lying in Cohoma, LAHORE, Quitman and
Tallahatchie counties, in the northern
part of the state, will be inundated, and
the newly planted corn crops will be laid
waste. Fortunately no loss Of life Is re-
ported, the Inhabitants Of the stricken
section having made preparations for
just such a catastrophe as exists there
today. The condition of the poorer
classes throughout the flooded area is
indeed critical tonight. Thousands Of
refugees are being huddled on the levees
and spots of dry land, waiting for relief
The towns Of Rosedale and Tunica re-
port that everything is being done for
these poor people, but that funds and
provisions are fast becoming exhausted.
In the little city Of Rosedals alone 1900
refugees are being cared for by the citi-
zens. Half a hundred towns tonight
stand in six feet Of water. and the yell
low stream is creeping UP slowly but
surely.
Advices just received tell Of break In
the levee two miles south Of Helena, Ark.
This is the levee for which the people Of
Southeastern Arkansas have made such
| a desperate fight. The waters from this
break will Hood a great area. and in all
probability will back UP into the streets
| of Helena.
| At Memphis tonight the river ie slow
| ly rising again, the gauge registering
1854 feet This Is a rise Of one-tenth.
At points below vicksburg the river is
rising 1t y the general opinion Of old
river men here that II the levees below
vicksburg hold the great volume Of
water in its regular channel it will be
little short Of miracle.
A GREAT CREvASEE.
TUNICA, Miss, April 4.-At s o'clock
this morning Flower lake levee. where
it crosses Yellow bayou, gave way un-
der the tremendous pressure Of water.
The crevasse widened rapidly and is now
100 yards wide throughout. The water
is rushing with a deafening sound that
only can be compared to that Of Mag
ara falls. The levee was twenty feet
| high at the point where II broke today.
| The people, not only on the farms near
the break, but upon those some distance
from the levee back of 1t, have lost
large numbers of cattle. So rapidly did
the crevasse widen that the water rush.
ing through it was SUFFICIENT to reach
the lake parallel to the Yazoo and Mis-
sissippi Valley railroad at Bushby sta
ton. which is five miles east of the
break, in a remarkably short space OF
time. and within an hour had raised the
lake eight feet. The water will no doubt
be running over the railroad at Bushby
and Gainesville before morning. The
country affected by this break Is one OF
the finest in the delta. 1t will cause the
submergence of the entire southwestern
and south central part of Tunica ooun-
ty. The flood will pass into Coahoma
county. overlooking Lulu and the region
around Moon lake, broadening as i,
goes. A portion OF the current will
travel to Coldwater river through the
Yazoo pass, while much of 1t will trave
southwark, inundating some of the fair.
est fields in Coahoma county. Thence
it will travel down Cassidy bayou and
Sunflower river finally reaching Yazoo
traversing almost the entire length Of
the Yazoo and Mississippi levee district
The river at noon began to fall at Aus.
tin, four miles above, and had faller
four inches at p. m. During the sam'
time the river fell half an inch at the
Harris farm, eight miles, north of thu
break Above Austin the levee is from
two to three feet above the flood plane
but there are no weak places which
threaten immediate dangr.
THE FIRST ALARM.
ST, JOSEPH. Mo-. April l.-The frs
alarm was felt here today over the ris'
Of the Missouri river. The stream ross
seven-tenths Of q foot today. and Il
still climbing. Reports from the coun'
try rs miles north Of here state tha