The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-17

aud Human Beings HRddlsd Together
waiting ror Heats to susuor Thsm-A
Thousand Refugees Brought to asm-
Phi, aud Two Thousand 70 St. Lonis.
relief COMMITTEES Doing Noble Work.
mundrsd' orPsopts LOas AilThsy Pose
Is,''d.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 16.-The
Mississippi river ut Memphis tonight
guases a fraction over SG.5 feet. q rise Of
over l.lO since morning. The river con-
,inues to rise slowly. Two lives are
known to have been lost during the day,
Two negroes who live near Marion, Ark,
attempted to cross Mound Lake In dug
out. when they were caught in the nigh
,y current, their boat capslzed and they
were swept away. The change IN the
situation In the past twenty four hours
has been decidedly for the worse in every
respect, as FAR as the flOod and the flood
vlcSlms are concerned. Localities that
we're expected UP to the last moment TO
withstand the overflow are at the last
under water. People who thought they
were safe from the angry river lind
themselves hemmcd In and theIr danger
q Tie greater becau5e oE the confidence
that prevented them from providing
against lhem,
From every direction comes reports un-
expected and unprecedented disaster.
ii Marion ana AZ the adjacent country
i0u I,sOpis are reported 10 bs lined up on
the railroad track. over which occasional
gayr7 sweey mat threaten TO carry on
;h. desperate people and I've STOCK thAt
there Ind prccuiGus fuJIhOld. Along
the Ether railroads loading out OF this
cI;y ia.o Arkansas, 4 similar condition OF
Affairs exists.
S5wn "a Presidents Island. where Il
y,ls supposed that al persona Ia danger
had bren carried on laF; night, 1t Is learn
e,l thl. from iisJy to 100 people were this
morning standing III the water and pray:
!nE ,Ir the FiSht ot u boat that would
tatc them on. From island Forty came
.ftd.I4 that the water ts everywhere,
tH.7 hgman beings and dumb beasts are
huiI!ed tosr;hr- wherever shallow
water offers standing place.
APpeAIS for Aid,
There are. many other points from
whieh come appeals for aid. 1t may
easily be understood, therefore. that the
relief committee which has been estab-
llshsd In this city. has It's handD full Of
work. This work IS being looked after
wiihou. delay, nevertheless. Ali the
lasll river craft have been reQulsltioned
f,r this duty and Captain Fitch Is IN
calrEe Of the United Statcs fleet, has
placed every steam vessel and barge TT
his command at the disposal OF the COM
mittse. The Mlnnehaha and the Well
cone are running far up beyond Marion.
Bargcs are carried wherever necessary.
Nearly 1000 people have been brought 10
this city already from the nverlloWed
country. Only a few OF these are white
md such have been able to take care OF
Themselves upon arrival. as well as to ex-
tend hand to the negroes who come In
their ;raln. But most OF the refugees are
negroes who saved nothing but the
clothes on their backs and maybe some
STOCK. the latter being an incumbrance
rather than an assistance in the matter
os finding food and Recommendations In
The citizen relief committee have
found places to house the refugees and
food is furnished them also from time TO
time This morning quartette OF ladies'
arrived on the levee with pFoVender.
They brought substantial food. The food
put new life into the dIscOnanlate negroes
and caused happiness.
Many Fumors OF wholesnle drowning
ore current, but these cannot be verified.
4 well defined report reached here last
night that Ave colored people had per,
ished near Marion and q Colored niAn ana
child are know 70 have been drowned at
Wcst Memphis, To-day two negroes
were drowned on the Mound Lake. In
tense interest in the floods antmates
everybody In the city. This IL evidenced
by tho great ttrongS that gather on the
lcvc. This afternoon It was almost im'
possible TO reach the wharfbo0t when
She pulled In from Marion.
Al Helena the river rose very slowly to-
dag, standing tonight 45.S feet. TWO in-
ches below high water marx. inc
y;camer Mlude left here late thlS niters
noon for Modoc, with q crew OF iorty
llborers for the government boat FiLan ,,.a
with crew are sacktng the ieVee; 9s the
water at Modac was within about IL tect
Il! the top Of the levee a. the last Reports
Perhaps Many LIvSS Lost.
Tho people around Marion, Ark, arc
certain that back in the woods to the
rear OF Marion there has been great loss
oriIfc. There was q rumor to the effect
that several negroes had already been
drow ned lnattemptIng to get TO a place
o; safety. hut the names and other facts
could not be learned.
The Memphis & St Louis packet
Mary Morton arrived IN port to-day and
reported extending relief 10 Hood suf-
rgFerB below Cairo.
Something over n hundred men, wo-
men and children and q quantity Of live
stock were picked up and carried 10
F'ulton. From nll reports there Is
grcat sHRerl2g In the district men
toned ard aid In being asked for VIC
TINS. No lives NO far have been lost.
At Cottonwood, nine miles below Ca
,uthcrsvllle. the water Ia IN nearly all
the houses, both business and dwellings
Al Gayoso six miles above CaFuthcFA-
Nlle. the water IL nll over tho town,
aud from three Inches to two feet deep
IN the houses. Prisoners had to bs
moved from the jail to hte court house
tn rscnnc the wHtcr Gayosn Is the