The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-19
MORE FLOOD VICTIMS.
Eight Thousand Added to the List
Of Government Benefciaries.
no MORE BREAKS IN THE LEVEEs

But Several Embankments Are Very
Weak, and Further Breaks Are liz
able at ANY Time-Refugees Fleeing
to Natchez.
Memphis, April 19-No more breaks
are reported in the Louisiana levee dis
trict, although the entertainments a.
Hancock and Ferriday, In the northern
part of Concordia Parish, are reported
to be very weak. and break may
occur at any hour The crevasss at
Riggs Is now seething torrent, and
the waters are spreading rapidly
throughout Madison Parish. At Cow
pen the levee is leaking badly, and al
though a superhuman effort is being
made to hold it many experienced
river men are of the opinion that
break will occur sooner or later. The
town of Vidalia Is in a critical condi-
ton, and many of the inhabitants are
hastily packing their most valuable
effects and fleeing to Natchez. The
waters from the Biggs crevasse are
expected to inundate the town by We'd
nesday.
At Natchez refugees continue to ar
rive in large numbers, while live stock
OF every description is coming into
the city in large droves. Thousands
of men line the lower leyees watching
every weak spot and hoping for the
best.
In the Mississippi delta the situation
continues to improve slowly. Yester-
day was a beautiful day throughout
the overfiowed sections, and the waters
are receding. The river at Memphis
Is still falling. The work of relief is
being Systematically carried on.
A Vicksburg dispatch says: The river
has fallen three-tenths in the past "a
hours, total of six-tenths since the
crevasse at Biggs levee at 10 o'clock
Friday night. The situation in Mad
p ison parish, La, Is growing worse
hourly The flood of water going
through the Biggs break in the levee
is fast covering the lowlands and is
flooding Bay Vidal, and the greater
part of the land In the southern por-
tion of the parish. The water has
reached Tallulah, some 18 miles west
of Delta. The water had risen seven
feet in the bayou at Tallulah, and was
rising foot an hour at noon, Delta
is about depopulated only enough
persons remaining to look after the
houses.
The back water is fast covering iands
north of the delta and at Young's
Point. At Omega the floods are COM
ing fast. Relief boats are running to
Davis Island and Kellogg's section.
Planters in Entail and the northern
part of Madison are placing their stock
in reach of boats on the river front or
at the stations on the line of the Vicks-
burg and shreveport railroad, so they
can be moved in the event of another
break in the upper portion of the par
ish, which is now severely threatened
Milliken's Bend and Duckport levees
are both caving.
Reports from Madison parish state
that the water began rising in Brushby
bayou, at Tallulah, at 7 o'clock yes
terday, and up to p. m. had risen
seven or eight feet. About three miles
below Tallulah the water is over the
levees, and is overfowinE everything
two miles below. Richland, La, re-
ports the water overfiowing the Kings
and kels place, also the villages of
Trinidad and Ashwood, eight miles be-
low Richland. Everybody is getting
their stock together, so as to move
promptly
1t is now estimated that not less than
5000 persons will want relief in this
county. for the next 30 days at least.
Lieutentnt Crowley, of the United
States army, reached here from Wash
ington by the noon train, having been
detailed to duty here to purchase and
distribute relief. He has gone actively
at work, and will purchase meal, meat
and molasses for distribution through
the gentlemen named by the governor.