Evening star., 1897-03-16
Memphis Caring forthe Victims Of the
Flood.
LARGE AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN
Government Fleet Has Been Pressed
Into Service.
SITUATION Is CRIT C. a L

MEMPHIS. Tenn. March 16-Ncarly
2.05 homeless and half-starved persons
rescued from the overfowed districts of
eastern Arkansas are being cared for in
this city today. The refugees are mostly
negroes of ,lIe lower classes. The citizens
relief committee is practically backed by
unlimited capital merchants, bankers and
corporations having; subscribed great sums
Of money to prosecute the work of rescuing
the inhabitants of the territory forty miles
north and an equal distance south of Mem
phis
The entire government fleet stationed
here. through Capt. Fitch. engineer IN
charge. has been pressed into service.
Manned by crews familiar with the father
of waters the fleet gives great assistance
10 other rescue steamers.
Situation Critical.
The situation today is critical. News is
expected hourly of breaks in the levees in
either direction. and when this happens as
it surely will. the loss to property and
stock will reach into the thousands The
first loss of life has been reported. whole
family of five negroes having been drown
ed al Marion Sensational stories Of whole
sale drowning at NOdena. Ark. are Ge-
MED by steamer hands fresh from the
scene.
The ga 1ge today reads 364 feet rise
in the past twentyfour hours.
Railway trains to and from the west an
rive and depart without reference to schel-
ule- All tracks except the Iron Mountain
ere submerged and the Kansas City and
Little Rock roads use the Iron Mountains
Roadway. It Is expected by night that res
cue steamers will land another thousand
refugees on the Chick asaw bluffs.
No Appeal to Other Cities.
The relief committee today decided that
aurlpal will he made IN n hoy
aid for the flood sufferers in this portion
II the Mississippi valley. Responses from
local sources have teen so liberal as to
make outside contributions unnecessary.
Churches. white and colored. will be
thrown open to shelter white and black
refugees while thousands of dollars in
caSh and an immense amount of clothes
and provisions will Go the work of caring
physically for the sufferers.
Water on the Railway Tracks.
ST. LOUIS. Mo, March l6.-In south
=astern Missouri on the Mississippi liver,
Birds Point is almost entirely inundated.
and today the Gotten Belt and Iron Noun
-ain railways Will probably have to aban-
ION their trains in that place. The water
over the Cotton Belt track nearly one
DOT deep at several points between Birds
SoInt and Smithton. the first station south.
Forty thousand acres of land in Mssis-
Slppl county, Mo. are protected by leVees
which Were built since the last flood They
are holding against the water but the Iron
Mountain railway embankment. which
forms the southern boundary of this
drainage district. is not raised TO the grade
OF the levees- Water has commenced pour
ing over the railway. and will food ali this
territory. Many farmers in this district
planted wheat for the first time this wear.
feeling safe from floods. and the growing
crop. which was half foot high will he
entirely destroyed.
Working Night and Day.
At Caruthersville, Mo, work on the leyee
Is being kept up night and day. and in
PemiscOt county the levee is in good con-
dItion- Twelve miles below Osceola. Ark
the levee broke yesterday. and the flood is
doing great damage in that section AT
Tyler, thirteen miles below CaruthersviIIa
there are ten families on a sawdust pile
Tor protection, having been driven from
their homes. At Cottonwood nine miles
be.oW Charlottesville, the water is in nearly
all houses. both business and dwellings At
GayoSo. six miles above Caruthersville the
water Is all over the town. and from three
inches TO two feet deep in the houses
Prisoners lad to be moved from the iaiI 10
Gayoso is the county seat of Perniscot
county.
Business men of Blackburn and Usage
city. towns on the Arkansas river are
Euiidiug half a dozen barges boats and
curing the rise of the river they Will ship
corn 10 New Orleans on ne Arkansas river
hey buy corn at from 1O TO l. cents Der
bushei, and get good prices in New Or
leans.