The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-03-25
DANGERS OF THE SWOLLEN WA
TIERS INCREASED BY RAINS.
Arkansas and Tennessce Visited by
Heavy RninfalIs-TwO Negroes
Lose Their Lives-Leyees Give
Away Under the severe Pressure
of the Waters-rhe Suffering Ii
Great.

acres of land in the Arkansas bottoms.
The two men We're drowned in Fifteen
Mile bayou, near Marion, Ark. Their
is no cessation in the rise Of the river
and the gauge registers 3I.2, a rise or
i since morning. Heavy rains contin-
ued last night throughout the entire
region Of the Ohio valley and in the
territory the drainage of which Swells
the upper Mississippi. At Marked
Tree. Ark. on the 81. Francis river,
| there has been 2 deplorabie rise of one
, foot in the last t~wenty-fOur hours; de-
plOrable not only III account OF the
probable damage and disaster i'll tina
immediate section of country, but De-
! cause this river SwellS the great vol
umc Of water in the Mississippi, where
conditions are already 50 distressing.
throughout Arkansas and Tennessee
heavy rain falls were the rule durin%
the past twcnty-fOur hours. The reIiet
fund for the Hood sufferers has been
materially increased by gifts from indi-
vidUalS and from firms outside of
| Memphis. This assistance is greatly
needed in caring for the new arrivals
which the rescue steamers bring III at
every trip. A telegram from MOdoc,
where the levee was reported to have
broken. calls for material lJr strength
euing the levee ut that point. The
levce is intact as yet, though a break is
feared.
The work of rescue goes on with I'M
abatcd zeal. The rescue boats MAKE
as many trips as possible during the
day, returning from each trip laden
with refugees and such household
goods and cattle as they have been
able TO save. The glOOmieSt feature OF
the distressing conditions is the fact
that there is little or no hope of the
abatement of the high water within
the near future because Of floods re-
ported in the upper valleys. The most
alarming reports concerning the con-
ditiOn of the lcveeS above and below
Memphis have been in circulation in
Memphis, but they have particular
reference to the leveeS below this point
and ever below Helena. Up TO this
time the people have eXerted their ut
most strength to Solidify and preserve
the levees, believing that by careful
watching and by applying remedial
measures wherever there was n pros
pect OF Il break disaster could be avert
cd. But reports from down the river
Indicate that hope has been lost in
many places.
There is very reliable information tO
the effect that at Modoc, Avenue
Hughey's and ether points below Hell.
ena the water has gone above the
levees, and the levees being in such a
mushy condition from the rains it is
not thought possible to protect then,
much longer from the ever-rising flood.
The people living behind the dykes in
the localities mentioned are already
flying for their lives. There is positive
information that the levees construct
ed under the direction Of the st.
Francis levce board nea Caruthers-
vile. Mo-, has been cut. and the belief
Is prevalent in that locality that The
work was done 10y persons living on the
Tennessee side who hoped to make an
opening for the flood on the Arkansas
side to decrease the food and thus
save the property on the Tennessee
side. 4 report is current of the levee
having broken ut Hill House, Miss,
flooding the fine farms in that locality.
A steamer with men and sand was
DISPATCHED to the scene OF the reported
break. \ special from charlottesville
SAYS: Tie river rose here IA inches
during the last t~wenty-four hours.
The leveeS are being watched day and
night. The levee broke a mile and a
half below town and before sufficient
force could reach the break il was fly
feet wide and six feet deep and spread
ing rapidly. This break will do little
or no damage as the water will empty
into Finley bayou and then into st.
Francis river. The break will bring
about n IN searching investigation
as ii is believed It was cut. and certain
parties are suspected. Two govern.
ment boats are rivetting the end OF
the hreaE. Another small break &C.
cured III the south end of town in the
protection leyee which will only yer
flow the lower portion of the city.
The Mississippi river is now twenty
inches higher than ever before in flood
history end still rising at the rate of
four inches every t~wenty-four hours.
The crCvasse which occurred yesterday
one mile and Il half below here il now
400 feet wide and rapidly widening.
1t is pouring i'll n terrible volume of
water into the lower part OF this coun.
~. Much stock has been lost. There
is now no doubt that the levee was
cut by some m~iScreant. for mt the poin,
whore the IIclE occurred the levcC
was in fine coalition and two feei
above the water level.