The Forrest City times., 1897-04-16
The Raging Waters.

rnthersyille, Mo-. 2C00 feet wide: Just
above Arkansas and Missouri state
line, two breaks, each 1000 feet wide;
between Osceola and Nodena, Ark.
seventeen breaks, aggregating II mile
IN width. This basin practically over.
flowed from Gayoso, Mo. to mouth of
81. Francis river for twenty TO twenty
1--we miles back. O.erilowed area esti-
mated at $500 square miles. Breaks in
White river levees are: Three miles
below Helena, Ark, 800 feet wide: five
miles below. 1000 feet wide: fourteen
miles below, 800 feet wide. Below
Modoc, Ark and foot of Island Ga are
SIX breaks, the lower being three-quar.
tiers of a mile wide. Others will ag-
gregate about 5000 feet. Between
hhowlton, Ark, and two miles above
are three breaks. aggregatng 1000 feet.
Lacona levee broken, inundating La
COMA circle. Overlooked area of White
river basin estimated at 800 square
miles. In upper Yazoo district there
is one break opposite mouth of st.
Francis river about 500 feet wide. No
data for approximate estimate of loss
or restitution, which however, is great.
FORMER MISSISSIPPI FLOODS.
The st. Louis Globe. Democrat has
gathered upa variety of information
on the subject of the Mississippi river
and its floods, covering period of
fifty-three years. From this instruct
i've budget it is learned that one of the
most disastrous innndations of the
century occurred in 1874, at which
time many lives were lost. together
with the wiping out of extensive prop
erty interests.
In 1S49 the Mississippi and its tribu-
taries from point AS far north as al.
ton, o., swept over their banks, pro-
ducng widespread disaster. The loss
of property in st. Louis and its vcin-
ity aggregated s. 900 900, while ut New
Orleans it reached as high as $50 .0O0,-
GOO The Crescent City never sustained
more frightful visitation than the
one of this year.
In 1857 the river at st. Louis climbed
To "A height of thirty-six feet and nine
inches, which makes the overflow of
that year rank second to the one of
1914, at which time the river registered
forty-four feet and nine inches. In
1881 Il wide area of country was de-
wasted by the floods. including portions
of Iowa. Illinois, Missouri and Arkan.
sas. The valleys of the Mississippi
and Ohio also suffered great injury at
the same time, In the following year
still greater less was entaIled upon the
occupants of the Mississippi valley.
Indeed. in some localities the loss pro-
dnced by the foods was more disastrous
than ever before known, and several
governors found it necessary to appeal
to the country at large for means of re-
lief. The spring rise of the Mississippi
!" iOSS S"iiiC INC iifCi " Vel HISu
point. aud occaSioned much damage
In Illinois the loss of that year was
greater, perhaps, than elsewhere.
Seyen years ago this spring the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries overlooked
several thousand square miles of land
Scores of settlements were swept away
and thousands of people reduced TO
want and suffering. Louisiana was
perhaps the greatest sufferer of all the
states 10y the flood of that year. In or
der TO repair some Of the injury
wrought. congress appropriated the
sum of Sl50,000 to the relief of the Mis-
sisslppi valley sufferers. Two wears
later, however. in 1892, occurred the
most serious food of the upper Missis-
sippi valley for more than third of IA
century. Early in April the river be-
gan To rise above its danger point. al
though it was not until late in May
that its highest mark was reached.
st. Louis suffered greater loss than
any other place along the rivers course.
The loss OF life throughout the entire
valley reached as high rs 100. while
the destruction of property aggregated
Sl2 600 zoe.
While other disasters have occurred
in the Mississippi valley besides those
above enumerated, they do not rank
with them in severity and are, there
fore, purposely omitted. AS to this
years flood it vii doubtless exceed the
one of 1892 in the amount of property
destroyed, if not in the number of lives
lost. Much damage has already been
occasioned, but the record is still in
complete. and thousands of dollars may
eventually be added to the years ag-
gregate of loss.
RELIEF DISTRIBUTED.
Sunday at Madison was hailed with
much joy by the needy people of the
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