The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-02
And Where the Levees VIII BE Tested
by the Greatest Body of Water
Ever Seen in that Section.
GREENVILLE NOW An ISLAND
TWENTY TOWNS ALONG THE YAZOO
RAILWAY ALREADY FLOODED.
situation at Helena. VicLsburE, New
Orleans and Other Cities-Rain
Chased Away by the sun.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 1.-The flood sit
uation along the Mississippi above Green
willie is decidedly better tonight as to
threatened loss of life and further destruc-
tion of levees. The half dozen crevasses
on the Arkansas and Mississippi shores be-
tween Helena and Greenvile have drawn
an immerSe volume of water out OF the
main channel, which Is spreading itself
over the low lands. but not with that de-
gree of rapidity that cuts off escape TO the
inhabitants of the low countries. The river
shows a decline from point below Helena
to the Wayside crevasse. The decline
above Greenville in many places is as great
as ten inches. However, Helena, Ark, is
rot out of danger. for the waters from the
ST. Francis basin in Arkansas are still
swelling the channel of the main river
from the mouth of the St. Francis to a
point south of Helena, for no break occurs
until Westover is reached, ten miles be-
low that city. The worst at Helena will
be over by Sunday.
The damage to the farming country in
the flooded district cannot be exaggerated.
Five counties will be, for the most part,
under water for thirty days and the main
line and branch lines of the Yazoo &s Mis-
sissippi Valley road will have more than
one hundred miles of track inundated. OPP
posite Perthshire the upper crevasse, a
mile of track has been washed away. Prob
ably twenty railroad stations and small
towns are flooded tonight, among them be-
ing Gunnison, Rosedale, Perthshire, Ter
rene. Phalia, Riverton. Dahomey. Storm.
Benoit, Beulah, Wayside, Longwood Ref
uge saltwater. Deson and Australia.
The danger has shifted TO the south of
Greenville, as the levees from Wayside to
the mouth of the river must now begin to
feel the pressure of the movement of water
back into the channel from the Yazoo delta
the White river country and the S.. Fran
els basin. From Memphis to CrawIey's
ridge the river is now forty miles wide. A
line east and west on the water across
Rosedale would probably be fifty miles
long. All of this water must pass out be-
tween two walls of levee. in many places
but few miles distant one from the other
Another rise of one-tenth of a foot in the
river at Memphis is shown by the official
| bulletin from the Office of the weather bu-
reau. The gauge tonight registered s. 4
| feet At Cairo an encouraging fall in the
river is shown. while Paducah reports fall
| Of seven-tenths of q foot At Vicksburg
| the big river is stationary. Shreveport and
| tinued rise The Louisville & Nashville and
| the Louisville. Chattanooga & ST. Louis
| railways resumed direct traffic connection
| with Nashville tonight after a cessation
| OF two weeks, due to the high water of the
| Tennessee river. The local relief commit
| tee this afternoon sent a steamboat 10 the
| st. Francis river country TO bring out
! water-bound people and carry supplies of
| food to man and beast 1t is said that the
| destitution in the territory to be covered Is
| fearful, but the news of it did not reach
| Memphis until to-day.
The following telegram was received to-
| night by the Commercial-AppeaI from Y.
| G.. Dabney chief engineer of the upper Ya-
| zoo levee district extending along the front
| of the, Coahoma:
THE influence of the violent storm last
night was most depressing and demoraIiz
| ing to the men who are fighting along the
| line. The successful resistance of the dam
ger Is very encouraging and the sunshine
or to-day mas induced much more cheer
| ful feeling. The report from Mr.. Lombard
| or ten inches OF fall along his division COW
ering nineteen miles of the lower end due
| TO the break opposite and below us, and
| the consequent present security OF that
| front ought to afford great relief The
| slight, but continued, rise at Helena from
| the st. Francis basin is gradually encroach
| ing on our margin of safety at and above
| Friars Point. but has not and is not likely
10 reach stage of great danger as we
| have contended against below The Helena
| rise is nearly neutralized by the influence
| OF the Arkansas breaks along the StoyalI
| front and the pressure there will not he
materially increased. NV cor rclllsion is tbat
while the issue is still in doubt, the outiook
| is growing decidedly hopeful"