The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-01
TOWNS UNDER WATER
Sixteen OF Them Submerged I'm
der 'tha Great Flood.
LEVEES STILL BREAKING
HALF OF PHILLIPS COUNTY
WILL BE INUNDATED.
GREENvILLE HIGH AND DRY
The Break of the Main Levee Will Add
TO the Disaster--Situation Very
Critical on the Louis-
E'I.
ana Frontage.


ana Frontage.
Memphis, Tenn, March 31.-A heavy
rainfall, accompanied by strong gale
from the west is adding TO the horror
Of the flood situation below Memphis in
the Mississippi delta. There are four
breaks, and each is letting in a stream
as large as the Ohio river at Cincinniti,
or the Hudson at Albany, and this tre-
mendOus outflow has caused a fall of only
one tenth at Vicksburg, immediately be-
low the last break. The rain and wind
will probably cause more breaks. The
river is now like an inland sea, and this
afternoon a telegram from q point below
Roscdale, Miss, announced that great
waves were pounding against the levee
and that at frequent intervals the water
dashed over the embankment. This be-
ing true. there will be in all probability
more crevasses before morning. The
rainfall increases and the wind intensi-
fies the danger. On the Arkansas side
the levee from Helena to Arkansas City
tonight is as full of holes as the outer
wall OF a fOrtifcation after a siege. There
is break at Westover, which occurred
at an early hour this morning. A thou
sand men We're at work ON the levees
when the crash came. Experienced levee
men saw the danger and cried out
word OF warning, and the laborers rushed
back. but in five minutes there was gap
fifty feet wide and six feet deep, was
torn in the wall of earth. The break
grew until it is now several hundred feet
wide. This crevasse is ten miles below
Helena, and the water rushing through
eyr,In Ma
tions, and may back up to Helena. 9th
er breaks will probably occur in the
Arkansas side. The Laconia Circle coun-
try, few miles below Westover. is under
water. This circle is surrounded by n
levee. The levee IN the rear went TO
pieces at IA late hour Monday and the
water rushed in and spread itself over
$1,000 aeres of the most fertile lands in
Arkansas, cut up into plantations, Civ
ing support to no less than 5000 people
Tonight. Gunnison. Mississippi, Rose
dale. and a dozen other small towns are
under water. The whole country will be
inundated. The water Is spreading over
the territory from Perthshire. Miss.
to point ten miles north of Vieksburg.
and back from the river thirty or forty
miles. Already the loss of cattle has
been enormous. The corn that was
planted and growing is under water. and
the preparations for cotton planting were
well under way. The ploughed earth will
lie swept into the Yazoo and thence into
the Mississippi. 1t is difficult to estimate
this loss.
A thickly settled country, containing
an area of about 1000 square miles, dot
ted with farm houses, negro cabins and
small villages will be flooded. Labor will
become demoralized and negroes cannot
be secured in sufficient numbers to cult
vate the crops when the water subsidies
The YazoO and Mississippi Valley Rail
road will have $50 miles of track under
water before the flood is over. The loss
TO human life SO far has been small. Not
half dozen people have been drowned
in the delta, and probably dozen on the
Arkansas side south of Helena The up
per floods which have prevailed in the
Saint Francis basin for two weeks. claim
ed probably no more than fifty victims
all cOlored.
Greenville, Miss, is still safe. water is
i'll Rosedale, coming from the Perthshire
break, while Gunnison is badly flooded
This, with the wind and rain may, how
ever. bring forth the supreme catastro-
phe. the breaking Of levee Immediately
IN front of town. Those directly be-
hind rhe levecs are Helena, Friar's Point.
Rosedale and Greenville.
slight rise in the river at Memphis
Is announced by the official bulletin is
sued by the local office of the United
States Weather Bureau. This rise
amounts to but one-tenth Of an inch
lt IS not considered as significant of any
increased volume of water to be expected
here. The Bureau predicts 10 continual
tioh Oh the rise, but stationary condition
Tor the next twenty-fou hours. The
gauge registers 1868 feet 4 considerable
fall is reported at Cairo. At points be-
low Nicksburg. the river is rising with
increased rapidity.
jackson, Miss, March 31.-The Asso-
clated Press correspondent at GreenvilIe.
telegraphs:
Passengers arriving here by boat from
k0sedale report that town now under wa
ter All telegraph and telephone commu-
nication above and below is cut off
Gunnlson was under water when heard
from last night, and nothing can be
heard from there. The flood has already
submerged all towns between here and
Australia north, and Rolling Fork.
south.
The following towns are now under
water, Australia, Round Lake, Deeson,
Concordia. Berthshire, Stafford, Gunni-
son, Bolivar, Mound and Huntington.
In Bolivar county, below here. Avon,
Wayside, Pellitt, Refugee, Glendor AMI
Swift Water are all under water, and the
water rs in sight Of Arcola. Cooks. Es-
telle and Hallondale.
At this point the river has fallen
foot and a half in the last "a hours,
which experienced river men say indi-
Gates another break somewhere near
The loop road between Coahona and
(Cnpftn1Ycd an -EouYt1, -p9Qpl