The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-17
Worst Disaster of the Great
Mississippi Flood.
WATER CONTINUES TO RISE.
Many Lives Thouxhs TO Have been
Lost ON Davfs Isinnd - Jnisea
States offie~rs Doing .oad work
for the Dessitute-waser Regins
20 Ree~sie an the Upper River. ana
shc Critical stare Ii Now Past.

VICKSBTRG. Miss. April is--The levee
81 Bigas. il Madison parish. four and \
hair nailes selow Delta. La broke al 10
o'clock tonight. The crevasse was 10 feet
WIDE twenty minutes after the ievee gave
away. Delta Is directly opposite yl,k<-
oarg. Tbs Queen 4 Crescent route train
dsSpatcner's Office reported tire break az
- octoSk tonight. The news was sent
% belta at once. the operator being reused
from bed. and the message Of warning
ssnF along the line OF the railroad.
Tho leFee Is a very large ore and has
oeea engaging the special attention OF tina
levee authorities for weeks. Several hun
cred eoavtcts have been employed upon
IL. IN addition 10 other laborers. ana So
greatly had Il been strengthened that Only
today the belief was confidently expressed
~ men lfv4ns beside az that IL would hold.
The disaster will he a great one
The situation along the Louisiana Ievees
across the river Tor nfty miles above and
below this city awayfs every other
feature OF the flood problem into tempo
rary tnssgnincances The rise shows no
signs Of dininGtion. and the remaining
isFees are actually In danger Of being
ovsrtopped by the water now POURING out
OF the faxoo basin in d sheet twenty-five
miles wide for distance or tea miles, op-
posite this city
In spite Of the evident danger and OF the
repeated warnings of the weather bureau
very few persons are removing stock to
the high lands. though 100 head OF mules
We're brought 90 this city tonight from
the Sparta plantation. in Louisiana. ten
miles above here. AT several points the
water has reached the TOP Of the leysa
and Is ROW being held back by sacks and
lumber
The Matches mail steamer 81. Joseph
arrived early this morning with about $50
persons from Davis island. Over 30 were
eel kFa. In
United States steamer Fiorenca are doing
good work there. Capt. Clark of the ord
nance department. who has visited the ter
F1tory from Nicksharg 10 the mouth OF
the Red river. arrived on the mall steam
sr St. Joseph today and states that the
suffering and destisuuon at Davis island
Is great. and In his opinion there is great
probability OF further loss Of life The
island is - miles long and many parts Of
IL are not accessible. except by small
yawis or sktTs, and he fears that when
the great food passes away a number
viii be missing. Many families coming
upon the relief boats are scattered. and
az times their meeting when eaeh thinks
the other lest is most touching.
ie mfdnight-AddftEona rews just re-
celvcd indicates that the break In the
Biggs ievee Is serious People on the
Louisiana side have been notified 70 gef
oat or the way OF the Hood. Since II
o'clock the river AZ yicksburg has fallen
more than an inch. additional evidence os
the size o. the break.
Madison parish. whose interior il thas
invaded ~ the great food. Is ono OF the
richest and most populous parishes i'm
North Louisiana. Is In the highest state
Of cultivation and abonnding In stock.
Little OF the latter has been removed ap
20 the present time. though the situation
was recognized as very grave. indeed The
crevasse viii overflow an immense AREA.