Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-18
THE BIGGs CREyAssE.
w,tcr Therefrom Flooding "re"'
.r.,sIt Relieves Situation

VTCKSRURG. MISS, Apfh l'-lhe
..o,,osse In the Biggs Levce, Louisiana,
about six miles below this city, was Luz
feet wide at last reports, and rapidly
Widening The water IL rushing through
with a roar like that Of Niagara ana All
day long refugees have been heeihs u
the city. with their stock anu other Pto-
nertv The water was fifteen feet deep
AGAINST the levee when ii broke, and the
men who were on the spot say thaI
/, noured through in vast circular
masses or whlrlpools twenty feet hish'
4 large part OF Madison, Tensas, Cata-
houla. and Concorda parishes were over
flowed by il. and the resulting distress
will be very great. The NUMBER OF
refugees IN the city has been largely
increased and they are coming on every
boat. The water flooded the NlckspurS'
Shreveport and Pacific railroad in Few
hours and trains west Of this place are
abandoned in consequence. Inc town
Of Delta il overlooked deeply, and plant
ers saw the water will back up to MILL
ken's Bend sixteen miles north.
Three white persons-two men ana
woman-passed twelve hours IN the mIusI
OF the furious water or the cleVasse,
percned in a tree. The water reused
Them from their houses. and they had
only time TO seek safety in the tree
bouqrs. when the mighty flood was upon
them. They made their presence known
by shouts and pistol-shots during the
night. and several attempts TO rescue
them were made, but it was not until
10 \. NJ that an adventurous crew from
the government steamer Eta Ethridge,
made I'D of John Brdwel and Deckhands
Frank Goodrich and Henry Hubbard
Ohe two latter coloreD put out in
yawl and rescued them.
No further disasters have occurred,
and the .crevasse is thought to have re-
lleved the situation Of its worst features.
The river is falling here. The levee en-
gineers will now endeayor 10 save the
remaining levees. task which is very
hopeful at this time.
MISSISSIPPI DELTA BENEFITED.
MEMPHIS. TENN, April 1.-THE out
flow Of water at Biggs Will do much to
relieve the leyees on the Mississippi side.
IL will also hasten the passage or the
food through the Mississippi delta, thus
insuring a crop in that rich valley. There
are many weak spots reported in the
Louisiana levees, and a break may oc-
cur at any hour, but throughout the
flooded Mississippi delta the situation Is
more tnfOu'dBllBs lHt biNh"RNNAE a.
slowly falling passing through the Nazoo
TO the main channel north Of Vicksburg.
At Helena the river has fallen nearly
feet since April Attn. At Rosedale,
Friar's Point. Greenville, and other delta
points, the river is falling. At Memphis
a fan of one-tenth OF a foot is recorded,
the gauge registering 1851 at o'clock.
At Cairo, Paducah. Cincinnati. and Louis
Vile the rivers continue 10 fall.
A large quantity of supplies were for
warded from Memphis to-day.
DESTITUTION IN ARKANSAS.
LITTLE ROCK. ARK, April r.-Gov'
ernor Jones to-day received telegram
from his private secretary, who is dis
tributing funds in the flooded district
stating that most deplorable state oil
affairs exists in Monroe county. He esti
mates that there are 1000 people and LOO
head of stock in that county In need Of
! immediate assistance to prevent starva
ton. This estimate. he says. is conserva
tive. No crops were made there las
year on account Of the drought, and there
! Is no feed in the county.