Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-31
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The RAGING MISSISSIPPI.
Whole Valley For 500 Miles Like Great
Inland Lake.

Whole Valley For 500 Miles Like q Grea
Inland Lake.
The western papers are full of arti
cles descriptive of the great flood now
covering the Mississippi valley, and
from all accounts the devastation is
something awful.
The whole country is flooded from
Cairo, Illinois, down to the Gulf Of
Mexico, and at many points between
Arkansas City, Ark, and Cairo, the
river is between 40 and so miles wide
1t has been more than a generation
since there has been such food be.
fore, and since the last great flood
the rich lowlands along either bank
of the river, have become thickly dot.
ted with separate farm houses and
pretty good sized villages. The peo.
pie had collected great focks and
heards and the whole country had
become smiling and prosperous under
the idea that they were comparatively
safe at least from danger so far as the
river was concerned.
But now many of these farm houses,
and in many cases the villages, are all
but submerged. Relief steamers ply.
ing up and down and across the sub
merged districts, are taking people
from the roofs of their houses and the
tops of trees. Great river boats that
draw from 6 to 10 feet of water are
steaming across areas which a few
weeks ago were covered only with
corn and cotton stalks. Here and
there are to be seen small rises OF
ground chat include from one quarter
to two or three acres of dry earth, and
literally covered with cattle, sheep,
hogs and other domestic animals that
have taken refuge from half dozen
plantations. Four or five wild cats
perched in the top of tree, whose
trunk reaches to the ground through
some Is or 20 feet of water, is COM
mon sight, as is also the spectacle of a
dozen buzzards clustered around the
carcas of cow or some other animal
that has perished in the water and
floated against trees or other obstruc-
tion. Occasionally, but not 80 often,
these buzzards are found to be feasting
on the dead body of a man, woman or
child. In many instances a score or
more of men, women and children
have been rescued from hilltops by
relief steamers, and there are few
cases where whole families are found,
abundantly provided with provisions,
and contentedly sojourning in huts
that are we'll built in the tops of trees.
1t is claimed that much of the dam.
age from the food this year is due in a
measure to the system of levees that
has been under construction for years
past. In some cases one bank of the
river is higher than the other. A le-
wees on the lower bank makes levee
of still greater height on the other.
Then the construction of these levees
lessons the territory over which the
water can spread, and thus other Sec
tions which would not otherwise have
been touched, are flooded to great
depth. Again, occasionally, a levee
breaks. The water in the river is
many feet higher than the adjacent
country, and it quickly pours over it
in an irresistible deluge.
During the past few days, the over
flow has been subsiding slowly; but
how long it will continue to subside is
uncertain. As the result of rains and
melting SHOWS in the upper portion OF
the valley there may be still greater
floods. At any rate, it will be weeks
before there can be any agricultural
work throughout the submerged regi-
ons.