, 1897-04-01
THE MISSISSIPPI LEVGES
UNRESTRAINED WATERS RUSH
THROUGH CREvAssEs AND
DELUGE THE LAND.

the Richest Counties in Mississippi.
People Working With Desrera-
ton to Hold the Levees.
Memphis. Tenn, March 3O.-There
are now three breaks in the levees that
protect the Mississippi delta from the
waters of the river. One is seven miles
below Greenville, Miss, at Wayside,
which is 1900 feet wide; one 40 miles
north of Greenville. at the head OF the
delta, which is 1000 feet wide n be-
coming deeper and longer as the water
rushes through it. The third occurred
at an early hour this morning, seven
miles north Of a point opposite Ar
kansas City, and at last reports a stream
as wide as the Hudson river was par
ing through it and covering the coun-
try for miles in the interior. The river
from the north to the south breaks like
a mighty crescent, with Rosedale, Greer
Vile. Gunnison and many other small
towns between the arc and its chord,
which is the riverside division of the
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad.
The water from the upper OF the Perth
shire crevasse has already cut through
the railroad and is tearing through the
plantations to the south. AZ the mid
die crevasse the floods from the north
have already Joined forces with these
waters and together they are inundating
the country southwark. The upper wat.
er will reach the lower crevasse tonight,
and the united water from the three
floodgates will, with hourly increasing
force and volume. rush over the country
and finally be thrown back into the main
river at the mouth Of Yazoo, a few miles
north of VicRsburg.
Back 30 to so miles from the river u
a number OF lateral streams which emp
ty their waters into the Yazoo. The
whole territory from the main river east
to these streams will be. for the most
part, under water within As hours. The
region marked for destruction Is prob
ably 100 miles long and from 20 to IS
miles wide. The country is as fertile as
a northern garden.
DANGER TO GREENvILLS.
Greenville Is in great danger The
water from the middle break Will par
TALLY flood that town. II the levee in
front of Greepville should break, no man
can conceive what loss to life and prop
erty will be. Railroad communication
has already been cut in places, and be-
fore tomorrow night the Georgia rail-
road. runnig east from Greenville may
be flooded.
Livestock are drowning in great num-
bers and people are fleeing 10 railroad
embankments and levees for safety. 1t
is impossible to estimate the amount of
property which will be destroyed. Green
Vile lies in the center of a crescent sur
rounded by the river and is u feet below
the level Of the embankments. Should
this huge ridge give here. the loss OF
property and life will rival the Johns
town disaster. Men along the levee are
exhausted by their long vigil. Many
have not tasted food for "a hours, and
sleep is almost unknown.
1t is currently reported tonight that
the levee in front OF Laconia Circle, Ark,
has broken. II this should be true, and
most probably it is correct, 80, 900 acres
OF fertile cotton land will be flooded by
morning.
RIVER STOPS FALLING.
The river is stationary at Memphis
tonight, the guage indicating 1862 feet.
This stationery condition, instead of the
usual fall, is thought to have been
brought about by rainfalls in the terri
tory which drains into the Mississippi
For the same reason 1t is predicted that
there will probably be a slight rise in
the river at Memphis during the ensu-
ing "a hours.
News reached here at 10 o'clock to-
night Of unQuestloned authenticity con-
firms the report that a break Of immense
proportions occurred at 8 o'clock to-
night at the Stokes plantation in Bo-
livar county. seven miles south Of the
Perthshire break, four miles below Gun
nison and q few miles above Rosedale.
NEW POLICY AT POSTOFFICE.
Washington, March 31.-Another fac
tor In the policy OF the postofice de-
partmeut has been announced by First