The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-03-18
BREAK IN A LEVEE.
Mississippi Running Through
at Terrific Rate.
WHOLE COUNTY NEARLY COVERED.
Many People Believed to Have Been
Drowned In That Section of Arkansas.
Steamers at the Work of Resoue-Re-
lief Evidently Needed.

MEMPHIS, March 16.-The river has
broken all records, the gauge register
ing 1854 feet The rise continues at
Cairo, New Orleans and all other inter.
mediate points. News of the first ser.
ious break in the levee system has
reached this city. 1t occurred near
Modena, Ark, 80 miles above Mem
phis. The river is raging through the
crevasse at terrific rate, having the
tremendous fall of 10 feet to give it
force and send it to deal death and de.
structiOn in the lowlands of Mississippi
county, Ark.
There will be no attempt to stop the
break, as the St. Francis levee board
has no boats or workmen on the scene
and the people are busted about saving
their lives and stock. The break is the
more terrible because loss of life will
surely occur from it. Indeed the most
sanguine of those who know of the
conditions there do not dare to hope
that all the people in the lowlands have
escaped from the flood.
The levee which gave way is in front
of Mississippi county, and it is thought
the water will almost, If not entirely,
cover this county. The steamer City of
Osceola passed down q short time after
the break occurred and rescued mum.
ber Of the unfortunate people. For
miles and miles to the west of Mem
phis not home is habitable. On the
overtlowed land, where the current is
not strong, IT is not difficult for the
people TO escape with most of their
household truck on skiffs, dugouts or
RATS, and the surface of the water in
every direction is dotted with these lit
tie craft.
At Marion, Ark, the available
steamers fit for such duty have been
employed rescuing the flood victims and
some of the sights that have been met
are truly pathetic. Down on the levee
are stored great stacks of goods of all
kinds, the household property of fugi.
tive negroes or poor white folks, and
there are great numbers of live stock,
horse and cattle, that have been saved,
while still greater numbers have been
lost before relief could come.
When the first relief boat, the @. B.
Bryan, got to Marion there was great
rush on the part of the people, white
and black, TO get aboard with their
property.
Negroes had been standing in the
water with their stock for hours wait.
ing for this moment. There is not in
the city standing room for dozen peo.
pie that is not under water, except on
the railroad.
Up and down the river very few signs
of life are manifested on any of the
plantations, as there has been no means
of saving the stock, it is certain that
nearly all has perished. Nearly all the
refugees that are brought to this city
are totally without means Many OF
them have been sleeping on the levee
while others found temporary accom-.
modations at the homes of friends III
the city.
A hundred citizens of Memphis got
together and devised means to send re.
lief boats TO the overhowed district and
to furnish support to the food rictims
when they are brought to this city from
the surrounding country.
A relief fund of 81 900 was immedi
ately subscribed bv citizens present.