Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-18
FRIDAY NIGHTS LEVEE BREAK WAS
MOST DISASTROUS.
CREvASSE NOW A MILE WIDE.
At LEAST THREE PARISHES GER
TAIN TO BE INUNDATED.
Water Continues to Rise at Matches
and Other Breaks Are Feared
Refugees Continue TO Flock
to the Towns in Large
Numbers.

vioksburg. Miss, April IAN official re-
port at midnight says the crevasse at
E.gEs four miles below Delta, La, Is near
ly a mile wide at this hour, and the roaring
torrent is spreading over the lowlands OF
Madison parish with startling rapidity-
This is unquestionably the most disastrous
break that has Yet occurred. and the loss 10
property and live stock will be enormous.
Tensas and Concordia parishes will be in
undated. while the fine farms of Franklin
and Catapoula parishes are in imminent
danger The fertile lands of these parishes
have been prepared for this years crop.
and in many instances cultivation is well
under way.
The water is rushing through the Gre
vase with roar like Niagara, and all day
long refugees have been fleeing 10 the city
with their stock and other property The
water was seventeen feet deep against the
levec when it broke. and men who were on
the spot say that it poured through IN vast
circular masses or whirlpools twenty feet
high.
The number of refugees in the city has
been largely increased. land they are com
ing on every boat. The water flooded Inc
Nicksburg. Shreveport Pacific raiiroad
sn 4 fee hours, and trains west of this place
are abandoned in consequence The town
of Delta is oyeriowed deeply. and planters
say that the water will back up TO MILL
Three white persons. two men and wom-
an. passed twelve hours in the midst of the
furious waters of the crevasse, perched IL
:. tree The water reused them from their
beds and they had only time to seek sale
ty when the mighty flood was upon them.
They made known their presence by snoatS
and pistol shots during the night, and sew
eral attempts to recue them were made, but
IL was not until 10 4. m. when an adyen-
turous crew from the government steamer
Eta Etheridge. Mate John Birdweli and
peckhands Frank Goodrich and Henry
Hubbard the two latter colored. put out
in 4 yawl and rescued them. No further
disasters have occurred. and the crevasse
Is thought to have relieved the situation OF
its worst features The river Is 1atilhs
here The Ievee engineers will now en-
deavor to save remaining levees. u task
which is very doubtful at this time.
Natchez, Miss. April 1.-THE gauge here
shows another rise OF four-lenths CURING
the last twenty-four hours No breaks are
reported in this vicinity. but the best post
ed and reliable authorities on the leVees
admit that they are standing u much great
er strain than mas ever been expected of
them. and had the weather for the past
few days been other than perfect; many
breaks would have probably occurred Hum
dreds of refugees are filling the city. some
being in a pitiable condition. almost starved
and with nothing on earth left them but
the clothes on their backs. The Merchants
and Cotton exchanges held 4 meeting to-
day to provide some means of caring 1or
warehouses to shelter them, ana donate lib
orally for their wants.
Several citizens. knowing that they c3uiu
not sufficiently provide for such 4 number.
notified the government authorities of their
critical condition and the great need of
helping them to asst in making some ar
rangements The .levees at Helena. Lar
gent and various other places are still in
dangerous condition Labor is bee oming
scarce on account of the negroes leaving
in great numbers. The break last night at
Delta will flood Il portion of Concor liza.
Madison and Tensas parishes: with a prob
ability of covering them entirely The sit
uation is as critical as ii can be, and cam
not be exaggerated.
New Orleans. April 17.-For the first time
since the commencement of the present
high water campaign, the local situation of
leyee protection may be pronounced as Sc
rious. The acutely dangerous stage has
not been reported and probably never will.
but il is useless 10 discredit the fact that
considerable uneastness is felt. The levee
officials maintain an apparent cheerful
composure. but il does not require ex-
pert TO discern the fact that IL VIII ne
cessitate continued vigilance and an enor-
nous amount Of hard work TO preserve GER
tain sections Of the parish leveeS in an
intact condition. 1t is consoling to reflect
that no better system OF leVee oversight
could be maintained than that now exer-
cised. Stringent resolutions We're passed
to-day by the New Orleans leyee board
touching the movement of steamer craft on
the river. and any captain or pilot driving
his vessel at other than slow bells with
in the jurisdiction of the board will be
summarily dealt with Entire confidence is
reposed in the authorities of the levees.
The river at Plaquemine is still four-tenths
Ises.
Jackson. Miss, April I7.-Ciovernor Nc
Iaurin has written TO the governors of
Arkansas Louisiana and Tennessee, ask
ing for 4 conference at Eicksburg at a
time to be fixed by them in the near future
for the purpose of taking united action
looking to the securing from congress of
an appropriation sufficient to close the
crevasses, so that crop can be male this
year.
Little Rock. Ark. April I1.-Govcrnor
Jones to-day received a telegram from his
private secretary. who is distributing funds
in the flood district, stating that a most
deplorable state of affairs exists in Monroe
county. He estimates that there are 2,00O
persons and 1000 head of stock in that
county in need of Immediate assistance TO
prevent starvation This estimate he says
is conservative. They have been temporar-
lily relieved by Memphis and Little Rock
relief committees, but the stock Is dying
for want of food. No crops Were made
theer last year on account of the drouth,
and there is no food in the country.
Memphis. Tenn. April I1.-Throughout
the flooded Mississippi delta today, the
situation Is more encouraging. The back
waters are slowly falling. passing through
the GaZoo into the main channel north OF
Nicksburg. At Helena the river has fallen
nearly five feet since April 1. In the north
crn part of that CITY which has been under
has fallen sufficiently TO allow many peo-
pie TO move back into their houses. The
water inside the southern part of the city
is fast disappearing by means of gigantic
pumps, which are kept running night and
day.
AT RosedaIe. Friar's Point. Greenvilie
and other delta points the river is falling
At Memphis a fall of one-tenth of a foo
is recorded, the gauge registering 35.7 a
o'clock. At Cairo. Paducah, Cincinnati
and Louisville, the river continues to fall
A large amount of supplies We're forward
cd from Memphis to-day. The steamer
Harhin carried provisions and feed up tn,
St. Francis river TO supply the relief sta
tions established there. Lieutenant Car
nahan went on this trip to superinten,
the distribution of supplies. The steame