The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-05
Although the Levee Can Stand Con-
siderable Pressure Yet.
Despite the Devastation at Green
vile, the Young Folks Enjoy Boat
ing Parties-The Break at TuniCa
Will Entail Great Damage and Loss
Relief Steamer Taking Refugees to
Place of Safety-HeIena May Es-
cape Being Flooded.

cape Being Flooded.
NEW ORLEANS, April 4.-The river
here is slowly rising. To-day's gauge
registers III, one-tenth Of a foot above
the figure Of yesterday. Along the en-
tire river front of Crescent City the
vigilance CT the authorities has not re-
Taxed, though all the levees are appar-
entity in splendid condition and are able
to stand considerable pressure yet.
Reports from Greenville, Miss, state
that the Sunday was gloriously fine,
but the Inhabitants of the town We're
very naturally in a very depressed state
of mind. SkiffS and water craft of all
sorts are much in demand, and some of
the young people, with the levity that
often comes with youth, are making
merry with boating parties, even in the
presence of so great a disaster. The
river at Greenville is rising slowly, but
the rise Of backwater is heavy. The
most serious crevasse that has occurred
in the Yazoo delta levee district was
reported this morning in Tunica Coun-
ty. six miles below Austin, near Flower
Lake. Austin is the county seat of
Tunica County. Disastrous conse
quences will follow in its wake, affect
ing, as it does, a superbly fertile stretch
of territory from Memphis bluffs to the
Yazoo Riy er and from the hill lands
of Carroll County to the Mississippi
River. Coahoma County, Sunfower,
Holmes and Tallahatchie Counties will
be affected by this break, and the water
will sweep acres of land now planted
in cotton and corn.
From NatcheZ, Miss, where last
night the river was stationary. comes
the report that the water is on the rise,
marking an upward change of a tenth
of a foot in the twenty-four hours up
to 1 O'Clock this afternoon. The levees
are holding out we'll. The levees at
Helena, Ark, are reported breaking.
The followin is from that point:
The expected has occurred. After
weary days and nights of watching
working and waiting; after fighting the
flood from without, the wind and rains
from above, and the seep water and
back water from behind, our levees
have gone to pieces. This morning at
Z o'clock the Williamson levee, twenty
miles below this city, gave way at a
point ] 600 feet north of Long Lake
levee.
In a short space of time the Gre
vase was 30 feet wide. At first it
was confined to a depth of about three
feet, which is the hight of the super
fetal crown, but gradually it wore away
the main levee and is now running
through to depth Of eighteen feet, the
full depth of the original levee The
Long Lake levee is in great danger. 1t
has a base of about 300 feet, and is
forty feet high. 1t corresponds in size
and important with the Yazoo Pass
levee, which is nearly opposite it, If
this levee should 60 it would precipi-
tate prCdigiouS volume of water on
the rich plantation along Long Lake
AS ii is the loss is stupendous
1T is safe to say that over go 900
bushels of corn in cribs are lost and
damaged by this break, in addition to
the great loss of cotton seed, hay. etc
With the exception of two mules and
several head of cattle, no loss of stock
is SO far reported. The only loss of
life reported is the six-year-old child
of Luke and Missouri Nancy, respected
colored people living on the Straub
place just below Williamson's. This
occurred a short time after the break
was reported.
The relief steamer Titanian, owned
by the Government. went back to the
Williamsons store just below the
break and brought up ninety-two souls
from that and adjoining plantations,
all of whom were taken in charge of
by Chairman Butler Of the Relief Com
mittee They will be CHARTERED in the
night, and tomorrow they will swell
the population of Camp Black. They
were fed by the committee tonight,
as they had not time to save anything.
One man who lived Immediately in
front Of the break barely got his wife
and six children to the levee. but the
only thing they brought from their
home was a solitary bedtick filled with
straw The people brought up this
evening were those living Immediately
behind the levees. Others further back
had already gone to the hogs Tents
had been reserved for them in antici-
patton of a big break al Hubbard s
or Fitzhugh's.
In Helena the excitement is intense
Everybody thought the water would
back Immediately into the town, and
there was great activity in moving
household goods. and especially in
lacking up pianos There were many
consultations as to whether the water
should be permitted to back into the
city or an effort be made to keep it
out In the southern end of the city
the Arkansas Midland Railroads dump
forms a splendid levee with only a
single opening in it, culvert twenty
feet wide opening to carry of the sur
face drainage of the city, and this has
been closed Helena viii be dry town
despite adverse circumstances, unless
the drainage pumps should prove mad
eGuate
From the effects of the Williamson
and Flower Lake breaks the river fell
six inches here since morning. greatly
relieving our levee. But we are not
out Of danger yet. Another break has
occurred. 1t was at the Hubbard front
Just below the Fitzhugh place. at
o'clock this afternoon, just as the
pressure was being relieved by reason
of the Williamson crevasse. The crew