The herald., 1897-04-19
Exposes Madison Parish
to Destruction
DELTA ABOUT DEP0PULATED
ND FLOODS COMING FAST ON
TOWNS BELOW
The Flood Breaks ALI Records and
Jeoperdizes Planting for Two
Years to Come

Associated Press Special Wire.
VICKSBURG, Miss, April 1S.-At 6
p. m. the river was SIS feet, a fall Of
three -tenths in the past "a hours, and a
total of six-tenths since the crevasse
at Biggs levee. The situation in Mad
ison parish, La, is growing hourly
worse. The flood water going through
the Biggs break in the levee is fast COW
ering the lowlands and Is flooding Bay
Vidal and the greater part of the land
in the southern portion of the parish.
The water has reached Tallulah, some
eighteen miles west of Delta. The water
mas risen seven feet in the bayou at
Tallulah, and was Nsing foot an hour
at noon today. Delta is about depopu-
lated, only enough persons remaining
to look after the houses. Many of the
houses have two or threee feet of water
in them. The backwater is fast cover
ing the lands back of Delta and much
land is already covered. At Omega the
floods are coming fast. The relief boats
are running to Davis island and Kel-
loggs' section. Planters in Entinal and
the northern part of Madison are plac-
ing their stock in reach of boats on the
river front or at stations on the line OF
the Vicksburg and Shreveport railroad,
so that they can be moved in the event
Of another break in the upper portion OF
the parish, which is now severely
threatened. The Milliken's bend and
Duckport levees are both caving. Re-
ports from Madison parish state that
the water began rising in Brusby
bayou at Tallulah at o'clock this morn
ing, and UP to p. m. it had risen seven
to eight feet. About three miles below
| Tallulah the water is getting over the
levees and is overfiowing everything
two miles below. 1t will not be upon the
higher lands until tomorrow, as there
are several feet of bank left in the
bayou Richland, La, was heard from
today, and reports the water going all
over everything, overflowing the Kings
and Kels places, also the villages OF
Trinidad and Ashewood, eight miles be-
low Richland. The telegraph line IS
down some distance below Richland
and communication was shut on from
there up to noon today. 1t is now esti-
mated that not less than 5000 persons
will want relief in this county for the
next thirty days at least. Lieutenant
Crowley of the United States army re-
ported here from Washington py the
noon train, having been detailed to outy
here to purchase and distribute reileI.
He has gone actively to work, and VIII
purchase meal. meat and molasses ror
distribution through the gentlemen
named by the governor \
John NJ Coulton, one of the leading
planters of Issaqueena county, is IN
the city and makes the following state-
ment at have just returned from issa-
uueena county. The present indicauon
is that the overflow will break all former
records as to duration ard destruction
of property in the line of plantation I'M
proyements and lives of cattle, leaving
little prospect of planting a crop in
1897
NO MORE BREAKS
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 1S.-No more
breaks are reported in the Louisiana
levee district tonight, although the en-
bankments at Concordis ard Fer-idav.
in the northern part of Ccncordia paf-
ish. are reported to be very veal ,1o
a break may occur az any hour ihe
crevasse at Biggs IL now q seethins 'fr-
rent and the waters are spreading 1aDII :
ly throughout Madison parish. AZ
Cowpen the ievee is seeping badly, and
although d superhuman effort Is being
made to hold it many experienced rlver
men are of the opinion that break win
occur sooner or later. The town of vi
dalia is in a very critical condition, and
many of the inhabitants are hastily
packing their most valuable effects, and
are fleeing to Natchez. The waters from
the Biggs crevasse are expected 10 in
undate the town by Wednesday.
At Natchez refugees continue to ar
rive in large numbers, while live stock
of every description ie coming into the
city in large droves. Thousands of men
line the lower levees tonight, watching
every weak spot and hoping for the
best.
In the Mississippi delta the situation
continues to improve slowly. This was
beautiful day throughout the over
! flowed section, and the waters are re-
| ceding. The work of relief is being sys-
tematically carried on.
The river at Memphis is still falling, =
recession of one-tenth of a foot in the
past twenty-four hours being reported
by the weather bureau tonight.
RIVERS RISING
! KANSAS CITY. April 18.-The flood
of the Missouri river at this point ID
steadily increasing. the rise twenty -four
hours ending tonight having been nearly
six inches. At dark the stage of the
river was 22.5 feet, or foot and half
above the danger line. Though large
area of bottom lands is under water no
serious damage has been done 80 far. a.
few poor families, numbering probably
fifty persons, have been washed out o&
their homes and are in need Of food. but
their wants will probably be met tomor-
row by the local authorities. These fam-
lilies are living in tents or under board
sheds that have been hastily thrown to-
gether.