The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-24
FATALITY OF THE BIG FLOOD.
RIVER PILOT POINTS OUT THAT III
MAY Die FEARFUL.

Nothing Yet known of the Fnte of
the 100000 Poor People in the
LowIands of the White, the ArISan-
sas and the Black Rivers In ArInn-
sas-The Merchants Exchange OF
81. Louis Subscribe $4,000 for the
Relief Fund.
st. Louis, Mo-, March pa startling
statement by river pilot is published here
to-day. He says: "Al the rescue work
seems to be done on or near the Misslss-
ippi river Nothing is known of the fate
of the 100000 poor people In the lowlands
of the White, the Arkansas and the Black
rivers In Arkansas. When the death roll
is made up it will be largely from these
valleys"
Acting upon an appeal from Gov. Jones
of Arkansas for assistance, the Merchants
Exchange of this city to-day subscribed
$1,000 for the relief of the flood sufferers
This money and future donations will be
handed over to the Memphis relief COM
mittee, Statements from Mayor w. L.
Clapp and Chief of Police E. r. Mosely
VI AAtHlHlllS were ASGtANtu Ny tue GACndiBGs
The mayor says that nearly ali of the
refugees come from Arkansas. The chief
says that Memphis has two funds to draw
upon, balances left from the yellow fever
fund and the cash donated for the Johns
town flood sufferers. neither of them being
exhausted.
The following from the mayor Of Helena
ArE also Haa1s t'lTplana
March 23.-The danger point has been
reached and passed. We are In such shape
now that we can build our levee up as
fast as the river can rise. No matter how
high IL goes we can keep above 1t, /
therefore wish to allay the alarm that has
been spread abroad regarding the situa-
tion here"
Appeals for aid were also received from
Crittenden, and Mississippi counties, Ar
kansas.
Dispatches from many points in the
flooded section show but slightly varied
conditions from those of yesterday.
Slight rises are reported az New Madrid,
Mo, Columbus and Paducah. KY, Cairo
and Metropolis, Ill. The greatest increase
was at Paducah. That town is now an
island, and is only reached by one rail-
road. the Illinois Central.
AT noon to-day the gauge at Memphis
read exactly IS feet, and was stationary,
but rises at points above and below there,
show that the steady gauge was caused
by levee breaks at Hopeield and st. Fran
ces in Arkansas.
South of Helena to Chicot there is
scarcely any more effort to save the levees.
At Modoc, the break Is now near.y a mile
wide. The levces in Mississippi are older,
higher and better aligned TO resist the tor
rent than those on the west bank of the
river, and the area under water is much
less. The worst break is below Friar's
Point, but cross ievees restrict the over
flow. dispatch from Greenville, Miss,
says the Sunfower river Is as wide and fun
of water as the Mississippi at ordinary
stages, and that the sluggish Yazoo river
now a raging torrent. Rescue work
continues unabated from Vicksburg, He
! ena, Memphis and Hickman, Ky. Steam
er expeditions never return fruitless and
IL would seem that only a start has been
made to save the suffering. The misery
undergone by these people is beyond de-
scription. Naturally an improvidcnt
c.ass they were not prepared for the ca
lamity that came so suddenly. All are
without extra clothing ana many had not
eaten a morsel for twenty-four hours
when rescued.