The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-22
WALL OF RUSHING WATER.
THE FLOOD STILL BATTERUNG
DOWN THE LEVEEs.

They Go All 10 Pieces From OsceOIm,
Ark, to n Point 10 Miles south
and 81. Francis Basin Transformed
Into nm Immense Lake--CairO, H.,
the Only Point Reporting n Ccssa-
tion In the Rise of the Water-Dis-
heartening Intelligence From Che
Iowa and Dakota Valleys of the
River.
st, Louis, Mo-. March 2l.-The latest ad-
Vices from the flood country south of here
state that the situation Is hourly grow
ing worse. Walls of water have beaten
down the levees at many points and dwell
| ers are at the mercy of the floods.
out of thirty-eight kilograms received
here from the lower river, but one records
a cessation of the rise. This was from Cal
no, ILL.,. but the halt of the flood to-day due
to the breaks in the levees adjacent In
Kentucky and Missouri.
The most dlsheartening intelligence
comes from the Iowa and Dakota valleys
of the Missouri river. Warm weather has
turned the snow to water which Is added
to the already overlooked streams. Work
on levee barriers is practically abandoned
in Arkansas and Mississippi as useless.
At Chicot Ark. a barge load of sand
bags was dumped into levee break
They only served to widen the breach
This is the experience at other points and
work on the outer barriers Is abandoned,
and every hand turned to save the inner
levees.
A dispatch from Ripley, Tenn, says
there is a strong current through Reel
Foot lake and the Old River bayou. 1t
is feared the river will take its old chan
mel through the lake, which was shifted
twenty miles west by the earthquake of
1912.
South OF Helena, Ark the levee breaks
are most numerous and the damage great
est. The five steamers employed by the
Memphis relief committee were REIN
forced to-day by two government boats
towing barges. These steamers pick their
way through the tree tops. The G. b.
Bryan steamed due west from Memphis
thirty-eight miles, and returned with 1870
people and a barge load of livestock
At Austin, Miss, forty miles below
Memphis, but two houses rerWin on dry
land. From these twenty-four people
were rescued.
Relief work Is now occupying more at
tention than endeavors to fight the flood
with levees A relief committee was or
ganized in Little Rock, Ark, yesterday.
Memphis continues to save life and prop
erty unaided by the government of Ar
kansas.
Last night Mat Ambury, in charge of
the river and harbor work at st. Louis.
received telegram from Secretary Alger
directing the help and rescue measures be
at once undertaken by the United States
feet in this vicinity.
The Merchants exchange took up the
rescue work yesterday. A wholesale shoe
merchant received this appeal from a GUS
toner a Osceola, Ark: our entire coun-
try In great distress from overflow. We
need help badly. Start subscription at
once"
| Another establishment received the fol-
| lowing from the Mayor of Osceola: Cen
| tlemen At the request of our citizens, |
write for the assistance of our people. We
are in the food our people are suffering.
and we must have help. Send US some
| money. (Signed) ]. w. Borum, Mayor"
Gov. Jones of Arkansas yesterday sent a
company Of militia to guard the levees of
| Desha county as there were fears that
Mississippi men might try to save their
homes by cutting the levee on the Arkan-
sas side.
Unconfilmed rUmors of great loss Of life
are met at every hand, but the death roll
cannot even be Appropriated till the food
subsidies. The situation is indeed gloomy
with small prospects Of immediate better
ment.
| Memphis, Tenn, March 21.-The levees
| for a stretch of fifteen miles from and
south of Osceola, Ark. went all to'pieces
to-day. There were some twelve or If
| teen breaks, in extent from 200 10 1000
| yards, and the water from the over bur
| dened river Is sweeping over the St.
| Francis basin to return to the river just
! above Helena. Breaks are expected at
/ Luxora on the same side, but above Os-
| ceola. Most Of the women and children
| had already left Osceola, only the men
remaining to strengthen and guard the le-
| wees These we're to-day taken across the
| river to the Tennessee side, which is Sc
| cure by reason of a tall bluff. Below,
also on the Arkansas side, there is a
| break at Modoc. Along the Mississippi
front every levee is reported intact and
| in no immediate danger. Engineers here
! are rather dubious, however, about their
holding out, although every material
break on the opposite side is q relief to
| Just that extent.
'The acres Of farming lands submerged
through the breaks already occurred ag-
| gregate well up in the thousands No
| drownings were reported to-day.
qlna river fell One-tenth of a foot today.