The morning news., 1897-03-29
not believed the water will go up more
than four feet more here.

Memphis, Tenn, March 2S-The local
weather bureau tonight reports that the
cyclonlc disturbance central near Austin,
Tex, this afternon, is sweeping in the di-
rection of the Mississippi valley ana Will
probably strike tomorrow afternoon, bid
ding fair to create havoc with the lcvees.
Memphis Tenn, March 2S.-Another
day has passed with no break in the levee
sytem either above or below this point,
and tonight finds those >most directly con-
cerned in the stability of the levees de-
cidedly more confident in preventing dis
aster The chief interest of the day CEN
tered at Helena, Ark, and GreenvHle,
Miss, and every hour at these places was
devoted to hard work by the male popula-
tion reinforced by hundreds of volunteers
from the vicinity. At other shalky points
in the system hundreds of convicts have
been kept busy. In this way the chances
are decidedly in favor of holding the
levees against the food pressure. Maj,
Dabney, chief engineer Of the levee board,
wired tonight that they had successfully
combated all danger.
The river here fell one inch to-day.
st. Louis, March 2S.--Information re-
ceived to-day from the flooded country
south of Cairo, ILL.,, is barren of encourage
ment for immediate relief. The half doz-
en- points where there were yesterday
slight decreases In the hight of the flood,
to-day report steady rises, Numerous
breaks In the levees on both sides of the
river have served as safety outlets. The
rises reported In the northern tributaries
to the great river are beginning to be felt
About all the damage that can come from
high water has already been done, how
ever. and the outeoming tide will only
complete the work of destruction.
South OF Cairo. ten miles to Columbus,
KY, the river becomes a sea twenty-five
miles wide. Columbus proper Is on an ele-
walton and only part of the town Is flood
ed.
From Columbus to Hickman, another
stretch of ten miles, the levees have dis
appeared. Hickman is city set upon a
hill and Is city of refuge for hundreds
of flood sufferers.
From Hickman to New Madrid, Mo-,
there is a great bend in the river, over
which steamers travel fifty miles down
stream In ordinary stages of water and
are then two miles north of Hickman. To-
day, steamers sailed directly west from
Hickman to reach New Madrid. ignoring
the river current and riding on the turbu-
lent yellow sea across the sites of hamets
and plantations. South from New Mad
rid to the Arkansas state line ninety
miles, there Is a steadily swelling tide
| that has obliterated every landmark.
From the state line to Osceola. Ark.
! there are occasional stretches of levecs
| protecteafFrefuss barriers back to the st.
| Francis hills that have withstood the
| flood. The great crevasse at Osceola, OF
a week ago, has widened, and stretch
of water now extends back to St. Francis
| river and south twenty miles to the riv-
! er's mouth, twenty miles above Helena.
All this rulnous body of water Is now
beating upon the circle levee north of the
town from the hills to the river levee.
| The greatest efforts are made to keep this
| intact, and 400 men were working In re-
lays to-day to strengthen this two-mile
| barrier. Armed guards patrol the en-
bankment Should this give way nothing
would remain of levees south ninety miles
to Arkansas City.
At public meeting held there last night
every business man In the city pledged
himself to discontinue business and fight
the food The levee there still holds but
| a rise Of one foot would inundate the
whole valley Of the Sun1ower river, sixty
| miles wide.
The most critical points on all the river
| lie between Helena and Modoc, Laconla
and Arkansas City. for 1t Is In the latter
stretches Of levee that the greatest water
fight ever made on the Mississippi river Is
now in progress.