The Mena weekly star., 1897-04-07
Several Breaks in the Levees Along the
 Mississippi River.
LOUISIANA FIGHTING HARD.
High Water in the Eorthwcst--The St. Louis Flood Delayed-The President May Send Message tS Con-
 gress on the Subject.

ereyasse was soon 250 feet wide and IS feet deep. Many fine plantations are under water and the worst is feared in Greenville. A second crevasse oc- cured in the afternoon just below the first and the people are in de- spair. At eight o'clock yesterday morning a crevasse opened in the Flower Lake levee, near Tunica. Miss, and was soon hundreds of feet wide, with a great torrent rushing through. Many cattle perished, but no lives were lost. The richest DOT ton of Tunica county, Miss, is now under water and Coahoma county is certain to be submerged in large part The break is the most disastrous of any yet experienced. 4 break oc- cured yesterday two miles south of Helena, Ark, and a great area is under water. The suffering along the St Francis river in Arkansas is terrible, the whole neighboring country being under from six to Is feet of water. At Memphis and below vicksburg the river is rising again and the worst is feared. Fresh damage is reported from southeast Missouri. above here, but little more is feared there now, as the river is falling at Cairo
 Louisiana Fighting Hard.
 New ORLEANS, April 6 Gov. Foster last night issued proclamation to the people calling attention to the fact that the lcvee system, although not yet entirely perfected, is the bulwark of one of the most fertile sections of America; trusted leaders are in charge of the work and, if the people help them properly, despite the fact that the flood apparently is the greatest ever known, all or most of the levees can be < held despite the strain sure to come this week. Ail along tine Mississippi river between this city and Baton Rouge mass meetings were held yester- day and volunteer forces organized to keep strict watch upon the banks and. so labor day and night to strenrthen them, even where the danger is not apparent except in the rivers steady climb to the top of the protecting earthworlxs. The warning of the weather bureau to abandon homes and seek safety in flight has been disre- garded, and instead men. women and children, white and black, are piling on dirt and building revetments.
 High Water in the Northwest.
 OMAHA, Neb., April 6.-In South Da- kota, Iowa and Nebraska thousands of acres of farm lands are under from four to six feet of running water and many families have moved from their homes iii boats. Along the James river In South Dakota great many farmers had gone back to their homes when the water receded early last week, and are now caught in this second flood. Sioux City reports that the Missouri has passed the danger Line there and is over Rowing the lower part of the city. Cherokee reports the second flood on the Little Sioux worse than the first Repairs had commenced on the prop srty5 damaged iiy the first delrge, but all is being washed away again. Yankton is cut off from railroad com munication and most of the telegraph and telephone lines are down.
 The st. Louis Flood Delayed.
 ST. LOUIS, April 6.--The clear wealth CT of the past two days has averted the rise of the Mississippi to the dan ger line, which it was predicted last week would be reached this morning. The flood lacked one foot four inches of 90 feet According to the bulletin issued by the weather bureau to-day this will not be reached for some days yet, and may be averted. The report says: The river at St. Louis will rise slowly, commencing Tuesday, but without rain will not reach the danger stage for at least four days. The Mis- souri will rise steadily. The upper Mississippi will change but little, slight rise being aindicated from Dav- enport to Keolxulr and a slight fall south of Hannibal"
 The President May Act.
 WASHINGTON, April 6.-The situation in the flooded Mississippi district IS being earnestly inquired into by the president To-day congressional del egation called upon him to urge the advisability of sending special mes sage to congress for appropriate legls- iation for the relief of the flood sui ferers. Mr. Mckinley had already tel egraphed to the governors of the states Tn which the floods exist for informa- tion and he has practically decided to send a special message to congress to- morrow upca the subject with rec ommendation that such legislation for the relief of the sufferers as congress may deem it be enacted without delay.
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