Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-04
THE MISSISSIPPI FLOOD IS CAUSING
GREAT SUFFERING.
GOVERNMENT APPEALED TO.
NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE FLOOD
SITUATION YESTERDAY.
High Water in the North Likely to
Play Havoc When 1t Reaches the
Southern Levee Districts
Helena Leyees in
Danger.

floods in the Mississippi north of Cairo and
the rise in the Tennessee and Cumberland
rivers will throw another world CT water
into the already filled st. Francis BASIN
and as all this will have to pass through
the narrow levee-bound channel beginning
ten miles above Helena. to the first break
ten miles below that city, the fate of Hell
ena and the low fertile country behind the
Tunica county. Miss, le.ee is problemat-
ical. The people of Helena have increased
the height OF their levees two feet, but the
water is now even with the new crown.
The levees opposite Helena were reported
last night to be in a precarious condition,
and the heavy rains of to-day have added
to their weakness.
In the Mississippi delta, water is fast
spreading over the entire country and the
main line of the Yazoo & Mississippi Val
ley railroad is reported to be in bad way.
II this road goes under, not a line in the
delta will be intact
Manf thousand people have been made
homeless and appeals for aid have gone
forth. In the lowlands of Arkansas, call
for food has been made and the people of
Little Rock will take immediate action.
Starvation confronts 5000 people. To
night, r. c. Graves and ]. S. Menken, OF
the Memphis relief committee, go to Wash
lend assistance. The local relief committee
has demands that will exhaust all present
funds, They are from Mississippi, as far
down as Greenyille, and from nearly all
of Eastern Arkansas. The visitors 10
Washington will ask for $4,000, to be used
in buying rations. Ten thousand dollars
has already been expended by the local
committee and probably $4,000 more OF
contributed provisions have been dis
tributed. 1t now looks as If famine is
ahead.
No more breaks in the levees are reported
tonight, but it is feared no human power
can overcome the force of nature below
Vicksburg, and it is believed by many 10
be only question of a few days before the
same conditions that now obtain in the
delta will exist in Southeastern Arkansas
and Northwestern Louisiana.
At Memphis the river is reported as sta
tionary tonight. The hopeful view of the
flood situation which prevailed some days
ago has been dissipated by reports from the
waters of the upper Mississippi and its
tributaries, which are rising at rapid
rate, with every indication that immense
volumes of water, the result of a thaw of
many feet OF snow over big area in the
Northwest, may be expected to pour into
the upper Mississippi through its tributa-
ries, and eventually increase the already
appalling conditions existing in the middle
and lower Mississippi valley.
Little Rock, Ark, April 3.-This has been
day of incessant rain, with repeated
storms of violence, lowering clouds and in
creasing appeals for help from the suffer-
ing people of the overfiowed portion of
the state. AS the inundated area increases,
so do the cries for help grow in number
and the suffering become more acute.
From all sides come the advices of swollen
streams, wrecked bridges, washouts, land
slides and delayed and abandoned trains.
The relief committee of the board of trade
at its meeting to-day received subScrip-
tiOnS to the fund from various parts of
the state and completed arrangements for
cooperation with their vice presidents all
over the state
An appeal for succor from upwards of
100 sufferers in the Indian bay country.
where 1000 acres are already under water,
and where the back water is still rising.
was granted. and boat with a week 5
rationS for so was sent TO their relief. The
steamer Eugene has gone to Arkansas
Post with provisions for refugees who have
Congregated there, and also a supply of
feed for their stock. The appeal to the
governor for aid from Lulu, St Francis
committee to the Memphis committee the
place being accessible TO that city, and a
boat has gone to their aid.
In view of the rapidly increasing num-
Der of sufferers and the increasing area
of overfiowed country. the following tele-
gram was to-day sent to the Arkansas del
egation in congress by W. w. Dickinson
president of the Little Rock board OF
trade:
Great distress prevails in Eastern Ar
kansas Must have at least 5000 of gov
ernment relief for Arkansas flood suffer
ers- This amount should be placed at tie
disposal of Governor Jones who acts il
conjunction with the relief committee of
the Little Rock board of trade and Ar
ksrsas state board of trade. PROMPT ac-
ton Is necessary. Delay means great dis
tess, loss of life and property
Governor Jones to-day received the fol-
lowing telegram from Secretary of War
Aieer:
Please report Immediately number of
people suffering for food ana shelter in the
flooded district OF your state, and the sum
required, in your opinion. for relieving their
distress. Keep department promptly in
formed OF particulars by telegraph ana
mail
Governor Jones replied. saying:
Am gathering information by wire and
otherwise, and will promptly report to you
as soon reliable details can be obtained
by Monday probably. Entire Mississippi
valley in Arkansas overffowed: great de-
struction of property Communication 10
many points shut of. rendering inforrna-
ton you require difficult to obtain Extent
of suffering for food and shelter can only
be vaguely Appropriated, but it Is safe 10
say 5000 added by the government to our
local resources will not be too much 10
meet the eNigencieS.'