Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-03-18
HIGH WATERS.
The Mississippi River Breaks the
Record and Is Still Rising.
DISASTROUS FIRE At ELKINS, v. Va.
Almost the Entire Business Portion Of the
Town Wiped Out-Three Men Killed
ThrOugha Whirlwind.A Ter
rifle Ha!lstOrl...

MEMPHIS, Tenn, March l5.-The Mis-
sissippi river continues to rise, and the
situation in the lowlands Of Arkansas
opposite this city, is very serious. Last
night the river stood at 1853, a rise OF
or since Saturday night This is the
highest record since the establishment
of the weather Office here in 1872. The
rise during the day was slightly more
than half foot, and the indications
are that the big stream will continue
to rise slowly during the next "a hours.
On all the islands near the city and in
the lowlands of Arkansas there is great
suffering among the people, and there
is great loss Of stock and property.
People continue leaving the lowlands
for this side of the river. Yesterday
the Little Rock & Memphis railroad
managed to get its morning train into
the city, but made no attempt to move
the freight trains The Kansas City,
Fort Scott & Memphis brought trains
into the city until midnight Saturday
night, when it commenced using the
tracks of the Iron Mountain. The lat
ter road is still few inches above the
water
At Marion, where a break in the dixie
occurred Friday night, scene Of DESC
lation exists The little town is four
or five feet under water; many houses
and cabins have been washed away
and the inhabitants have sought
shelter elsewhere. Hundreds of horses
and cattle have been destroyed. At
Osceola grave apprehension is felt, and
yesterday every man and boy in the
neighborhood went to work with
q will building an additional
levee to protect the town. At
San Souc, a small town Immediately
below Osceola, the Anchor line
steamer Bluff City yesterday afternoon
attempted to land her passengers and
freight. The citizens and levee patrol
men ordered the captain to keep his
boat moving, saying that the waves
from the steamers wheels would break
over the levee. The captain, however,
attempted to land, when the boat was
met by a fusillade Of bullets from the
shore, but, fortunately, no one was
hurt. At Helena the water is seven
feet above the danger line, and at
Vicksburg it is within foot of it.
While the Ohio river is falling at
Wheeling and Louisville, there was
rise during the last "a hours of 40 of
an inch at Cairo, while the rainfall in
the water shed tributary to Chatta-
nooga in the Tennessee basin has been
two inches. Reports from Alabama
state that floods there are unpre-
cedented. At Chattanooga, Tenn, the
river stood at 80 feet last night and
will probably remain stationary until
this evening, when it will begin to
rise again as result of the rainfall Of
Saturday afternoon and night. which
fell in that water shed, there being a
general fall of nearly two inches
ELKINs, W. VA, FIREswEpT.
WHEELING, w. Va, March l5.-At 7:3O
o'clock yesterday morning fire, which
started in the building Of the Elkins
Hardware and Furniture Co., in the
town of Elkins, the home of Senator
Elkins, burned almost the entire bust
ness portion of the place. Elkins has
no fire department, and the flames were
beyond control, having mostly frame
in their pathway. In all
the buildings were valuable stocks,
only portions of which were saved.
The total loss is 100000.
wHIRLwIND IN OHIO.
STEUBENvIILE, O., March Is. "A
whirlwind visited the town Of Mingo |
Junction and shortly before two
o'clock Sunday morning the wind
blew off the iron roof of the casthouse
Of the Junction Iron & Steel Co. and |
the tall brick walls fell in. Frank
IIobson and Larry Fahey were caught
under the falling walls. Fahey was
taken out dead. Frank Hobson, aged
30 years, was SO seriously crushed that
be died three hours later. John Weilas,
q Hungarian, was badly crushed and
will die.