New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-30
LEVEES STILL GIVING WAY.
A DISASTROUS BREAK OCCURS NEAR
GREENvILLE. MISS.
EXTENSIVE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY THREAT
ENED-THE RIVER FALLING AT MEMPHIS
SITUATION IN ILLINOIS.


SITUATION IN ILLINOIS.
Memphis. Tenn, March 20-The flood situa-
tion in the vicinity OF Greenville. Miss. Is
alarming The reported break at Wayside nins
miles south OF that city. is confirmed. and the
reports are that the water is pouring through
a crevasse 800 yards in width A telegram from
Perthshirc, forty-eight miles north Of Greenville,
and Immediately at the head of the fertile
Yazoo Delta. states that a break has occurred
in the main levee. Special trains loaded with
laborers and sacks of sand have been dispatched
to the scene. II the break at Perthshire as
sumes anything like the proportions Of the
crevasse at Wayside. the destruction will be
enormous. The waters will sweep over the rich
farm lands Of Bollver. Washington. Sharkey
Issaqueena Warren. Yazoo and Sunfiower coun-
ties in Mississippi. and the loss to stock and
property will be appalling
Ten thousand men line the evees between
Memphis and Vicksburg The warning from
the Weather Bureau at Washington last night
is having its effect. Many Of the Inhabitants Of
the Delta have corralled their animals on high
strips OF land and moved their families out of
danger.
The situation al Memphis is unchanged The
river continues to fall slowly the gauge to-
night registering 36.2 feet
A dispatch from Gunnison Miss. SAYS that
break in the levee is expected at Sunnyside.
but IT could probably be averted II 100 men and
materials were to be had at once Accordingly
100 white men were dispatched on a special
train from this city to the scene The negroes
al Camp Congo were promised 81 a day and all
expenses to lend helping hand but with one
exception the offer refused. There is much
Indignation among the citizens at this action or
the negro refugees
Jackson, Miss. March pa dispatch from
Greenville, dated p. m. says the break a;
Lake Lee is 600 feet wide and widening. All
hope Of closing the crevasse has been aban-
dored. The levee along the Greenvie front is
still holding. The weather conditions are very
unfavorable the rain now falling in torrents.
Quincy, ILL.,, March 29.-The Mississippi has
fallen almost one inch in twenty-four hours, and
the levees are entirely safe unless mere rain falls
the upper Mississippi and floods come sud-
denly. large force has been working night
and day on the levees for ninety hours. The
bottom lands the Missouri side are flooded
and the river just above this city is six miles
wide. A few families have been driven out, but
the actual damage is slight. Quincy itself is
fifty feet above high water mark.
Alton, H.. March 29-Flood conditions become
graver every hour. Men were put to work this
morning overhauling all the levees protecting
higher bottom lands The railroad companies
are putting their tracks in the American and St
Charles bottoms in the best possible condition 10
withstand floods for less than twelve feet more
water Will bring the stage of 1882. when the
tracks of all railroads were submerged between
Alton and st. Louis. The gauge shows an ad-
vance Of four lengths of foot In the last twenty
four hours The river Is within less than three
feet of the stage reached in the middle OF May
last year. and with nearly two months OF wet
weather ahead The outlook is gloomy.
St Paul. Mimi, March 29.The rivers Of Min.
nesota are rising very rapidly, following day OF
heavy thawing. The Mississippi at this point
has passed the ten foot mark and IL still rising
steadily Water is flowing in from Minnesota IN
a torrent. telephone message from Soutn
Park five miles south. SAYS gorge or Ice twenty
feet high has formed there. AS the prediction
is for warmer weather. 1t is believed the gorge
will break without doing any serious damage
Much higher water in the Mississippi is reported
at Little Falls ST. Cloud and Grand Rapids.
Washington. March 29.-Colonel Gillespie
president OF the Mississippi River Comm ission
telegraphed General Wilson Chief OF Engineers
from Vicksburg yesterday: Gauges along the
river from Memphis to Vicksburg give flood
readings varying from Y feet to feet above
arv previously recorded readings. Feeling
everywhere one of great uneasiness and all
state Levee Boards are battling against rising
flood regardless Of cost. AS yet no widely
spread damages have been reported, though
several breaks in levees above Greenvie on
both banks have occurred. Levees seriously
strained al all ponts. Commission VIII give all
possible aid in applying money balances TO pro-
lection Of banks Water rising slowly below
Helena"
St Louis March 29.-An erroneous impress
sion has gone abroad concerning the train ser
vice on the Iron Mountain Railroad route from
St Louis south through Arkansas, ewing to the
high water in the Mississippi River and some or
its tributaries 1t is officially announced mere
that all trains on the main line of the road are
running regularly and on time. and that the
only difficulty is at the terminus OF two snort
branches which reach points on the mississippi
River near Cairo.