The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-04-16
HOUSANDSHOMELE
~DEPLORABLE EFFECTS OF
THE FLOODS.

Forth the Situation in the Region Now
Laid Waste by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Aid Will be Necessary.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-R. C. Graves
ana >. >. Menken, representing the
citizens relief committee of Memphis,
rem, organized for the purpose of
relieving the people Of the flooded
country tributary to that city, pre-
pared the following statement, which
they submitted to the President to-
day:
From Marion, Ark, north of Mem:
phls to Greenville, Miss, there are
now at least fifty towns and villages
under water and a territory extending
from 100 miles north of Memphis to
200 miles south and five to fcrty miles
wide is submerged and devastated by
the flood. Hundreds of thousands of
acres OF cultivated soil with growing
crops are included in the submerged
territory and there are from so, 900 to
$4,000 people whose property has been
destroyed n whose business has been
suspended thereby. The amount Of
damage to property is incalculable. In
addition to the growing crops which
have been destroyed. thousands of
head of working stock and of cattle
have been drowned and starved. The
great majority Of the sufferers are
small farmers, mostly negroes, who
with the present crop destroyed and
their working stock and farming tools
swept away, are left utterly destitute
and unprepared to begin work again
even after the floods have subsidized.
The extent of the suffering has rown
beyond the capacity of the local au-
thorities and of private local charities
to relieve.
"The citizens relief committee of
Memphis are now caring for from 5000
to 1000 refugees from the flooded dis
trict, and they are still arriving by
boatloads every day. In addition to
this large supplies of provisions are
being sent to various points in Arkan-
sas and Mississippi where it is possible
for the refugees to be cared for on
higher ground and in relief barres.
The utmost chat can be done by these
efforts is to measurably and temporar-
lily relieve present suffering. The
committee has found it very difficult
and very costly to reach a great por-
ton of the sufferers living in the in
terror, who can only be reached by
skiffs operating with light draft
steamers that can leave the main river.
memphis being the only point on
high ground for about POO miles north
and south, it necessarily has become
the place of refuge for all seeking to
escape the flood in hat locality. This
flood is the greatest and most de-
structive that has ever devastated the
Mississippi valley, the waters being
two and one-half feet higher than the
highest stage it has ever reached be-
fore. The relief committee are thor
oughly organized for the purpose of
distributing supplies to the people of
the tributary territory, and are will
ing to do everything in their power to
that end, but they have almost ex-
hausted their resources and reluctantly
confess their inability to cope with
the situation without obtaining relief
from the government"
Representative Carmack, who rep
resents the Memphis district in the
House, also signs the statement and
says his information by wire and letter
from the overflow district is entirely
in accord with that made by the COM
mittee.
Reports From Governors.
The President has received the fol-
lowing from governors to whom spe-
cial messages were sent:
JACKSON, Miss, April 7.-Tele-
graphic communication with the flood
ed districts is SO interrupted by the
overflow that it is impossible to give
anything like an accurate estimate of
number of suffering. But l think $10,-
900 would relieve the present distress.
Many thanks for your generous inter
est in our stricken people. Will keep
you promptly informed as requested.
"a. j. MCLAUR1N, Governor
LITTLE Rock, Ark, April Am
gathering information by wire and
otherwise, and will promptly report
to you as soon as reliable data can be
obtained. Entire Mississippi valley in
Arkansas overlooked. Great destruc-
ton of property, communication to
many points cut off. rendering the in
formation required difficult to obtain.
Extent of suffering for food and
shelter can only be vaguely approx
mated, but it is safe to say S5O, OOO
added nv the government tO o1r looo1