The record-union., 1897-03-19

Were Victims of the Flood.
MEMPHIS CTenn), March 1S.-To-
night the great flood claimed five more
victims. At Marion Eta Liz and her
four children were trying to make their
way to Marion for shelter, and while
attempting to cross a railroad trestle
the strong current overwhelmed the
party and all persisted. The oldest
child was a girl aged 16, and the young
est an infant OF eight months.
The river is still rising at Memphis,
and the indications are that it will
continue to do SO for some time. The
river tonight stands at 1863 feet, a
rise since morning of one-tenth.
The rise is continuing at Cairo, and
heavy rains prevail in all streams
which feed the big river, along the up
per portion and the middle valley.
Throughout the entire northwest ter
ritory, the drainage from which swells
the volume of water in the upper Miss
issippi, these rainfalls continue. The
same condition prevails in the territory
which feeds the Ohio and other tribu-
taries, While the heaviest rains of all
are descending over the already sub
merged Arkansas territory. On the
eastern side of the river, continuous
rains are the rule. At Memphis and
throughout this district the rainfall in
the last tWenty-four hours amounted to
LAC inches, while across the river at
Helena it was "a inches So long as
the heavy rains continue there is small
r. of n a
Shortly after l o'clock yesterday an
official bulletin was sent out from the
Weather Bureau Of Memphis reporting
a fall Of tWo-tenths of foot in the
river since yesterday morning. This
bulletin was published as a piece Of
cheering news in the local papers, and
was telegraphed over the country Sub
sequently Mr.. Emery of the Weather
Bureau, discovered that the statement
contained in the bulletin was absolutely
erroneous that no fall whatever had
taken place, but that the Weather Bu-
reau employees who had read the gauge
at l o'clock had made mistake. AS
a matter of fact, the river was station
airy from yesterday morning at until
6 p. m.
At Cairo the rise continues in about
the same proportion, two-tenths of a
foot recorded in the tWenty-four hours
this morning when the gauge indicated
fifty feet. This is ten feet above the
danger line, and within two feet and a
fraction of the extreme high water
mark reported about a week ago
At Helena, where the rainfall was al
most as heavy again as at Memphis,
heir1cr ha al OH
tenths of a foot in the twenty-four
hours ending this morning, when the
gauge indicated 46.7 feet, which is 81
feet above danger line.
At Vicksburg the river rose another
eight-tenths of a foot, the gauge reg
istering 42.7 feet, which is II feet
above danger line.
At Greenville the rise in the twenty
four hours was one-siXteenth of a foot,
1913 feet being registered on the gauge
This is within two-tenths of a foot of
the danger line.
At Shreveport and New Orleans the
river continues to rise.
The work of rescue and relief goes
forward with undated zeal. Four or
five rescue steamers, including two
Government boats, arrived in port to-
day from the overflowed country north
of Memphis, landing 400 refugees and
LOCO head of stock. The condition of
the refugees is pitiabe. Some are
partly clothed, sick almost to death
from exposure and long suffering Sew
enty-five had been standing for hours
in water waist deep awaiting the res
cue steamer. One woman chung fran
co1 Nv RI hoY hal Tn
family of four two drowned, a few min
utes before the boat arrived
In Memphis all the vacant stores are
crowded with $500 refugees. They
sleep on the floors.
The Relief Committee has it's hands
full. AS long as the overflow continues
funds will be needed to relieve the i'm
mediate pressing wants of the flood
sufferers. 1nasmuch as practically
all of the sufferers are residents of Ar
kansas, the Relief Committee tele-
graphed to Governor Jones of that
State asking his cooperation in reliev-
ing the distress of thousands of the
people of his State. The Governor re-
piled that there We're no funds at his
disposal. The local Relief Committees
have sent out an appeal to the indi-
vidual citizens of Arkansas, Tennessee
and Mississippi.
Tonight the Yazoo Valley Railroad
abandoned it's trains owing to the en-
croachment of the water over it's
tracks, a few miles south of Memphis
The railway situation on the Arkansas
side of the river remains unchanged
and all trains are entering the city over
the Iron Mountain tracks, which are
few inches above the water
Several small breaks are reported in
the old levee causing additional dam
age and suffering. Islands 40 80. 3S.
81, SO and "a are reported entirely sub
merged to-day. These contain magnif-
icent cotton plantations of thousands
of acres, operated by 500 negroes and
go head of stock. The stock was
abandoned. Owners and hands have
been landed safely at Memphis and
Cairo, Ill.
WATER RUNNING OVER THE LIE
WEE
HELENA (Ark.), March 1S.-The
river here is forty-Seyen feet on the