The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-06
Ia ] Is |
AN APPEAL.
In Behalf of Flood
Sufferers.
Will Be Presented to Pres
ident Mckinley.
Fifty Towns and Villages are
Now Under Water.
Flooded District 800 Miles Long and
From 5 to 40 Wide.
Fifty Towns and Villages are
Now Under Water.
Flooded District 800 Miles Long and
From S to 40 Wide.
From $4,000 to go, 900 People Whose
Property Has Been Destroyed.

Washington, April 6.-Messrs. II. c.
Graves and j. :. Menkin, representing
the Citizens Relief Committee OF Mem
phis, Tenn, organized for the purpose
of relieving the people of the flooded
tributary of that city, have arrived in the
city. They have prepared the following
statement which they will submit to the
president:
From Marion, Arkansas, North of Mem
phis TO Greenville, Miss, there are now at
least 50 towns and villages under water
and territory extending from 100 miles
north of Memphis To 200 miles south and
five To forty miles wide is submerged and
devastated by the flood. Hundreds of
thousands of acres of cultivated soil with
growing crops are included in this sub
merged territory and there are from 81, OOO
60 $4,000 people whose property has been
destroyed and whose business has been
suspended thereby. The amount of damage
20 property is incalculable. In addition
10 the growing crops which have been des-
troyed, 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 utterly destitute and unprepar-
ed To begin work again even after the
floods have subsided. The extent of the
suffering has grown beyond the capacity
of the local authorities and of the private
local charities TO relieve. The charity
committee of Memphis il now caring for
from six To seven thousand refugees from
une Hooded district, and they are still ar
irving by boat loads every day. In addi-
tinn 60 this, large supplies of provisions
"A H.. N "a. = inta in Arl.a
sas and mississippi, where IL is said there
is "A large number Of refugees to be cared
for. The most that can be done is To
temporarily relieve the present suffering
The committee found IL very difficult and
costly to reach "A portion of the sufferers
living in the interior, 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 200 miles north
and south, IL necessarily has become the
place of refuge for all seeking To escape
the flood in that territory.
This flood Is thc,grcatost and most des-
tructive that has ever devastated the
Mississippi valley, the water being 29l6
feet higher than the highest stage IL has
ever reached before. The relief committee
are thoroughly organized for the purpose
of distributing supplies to the people of the
tributary territory and are willing TO do
have now almost reached the end of their
resources and reluctantly confess their
inability To cope with the situation with
out obtaining relief from the govern
ment. "
Representative Carmack who represents
the Memphis district in the House also
signs the statement and says his informa-
tion by wire and letter from the over
flowed district is entirely in accordance
with that made by the committee.
A Warning G.v,n.
Kansas City, Mo-. April 6.--The weather
bureau officials at this point have given
warning against flood of the Kansas
CITY bottoms. The danger line is 2l. and
the river has already passed the 1S-foot
stage and for two days past has risen at
the rate of a foot every IL hours. Tho
weather bureau warns business men and
dwellors on the bottoms to prepare for n
flood within four days. Below lndepend-
oncc Mo, the river is cutting badly.
w {. Adams reports that the river has
steadily eaten away his farm of 100 acres
until he has but 30 acres left