The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-30
WATER DOING RUINoUs WORK.
THE SITUATION EVERYWHERE
MOST PRECARIOUs.


work Being Done 20 Strengthen
the EmbNnkments at Helenn-An
the state Levee Boards battling
Against the Flood Regardless of
Cost.
Helena, Ark, March 29.-The situation
here to-day is worse than ever before. The
river rose two and one-half Inches dur
ing the last twenty-four hours and a
stiff gale has been blowing almost without
a moments cessation since o'clock last
night. Mayor Fritzen issued a proclama-
tion this morning reciting the desperate
nature of the conditions and calling upon
| all able bodied men and boys to secure
| spades and put themselves under the
| commander In charge of the levees. The
| proclamation met with hearty and prompt
| response, and at this moment 500 or GOO
| men are working on the levees, while,
many others are on the hill, filling a long
line Of wagons with dirt to be conveyed
to the weakest points. The levees are in
| good condition considering the long Siege,
| but the heavy wind and the knowledge
| that the river Is to rise for several days
| longer has nerved every man for the most
| desperate fight ever seen In this country.
Capt. Nolty of the rescue boat Titan.
| reports another break 1t is at Wood
| Cottage landing, a mile and a half above
Knowlton's. The break was 600 feet wide
yesterday as the Titan passed there, al
| though II occurred late Saturday after
noon. This break will put all the country
not already inundated under water down
| to Laconia, and Capt Nolty thinks there
! is little doubt that that magnificent body
Of nd vii alco no hraa
In the levee at Laconia IS already In a
| precarious condition.
Here at Helena hope is strong, but a
| desperate fight Is being made all along
| the line To-day the entire front viii be
raised from one to two feet. making the
levee from four to five feet higher than
1t was when the flood commenced Many
proffers Of assistance have been received,
but Helena feels that she Is able to take
care OF herself and the stricken ones who
| apply to her for shelter. More tents are
| due here to-day, but more refugees are
reaching here from every point of the
COMPASS.
Memphis Tenn, March 29.-The levee
| broke this afternoon back of Perthshire,
Miss. The situation below here is report
| ed alarming.
A large break has occurred in the levee
| at Wayside, Miss, nine miles below
| Greenville. The break is reported to be
a bad one and In a section of levee high
and regarded as measurably safe.
Washington, March 29.-Gen. Wilson.
| chief of army engineers, received a tele-
| gram from Col. Gillespie, president OF the
Mississippi river commission dated Vcks-
burg yesterday, as follows: Gauges
| along the river from Memphis TO Vcks-
| burg give flood readings varying from 1ls
to feet above any previous recorded
| readings. The feeling everywhere is one
| of great uneasness and all the state levec
boards are battling against the rising
! floods, regardless of cost. AS yet no
widely spread damages have been report
ed, though several breaks in levees above
| Greenville on both banks have occurred.
| The levees are seriously strained at all
points. The commission will give all pos
sible aid by applying money balances to
the protection of works The water is
rising slowly below Helena"
Vicksburg, Miss, March eat 2 p. m.
the break south of Swlftwater, near Way
side Station, was 700 feet wide at a vary
| ing depth of six to eight feet. The levee
/ officials are not hopeful of closing the
break or stopping II from widening. Water
| from the break will go through Lake Lee
i into Deer creek, Lakes Lafayette and
| Washington, Steels bayou and thence In
| to Vicksburg A large portion of lower
] dSnllkLOH "
| Quena and SunfiOwer counties will be In
| undated The Riverside division of tae
| Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad has
! been abandoned on account of this break.
A steamer was sent 20 Diamond Island
| last night to remove $50 Louisiana con-
| vcts to Illawara and Pitchers Point,
where the levees are in dangerous con-
dition.
A severe wind storm from the east pre-
vailed on the river last night, but the
| Louisiana levees did not give away. The
steamer Bluff City, coming down from
Memphis, reports that the levees Luna
and Brooks Mills In Chicot county, Arkan-
gas, is in a more than dangerous condi-
tion.
New Orleans, La. March 29--The river
has finally reached the top of the levees
in this city and this morning began run
ming over into Vaudeville street. direct
ly In front OF the celebrated French mar
ket building. It is not believed that any
damage will occur to property.
An urgent request came from Algiers,
on the right bank, this morning for help
TO strengthen the levees, which were 3eri-
ously weakened by the high water and the
heavy wind Of last night The river rose
seven-tenths Of a foot In the past TWEEN
ty-four hours, and Is now eight-tenths of
a foot above the sixteen-foot mark, which
Is the danger line.
Cairo, ILL.,, March 29.-The river fell one
tenth Of a foot In the last twenty-four
hours, but the severe rains this afternoon
will offset the fall and by noon to-mor-
row the food from the north Is expected
90 reach here, and the river will go higher
than ever. The government boat, Mnne-
tonlta, reached here last night from Gold
Dust. on her trip she rescued 125 per-
sons and over 200 head Of cattle.
New Madrid, Mo, March 29-The river
is az standstlll to-day The strong wind
blows the water against the levees with
considerable force. but II Is believed they
VIII be able 70 Withstand the waves. Rain
Is falling heavily this morning, with indl-
cations Of continuing throughout the day.
Paducah, KY. March 29.-The river Is
falling slowly but steadily at this place at
the rate Of about half an inch per hour.
81. Louis. No, March 29.-Thc river is
rising steadily at this point and IS now
within about four feet Of the danger line.
Reports received from upper river points
state that an immense flood Is on rs way
A.