The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-04-03
GREENVILLE TIMES
THE CITY OF REFUGE.

AZ soon Ms the break in the leve
near Mound lAAdlHg was announced
II wa, Known that = part of Green
vile would probably receive some o
the water from the crevAEIe. III,
water came over the intervening eouu
ty gradually, covering the space be
tween the railroad aud the river, filling
up Deer Creek aud the Black Bayou
low lands TO the Norih and East o
Greenville, and slowly backing in thu
direction of the city, until on Thurs
day morning at 18th it was gliiterinl
in the sunshine ST the extrOme north
eastern limit 1t came over rapidly
aud from midday until night OF
Thursday all the jewellers 10 the nortl
eud were busily engaged in safely
storing or removing every article O
value which could float With The
recollections of 1890, the people could
judge very accurately what the wa
ter would do, and there WAS none OF
the panic or Generalization which Oc-
Cured on that memorable Scca ion.
After much discussion aud differ
ence of opinion, it was decided that ii
would be the wisest course to build a
protection leyee along the middle OF
Alexander Street, from the main
levee cast to the railroad embsukmcni,
aud a strong force was at once put TO
work upon it, with tho result that by
midnight the whole city 10 the south
of that street was safe from water,
aud the portion extending north from
Alexander street was "dncked" The
water is deepest ~ the extreme north
ern limits, whore II has reached o
depth of about three feet. From this
point it shoals gradually until at the
protection levee it is not a foot deep.
New town, very thickly built dis
triet, peopled entirely by negroes, IS
under water, the depth ranging from
few inches to three feet. The Belle
Air suburb, which contains many
pretty homes and was beautiful with
green lawns aud blooming shrubs, Is
Venice, aud The only means the peo-
pie have Of leaving or returning 10
their homes IS By boats, which are
numerous and various. The water
ia not as high as in 1890 by two orr
three feet, and has not gone into many
OF the houses, though most of the PEG.
pie have removed within the limits Of
the dry part Of the city, after storing
their furniture beyond the waters
reach. So much for the overlooked
district. The spirit of the people Iiv.
Ing outside of the little protection le-
wee cannot be too highly commended.
While it is hard 10 feel that they are
in measure abandoned TO their fate,
and they sec their property over
flowed without power to help them
selves, they almost without exception
commend the erection of the levee a.
= means Of saving the greater part OF
the city from the same fate, and af.
fording at least h dry refuge for them
selves, and the people and stock of
other aud even more unfortunate dis
trictS Greenville proper, Including
all the business portion and the main
part Of the city, ia high and
dry, and ia vsritabIe city of refuge
1t is blessing TO the planters who
have brought their stock In from dis.
tant places, and are now keeping
them In the city itself and on the hIgb
ridges TO the south OF IT, which are
not only free from water, but which 4
are beyond the probability of over
How. The situation ia not nearly SO
bad az it was in 1890, and while bust
ness of all kinds is very dull, the peo-
pie have accepted The situation with
cheerful resignation, aud are making
he best of 1t, waiting patiently for
ne decline OF the water, and the re-
sumption of tie ordinary course Of
ife