The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-25
lEVEES ARE WEAKENING
REPORTS OF BREAKS COME
FROM BOTH ABOVE AND
BELOW MEMPHIS.
FLOODING THE ARKANSAS LOWLANDS
A BAD BREAK AT SANS SOUCI.
POURING OVER LEvEES
AT PLACES.
The RIVER REPORTED STATIONARY At MEMPHIS
Though 1t Continues to Rise Both Above
and Below-The Situation at Helena,
Paducah and Cairo Is Alarming.
Railroad Traffic Badly
Crippled.
FLOODING THE ARKANSAS L0WLANDS
THE RIVER REPORTED STATIONARY At MEMPHIS

1
Crippled.
.r- 49,. e.. --e
Memphis, March 20-Telegrams re-
ceived in this city tonight report breaks in
the levee both north and south of Mem
phis., Government officials state that the
levee broke at Sans Souci, Ark, late last
| night, and great torrent is pouring into
the lowlands of Arkansas. adding to the
misery and suffering already prevalent
there. Other reports are to the effect
that the levee has broken between Helena
and Memphis, but nothing definite can
be learned as yet. 1t Is known, how
ever, that the water is pouring over the
levee near ModOc. Ark. and u break is
momentarily expected.
While the river is reported as station
airy Mt Memphis by the weather bureau,
the situation is regarded as the most Sc
rious since the big flood set in. Out of
eleven railways entering this city it is
learned that all but two are tied up on
account of the deluge. The Kansas City,
Memphis and Birmingham sent it's reg
ular night train on its way east. and the
Illinois Central reports all clear TO New
| Orleans.
The official weather bulletin sent out by
the weather bureau tonight indicates that
| thN ii'Ni nae iclilillltu StdtlOliily
the forty-eight hours ending tonight.
In the face of the warning sent out
from Washington yesterday. calling on
all residents of the districts threatened
by floods to prepare for an even greater
rise during the next ten days, the fact
that the river has been stationary during
the twenty-four hours. and that the
weather bureau predicts in this morning s
bulletin that the river will in all prob
ability continue stationary for the next
tWenty-four hours, can not be taken as
indicating that the crest of the high
water has been reached, or that the ces-
sation in the rise is to be followed in tie
near future by any marked fall.
The abatement of the heavy rainfalls
during the past twenty-four hours in the
districts which drain into the river and
swell the flood is encouraging, though
the warm weather prevailing in the north
| west, threatening n speedy thaw in the
snow and ice of that region, is omnous.
The river is rising again at Cincinnati
and throughout the Ohio valley, due. no
doubt, to heavy rainfalls which prevailed
/ eight hours preceding yesterday.
AT Cairo the river continues to rise,
and this fact is of special interest here,
as 1t is well known that no cessation of
the high water can be expected here 50
long as 1t continues at Cairo. This morn
ing the gauge Mt Cairo indicated 50.7
feet, which is Il rise of O3 of foot dur
ing the twenty-four hours ending this
morning. This is IL feet above the dan
ger line.
AT Paducah the rise in the same period
was .O4 of foot, which is 90 feet above
danger line.
AT Helena a rise of .06 of foot was in
dicatcd this morning, which showed n
| height of 1873 feet above zero, which is
lib feet above danger line.
At Greenvillc Il big rise occurred during
the twenty-four hours ending this morn
ing. This rise was Is feet The gauge
indicated at that paint a height of ~
feet, which is II feet above the danger
line.
AT Vicksburg and points on the lower
Mississippi the river is rising steadily.
The relief boats continue TO make regu-
lar trips over the district, both above and
below the city, rescuing people and stock,
which are brought to Memphis, where
both the refugees and the stock rescued
are being cared for. The members of the
relief committee find it necessary to give
almost their entire time to this work 1t
has been thoroughly systematized and is
being carried on in the most business-like
! manner.
Citizens are reminded that all kinds Of
cast-off clothing can be put to good use.
as many of the refugees are without 4
change of clothing when they are picked
up and brought TO the city. Clothing of
all kinds for men, women and children of
all ages, hats, shoes. all kinds of clothing
are needed to supply the necessities of
the unfortunate ones who are landed upon
the river front in such lamentably des-
titutc condition.
Tonight positive information was re-
ccivcd in this city to the effect that the
levee had broken at Rescue, Miss, but
so far as learned the water is confined to
II pocket and is still on the outside of the
main portion Of the delta. The Informal
| zion was brought to the city by the steam
cr Kate Adams, by persons on board,
among whom was a man in the govern
/ mcnt service who brought information to
Capt Fitch. The break was III the outer
portion of the levec at n part where there
are two systems and is about opposite to
Sherrard, on the Riverside division of
the lazoo and Mississippi valley. The
break occurred about II O'Clock Friday
night. Mr.. Burke, clerk of the Kate Ad-
4 ans, says that when he left the water
was running through the crevasse like Il
mill race, the hole in the embankmcnt
being about 200 feet wide. He said it
made roar like that of cyclone and
Twas necessarily carrying everything in
front of it. There seemed to be no hope
of being able to stop the crevasse, and
all work was transferred to the levee
known ms the Green Grove levee. The
ltvce had been considered weak ever
since it was known the water would 90
above the danger line in that section. Maj.
Dabney, whose district the break occurred
in. has sent number of sacks of sand
down the Yazoo and Mississippi road to
Sherrard to assist in fighting the danger
to the levecs from the flood
CUMBERLAND RIVER FLOOD.
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