The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1897-03-26
RAINS, STORMS ANDFLOODS.
A Very Serious Situation Along the
Mississippi River.
NOTHING IN SIGHT BUT WATER.
Storms and Cyclones Add Terror to
tho Situation--One Hundred Miles
of Country Under Water.

Memphis, Tenn, March ia fur
thes half-inch rise in the Mississippi
means the devastation of property and
probably loss of life unequaled in the
flood history of this section. The rise
is threatened, because rain is still fall
ing. Seventeen persons are reported
drowned below charlottesville, Mo. A
stretch of land over 100 miles long,
from point 20 miles north of Memphis
to point so miles south of the Tennes-
see metropolis, is submerged, in places
to depth of 10 feet The fertile val
leys of Tennessee and Arkansas are
completely inundated and many lives
have been lost and stock drowned.
Fencings and dwellings, have been
swept away, and the inhabitants are
destitute and homeless, left to starve
or drown by the remorselessly rising
tide. Reports from tributary streams
show rains and rapidly rising rivers all
Of which will help to swell the rising
waters. The floods now partake of the
nature of deluge. AS far as the eye
can see nothing but water meets the
gaze.
Six hundred people were rescued yes
terday on the Arkansas side of the river
and taken to Memphis, but there are
flooded districts which relief boats can
mot reach the stricken ones. On island
18O, one hundred sufferers and consider
able live stock were rescued by the
steamer Itasca Neither man nor beast
had tasted food for "a hours. Human
beings and helpless brutes are huddled
together awaiting assistance all along
the Iron Mountain and Kansas City,
Fort Scott and Gulf tracks. Five hun
dred people were forced to flee from
the floods in Dyer and Obion counties,
Tenn.
OVER 100 HOUSES DAMAGED.
Dallas, Tex, March 19.-3pecial
kilograms, received this morning, state
that northern Texas was swept by a
windstorm last night, that Mt times de-
yeloped the proportions of cyclone.
The worst damage reported SO far, oc-
Cured at Denton, where over 100
houses were struck by the storm and
all more or less damaged. 1t is be-
lieved that the storm in the vicinity of
Denton has caused damage to the ex-
tent of 100000.
DROWNED BY UPsETTING "DUG OUT"
Gavin Ark, March 9.-For many
miles the country is flooded, and the
water is up on the Iron Mountain
track. Hundreds of hands are try
ing to keep it back with dirt bags. At
every station the negroes are gathering,
waiting to be taken away. Many get
| on the trains and are carried without
pay. The list of fatalities is said to be
long and probably never will be known.
Several lives have been lost by the up-
setting of n dug out" and many more
fatalities are reported. A mountain
OF household goods is piled up Mt ev-
cry stotion. Whites and negroes beg
for helpfrom every train crew. Houses
along the roads are submerged to the
roofs, and cattle are standing in the
fields with only their heads above the
water
THE MOST SERIOUS SINCE 1882
New Orleans, March 10.-A special
to the States from Nicksburg, Miss.
says the river situation for the next
thirty days promises to be more than
serious. There is n higher stage Mt
Cairo and Helena, the two main points
of observation, than since 1886, and by
their reported rain falls in the past
twenty-four hours, both will score ex-
treme high water marks. The pressure
is going to be excessive all along the
levee lines, 1t will first appear between
Helena and the mouth of the Arkansas.
On that reach, levees have been put in
front of the White river basin since the
last high water, and the effect of this is
now to be tested. From there down the
levees have been raised and enlarged
greatly and ought to hold unless the
flood Is prolonged. Altogether. it is
the most serious situation Tor the delta
since 1882.
a dispatch from Admission, Ala, saws
strong wind storm did great damage
in this section, but no loss of life is re-
ported.
At Jackson, Miss, and vicinity the
storm did great damage to property,
but no loss of life is reported mt this
time. All telegraph wires are down.
A dispatch from Memphis, Tenn, of
March IL, says: The work of rescuing
the people i'll the flooded district is be-
ing carried on night and day and this
morning nIi1 a dozen steamers brought
to Memphis over 1000 refugees. The
steamboat men tell some narrowing
stories of suffering and death One wo-
man who was rescued from an Indian
mound, Is miles west of here, held in
her arms dead infant that had perish
ed from cold and hunger. Another fam
lily OF four when rescued, related that
two small children were drowned in
sight of their helpless parents.
Islands Nos. 40, 36 and "a in the Mis-
slssippi river are completely submerged
and the inhabitants to the number OF
| about 600 have abandoned their homes.
Rain began to fall here yesterday after.
noon and at noon today there has been
| no cessation of the downpour. The
river now marks 500. The levces are
standing the strain much better than
was expected, but break is liable tC
occur at any moment