The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-17
FLOODS ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
Death, DeSOlatOn and Destruction IS
Rapidly Spreading.
The BREAK IN THE LEYEE WIDENING,
rverv Home for Miles West Of Memphis
Abandoned-six Hundred People
Carried TO That City-EepOrts
of Los OF Life Coming In.

MEMPHIS. TENN. March 16.-The VAL
Icy Of the lower Mississippi is a vast
inland sea. Death. dosoiauon and dis
tress is spreading from as far north as
birds Poirts No. 10 the country below
Helena. Ark The heavy rainfall OF tho
r1st fortnight in the Ohio Valley and the
consequent foods are the Immediate
causes OF the frightful swelling in the
Mississippi in the vicinity Of Cairo and
south of there.
The break in the lcvee near Nodena.
Ark. Saturday has wrought havoc in
Mississippi county. which is virtually
at the mercy OF the raging torrent
Many persons are Thought TO have per-
ishcd ln this vicinity. Twenty-Five nee
rroos arc reported drowned ln Blshy
Bayou.
HOMES ABANDONED.
For miles and miles west of Memphis
every home hus been abandoned. one
planter j. j.. Butler. tells terrible story
of the destruction of farm houses. prop
ertv and cattle but he reports only one
drowning Butler. however, fears that
the loss of lie viii Doe great
The break in lhe levce ls widening and
no power on earth can stop the. crovasse
SIX hundred people have been brought
TO Memphis from Crtterden county.
most OF them from Marion. Ark. many
werc iu state of starvation when they
arrived.
The steamer Mnnehaha has returned
from trip % Island, foriy-hve miles
north of Mound City. where several fame
flies We're found. The women were JOB
water up tO their waists. and two of them
were holding babies iu their arms.
1he first Joss of life resulting from hleh
water was recorded to-day. ar entire negro
loss OF life resulting from hish wafer
was recorded to-day, aga entire negro
family and one white child being dr0Nn-
Cd uear Marion. Ark 10 SIS believed that
many have persisted. owing 90 the ser-
iOus condition il all that country lut
news from there is difficult 10 obtain. A
levce on the Arkansas side, some iIfiy
miles above. was swept away SATURDAY
night. but full particulars are not aF4.l-
able. and whether fatalities follower iS
not known The broken leyee was a part
of the OLD State system and incorporated
in the ST. Francis Lcvee System. Tie
water had au through i- about ilieel
feet. and rushed with great violence over
the adjacent country $50 that casualties
are regarded ae certain 20 have occurred.
s number OF local vessels are actively
engaged iu rcscuing people and stock
from the oyor-f0Wed section of Ark-
ansas and the river islands, and hun-
.t, lt... ,r,.. rr,..~ bcre fe a.
. 80 ,....f.. -.,,7-.-f..lf
'.'-.i c,..,., ,-.t+ tc.,rs and etu
..,,.... .r., ,i...,- 90 cairo 90 tra+
4 t.f.,.- -..,l -,,.ff-.-.
~. ..... ',.'.., .,,,.,, ,rtf. .arr...
,... .,..r tl., ,r,,,, hanks
ILL.,, .---,i..~,, ,.,rt ~ trfs oftv ,rifh
D.. 1....l. -, re.i.4l,.t. f- t-s
,.,.s.,.,- o,7 ti..,. ,-ir ta,-. to sock moro
'...,..,. ,f.lo. government steamer
,..,l to,r, tbo r,fef forces Tomorrow.
ruprrrr,lc FEATURES
&, r.r as ranortel with reliability to-
ri.hf ffera have been but two dr0wnines
~ tla rool no+b being negroes in the
vicinity OF Marion Ark. Stories OF rce-
of,a bv The half dozen or more steamers
onrqrod i'm the work and vessels arriv-
irg from above and below have. h0w-
over added hiehlv thrilling features 10
the situation. From refugees arriving
fron, hack of Marion Il WAS learned that
hundreds of people in that section were
in tie water and without means TO es-
cane Accorlinelv. a neht draucht
etl,r,or ,-.s r,,ctol I'm tba+ d,rartion aa
far ne noesible end el,i0s ucnetrlted even
further. The result was the rescue ot
..orss of sufferers. ON Presidents Use
land below here. large number were
found in the water and brought out
ON Island Forty above report came
that there wero between fifty and q hum
drcd people in between three ana four
feet cf water. ana steamer was disc
patched 70 inef Ie-e me
Mary .lol 1on .iit ". -'.,.,T .l',
,'oe .tl e..- -
-. o- - q,-c ls+ter.s oqiDsrs de-
llsre.l tte+ trero wore certainly h.r7red
of noonIe FOR whom there was no oros-
meet of relief Every piece OF ground
along tie river above water was crowd
cd with people and live stock. and in one
instance their place Of refuge was n saw
dust mound. which was being steadily
swept away from under them.
The Aazoo river al GREENWOOD ais
sissipll !s at u'ol ''-e W. ..o '''
tchle ana "''" .n ~ ,t.l Ii'.e -e.s ',.o .ra
'ii'e eii'.,.i,.'o, l, ,o -. ts Goods Uli-
c-, AK renorfs the Afssissippl two
feet f,ur inches below the highest mark
risir, and with rain an last night and to-
day. THAT correspondent also reports an
expected levoe break near there. Hain-
forced government crews are no" en-
i-l' -"