The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-04-01

Break Carrying Everything Before It.
Ten Thousand Men Working with =
Desperation,
GREENvILLE, Miss, March 30.-The
solid line of the Mississippi leevees has
broke at last. The levee at Deerfeld,
ten miles below Greenville, has sue
cumbed to the pressure of the waters
of the mighty Mississippi. The levee
was a large one and 100 yards of the
vast embankment gave way in trice
and the torrent of waters rushed upon
the country. Soon the section between
the river and the embankment of the
riverside division of the Yazoo and
Mississippi Valley railway was sea Of
water. Hogs and cattle were drowned
while the people, mostly coloIed, rushed
to the levee above and below the break
and huddled together until they were
rescued. No loss of human life has
been reported.
Deerfeld is near Wayside, station
on the NaZoo and Mississippi Valley
railway, and nearly all of the splendid
country west of Deer creek south of
Arcoa to the Ya2oo river will be
flooded. Thousands of acres of the
most fertile lands in the delta already
planted in corner ready to be planted
in cotton, will suffer from the waters
pouring through this crevasse. The
back water will reach nearly to Green
| vile.
The situation Immediately atove and
below Greenville Is improved. The
weak places and the low places in the
| levee have received close attention.
| Il l,,,r, al
chants and all have worked side by side
with the negro laborers, wheeling dirt
to elevate and strengthen the embank-
ment that protected the people from
devastation. The line of levee is in
good condition for miles above the city
and the people of Greenville feel conf
dent once more that the town itself will
escape the flood. The weak places in
the Arkansas levee at Possum Fork and
o few other points are reported under
control tonight. The levee at Riverton
on the Mississippi side, near Rosedale,
reported weak Is now considered safe.
Thirteen car loads of sacks has reached
Greenville for use on the levees in this
section, thousands of these bags being
sent to the places needed by steamers
today. The river at Greenville shows a
decline of nearly an inch, due to the
crevasse at Deerfield, while at Lake
port, opposite Deerfield, on the ATkan-
sas side, the fall was four inches.
The crevasse near Perthshire, 70
miles by river from Greenville, will
also relieve the pressure in this terri
tory, and the engineers feel that no
further breaks will occur, but already
great damage to much OF the back
country has been done. The two breaks
already recorded will likely stop every
carwheel in the delta during the next
few days, while a vast area of farming
lands in the Ya2oo. Mississippi delta
will be submerged for weeks to come.
The loss of cattle and hogs will be
heavy, while the decentralization of
labor will prove considerable item to
the planters.
At Gunnison, Miss, the levee broke
at Sledge plantation, near Concordia
landing, three miles moth Of Gunnison
at 3 80 p. m, The crevasse is about 100
feet wide, and the levee made of sand
will cave and cut very fast. The peo-
pie are wild with excitement and there
is no effort being made to stop the
widening of the Crevasse. 1t is expected
that the Crevasse will cut to q width of
800 feet by morning. There was no
uneasiness felt about this levee as there
was nothing TO indicate a weakness. eX-
cept a seep, which did not seem to be
dangerous. Water is pouring through
the break at a terrible velocity carrying
houses, trees and everything in its path.
There is some uneasiness felt about the
safety of the people on the Sledge plan
tation but up to this hour there are no
lives reported lost.
HELENA, Ark, March 30.-This has
been the most critical day in the his
tory of the city. The river has been
steadily rising, and stands at 50.6 feet.
All night long long the wind blew and
the waves beat upon the levee, and
weary watchers had piled sacks of dirt
where the breaches were showing. 1t
was gallant fight and il left every
body exhausted. The mayor has issued
proclamation reciting the desperate
circumstances surrounding the city and
requesting all stores be closed and all
able bodied men be sent to the front.
The proclamation met with hearty re-
sponse, and in a few moments several
hundred fresh men, with spades in their
hands, were taking the places of the
tired men who had labored all the
night.
The government boat Titan arrive
at 10 o'clock this morning with 81 refu-
gees from Knowlton. Captain Nolty
of the Titan reports another big break
about 800 yards above Wood Cottage
; landing, which is mile and a half
above KnOwltou. 1t was 800 feet wide
when the Titan passed down to Knowl-
ton.
Ten thousand men line the levees be-
tween Memphis and Vicksburg watch
ing and working with desperation
almost pitiable. The warning sent ont
: by the weather bureau from Washing
ton is having its effect. Many of the
inhabitants of the delta have corralled
the animals On hign strips of land and
, moved their families out of dangers
reach.
AMERICAN REPUBLICS DIRECTOR.