The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-08
A SPECIAL MESSAGE.
The President Seeks Aid For the
Flood Sufferers.
A GOOD SUM is REQUIRED
ne Appeals 10 CoAgress 60 Help the
People In the stricken Districts
who Are Left without Means
90 support Themselves

to-day sent the following message 70.
congress:
Information. which recently has
come TO me from the governors OF Ar.
kansas. Mississippi and Louisiana, and
from prominent citizens OF these states
and Tennessee. warrant the conclusion
Of wide spread distress. involving a
destruction d large amount Of prop
erty and loss OF human nfe. which has
resulted from the floods which have
been submerglng that section oi coun-
Try. These are stated on reliable au-
thority. to be the mos, destructive foods
that has ever devastated the Mississippi
valley. water being much higher that
the highest stage Il has ever reached
before.
From Marion. Ark. north OF Mem.
phis. 10 Greenylle Miss, a distance Of
more than go miles by river 70 IS re-
ported there are nov az leas 80 towns
and Villages undor water and the terri.
tory extending from 100 mllr7 north Of
Memphis 20 200 miles south and from
s 20 20 miles wide submerged. hundreds
Of thousand Of acres o. cultivated soil
with growing crops included .n The
submerged territory. In this section
alone there from $1,000 20 1900 pcop,,
WHOSE property has been destroyed and
whose business Is suspended, Growing
crops ruined. and thousands 81 ca;tl,
drowned aad the Inhabitants NJ certain
areas threatened with Obstruction. as Q
great majority u the sufferers az,
small farmers. they thus have been Den
entirely destitute and will be- unpre
, pared for work even after tae Hood
have suhsldcd.
, The entire Mississippi valley 10 Az
, kansas "a flooded and communication
, with many points cut On and To- Mss.s
slppi a lik, condition exists The le
I, wees IN Louisiana. With a single cXcop
ton. have held. but the water Is ris.ul
r and the situation there De- reported a
= being extremely critical Under sucI
j. circumstances citizens in those state
a look FOR cooperation and support O
> national agreement IN relieving press
= ing cases Of des,iiui.on Tor food. cloth
o ing and shelter. which are beyond "a
n reach OF their efforts.
N The authorities communicated wit
the executive recognize their arft an
;, mos, energetic duty Co provide as Tar 4
p possible means o. caring Cor their ow
p citizens: but nearly an Of them agree 3
II opinion after their resources have bee
r exhausted. the sum sggrcga,lng
~ least il5O. 700. and possibly $500 .OOO vi
Il b. required for the immediate us
"A Precedents not wanting that In sue
+ emergencies as this congress has take
4. prompt, generous and inteIugea, a
n uon. involving expenditure OF oonsit
"A erable sums Of money with satisfactoi
n results. In 1884. $3.50 900 was appr
;. pria,cd and In 1852. $3.50 900 was apr
q priated for rslie 10 the same Jlrectlo
beside large sums In other years
The CitEsns Relief committee
Memphis. Witch has taken promp, a
= tion already, has cared Tor from 60
90 1000 refugees from the flooded a.
n tricts and they still are arriving Ia "a
"a city In larEe numbers daily. Suppl
II and provisions have been sent 20 v
10 rious points In Arkansas and Mlssl
70 sippl by this committee but the mo
that can he done by these en- IL
n partly relieve the most acute cases
y suffering No action has yc, been TAX
Id for the great majority OF ,he !nhal
tAhts living In the interior whose co
70 ditlon has already been described. 4
Id der conditions and having exert
I'd themselves 90 the fullest extent. q
~ local authorities reluctantly conf,
?, their Inability to further cope with q
% distressing situation unalded by rel
nom the government
Il therefore seemed 20 thu rcprcsei
alive people should be promptly
formed of the nature and exi,n, Of {
suffering q these stricken people. Al
have communicated these facts IN {
=. hope and bellet the legislative bran
=, Of the government will promptly
a fnforce the work Of local authorities
- Nhn sInina namnh