Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-03-27
RIVERS RISING.
Astonishing Reports from the Low
er Mississippi.
THE WATER IS EIGHTY MILES WIDE.
A Change for the Worse in the Arkansas
Distributions of Life at Caruthers-
vile, Mo.-The Suburbs OF
Chicago Flooded.

ST. LOUIS, March 24.-Capt. w. R.
Mccoy, of the Anchor Line steamship
Bluff City, returned yesterday from a
trip through the entire overdowed val
ley south of Cairo. When asked con-
corning the damage and loss of life
Capt Mccoy said: I'm front of Mem
phis the river is 40 miles wide, having
broken through the levees and spread
out into vast lake reaching clear
across to Madison in an unbroken
stretch. The town of Marion, Ark. is
under water and the only railroad that
is running is the Iron Mountain. The
overlooked district. as it stands at pres
ent, extends from so miles below Mem
phis to Point Pleasant, $50 miles above
the Bluff City. The average width is
probabl so miles and the average
depth, except in the bed of the river,
is from three to seven feet. There will
be no early crop from that region this
year. This will constitute the heaviest
part of the flood losses 1 think. AS we
came up 1 noticed breaks in the 1evee
at Sansouci, Nodena. Buffers and
Drivers, while the water is seeping
over at Modoc."
BAD IN ARKANSAS DISTRICTS.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 24.-Another
fall of one-tenth of a foot in the river
at Memphis is announced by the
weather bureau This drop has not
made any change for the better in the
situation. Indeed, it is caused by a
decided change for the worse in the
Arkansas districts, which have been
inundated by the water rushing
through the broken levees above Mem
phis. The work of the relief commit
tee has assumed enormous proportions,
and there is not a moment when the
headquarters on Second street are not
besieged with mob of negro app1i-
cants for every kind of assistance. 1t
is almost impossible for the committee
to attend to the needs of all who apply,
but they are doing great work. 1t is
especially difficult to distinguish be-
tween the impostors and the really
needy, as the former are known to be
much in evidence in the crowds which
daily seek supplies from the commit
tee. The utmost pains are taken to
distribute the rations where they are
really needed, and the colored preach
ers of the city are rendering assistance
to the committee in this difficult part
of the work.
Loss OF LIFE AT CARU THERsvILLE.
CARUTHERSvILLE, Mo-, March "a
The river here rose \ inches during
weaken the 1evees. The great encour-
agement of three days ago is depart
ing day after day the government
bulletin reports the rise from Cairo up.
The situation here is serious and the
situation just across the river grows
more alarming every day The loss of
life, of property and of live stock is
frigh tful. Even with the three relief
tugs many have lost all their earthly
possessions and barely escaped with
their lives and families. On one little
sawdust heap, half an acre square,
near Tiger Tail mill. on the Tennessee
side, We're crowded 20 people and 100
head of live stock, all of which were
picked up by one of the tugs, the A. r.
Hall, and carried to Dyersburg. The
crevasse just below town is more than
200 feet wide, and the water is pour
ing into the country. Contrary to ex-
pectations, this water is now driving
families out in the upper end of the
county
CHICAGO SUBURBS FLOODED.
CHICAGO, March 24.-Chicago sub
urbs are having a flood experience of
their own. For the second time in so
years the Desplaines river has tossed
aside the restraints of banks and of
leveeS and the flood has stretched its
rule over all the lowlands along its
course. One-third of the residence
part of Riverside is under water, and
since Sunday boats have been the only
means of conveyance possible to in
habitants of the flooded locality. The
Illinois and Michigan canal has been
unable to hold in check the combina-
ton of its own and the added volume
of surface water and has overflowed
its banks and encroached upon the
neighboring marshes Residents of
Thatcher's park station and Edgewa-
ter park are going about from house
to house in boats, all land communica-
ton being cut off by the waters of the
Desplaines river, which has overfiovn
its banks in that vicinity.