Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-13
THE FLOOD DANGER.
WORST OF 1T OVER, IN sECRE-
TARY ALGERs OPINION.
REPORTS FROM ARMY OFFICERS.
No Great Suffering Will BE Per-
mitted to Go Long Unchecked
the Levees.


partment now has in the field, CO.
operating as IT is with the local relief
committees, there is small danger that
great suffering will be permitted to 90
unchecked and unrelieved.
The question Of feeding the livestock
of the people driven from their homes
by water has been solved. When 1t was
first proposed to authorize the ofhcer&
to buy forage for the animals, 1t was
held that the act Of Congress would not
permit that to be done. and the officials
were about to ask Congress to amend
the original joint resolution, when the
Treasury authorities decided that the
resolution itself contained the necessary
authorization. This was fortunate, for
CAPTAIN Davis. at Memphis. Saturday
night telegraphed that it seemed aoso-
lutely necessary TO purchase forage Tor
the stock, in addition to food, and the
permission TO do so was at once given
him.
Another decision that may do some
thing to help the authorities was also
made by Secretary Alger upon the re-
commentator Of Captain Davis. This
was 10 reduce the rations supplied TO
the simplest proportions, while still
making sure that they should be SUM-
cient for actual needs. The army ra-
ton will be discarded. and in its place
the hungry will get nothing but pork
corn-meal. and molasses. Captain DAVIS
report on this subject was contained IN
the following telegram to the war De
partment:
.'MEMPHIS. April 12.-Condtions as TO
food here same as in Captain fltchs
telegram Of Sth. Water subsided slight
Iv and slowly. Steamer j. II. HarDin
hired to take men on an Inspection tour
to 81. Francis and carry relief Have
Skinned on requisiton of Relief Commit
tee 37OO pounds OF pork, 600 POUNDS oil
corn-meal. and 80 gallons OF moiasses'
in charge of Lieutenant Carnanah' ior
destitute in that district. Steamer sailed
at 7 o'clock this morning. CiVilian ne
lief Committee is 10 be reorsahlzeu' IL
is dinicult TO obtain accurate intorina-
tion as 70 the number Of destitute AT
any noint. In purchasing supplies We
have figured on plantation ratloh' con-
sisting daily per person OF seven ounces
of nork. twenty-seven and three-seVehlhs
of corn-meal, and one-half pint OF mo-
lasses. (Signed) <e,,l,;,,,,,
This was supported by the Following
TELEGRAM. which was turned over TO the
War Department by Representative
Catchings. as the recipient:
.Tnnress on the Secretary or war the
oa,,isabilitv Of sending only meat, meal
Aour corn. and oats to Hood sufferers
here They are cheaper aDd go farther
than the regular army ratons. Ihls
should only be distributed through gov
(sirned ''w. A. EVERMAN,
"W. w STONE
HIGHEST WATER EVER KNOWN.
GRAND FORKS. y. D., April Il. Grand
Forks has experienced the highest water
mark known in the history of the Red
River Valley. In forty-eight hours the
waters have fallen only 10 inches. Many
families have been made temporarily
homeless and destitute. Their property,
their stock. and much of their seed has
been destroyed. Rain has fallen since
o'clock this morning, and is still con-
tinuing.
IMPORTANT LEVEE BREAKS.
VICKsBURG. MISS, April 12.-Tallula,
La. reports that the levee at Davis
Island. this county broke this evening.
opposite Ashwood, Ia. Two thousand
five hundred people live on the island.
SITUATION AT NEW ORLEANS.
NEW ORLEANS. April 12.-The river
has reached the lS-foot mark, and is
expected to go higher still. These cal
culations Snay be offset by a break in
the levee above. To-day there was no
change in the condition Of affairs. and
the levee officials are prepared for any
emergency.
GOVERNMENT RELIEF WORK.
NEMPHIS. TENN, April 12.-Through-
ont the upper delta the food situation
shows little change since last reports.
The work of government relief sas
been actively inaugurated. Many poor
people are being fed and housed at
Greenville Rosedale. Helena, Friar's
Point. and other points along the river.
4 relief steamer is now plying up the st.
Francis river with food and forage for
man and beast.
Al Helena the river has fallen two
tenths of a foot in the past twenty-four
hours. The weather observer at that
point SAYS tonight that a steady fall
is noted in the river. despite the rise at
Cairo and upper-rver points. The Will
hanson crevasse has widened cOnsde-
rably, but the velocity Of the water has
been checked and no further breaks are
feared.
At Greenville the river is stationary
tonight. Captain II. G. Martin, repre-
sentng the Secretary Of War, arrived
at Greenville to-day and Is now inves-
tigating the needs of the overfiowed suf-
ferers in that territory.
Captain Martin and others made a trip
by skiff through a portion Of the over
flowed country this afternoon. He wit
messed many evidences of the fearful
work of the great flood. Fully 1000
negroes in Washington county alone are
penniless. and must be taken care or.
At Memphis the river is still falling
slowly. the Weather Bureau tonight re-
porting fall of one tenth OF foot In
the last twenty-four hours.
The river at Cairo and points north
is rising.
THE MISSOURI UP.
OMAHA. NEB.. April l2.-The Missouri
river has risen almost two feet at this
point in twenty-four hours, and Is now
higher than at any time since 1883.
At noon the government mark SHOWS
14S feet above mean low water, ana the
gauge at the pumping station, seven miles
north. where the channel is conilned'
shows 1868 feet.
on the Iowa bottoms, north OF Council
Bluffs. the water is four feet deep. out
IL is held back from the city by dlkes
on the Omaha side the owners or rae
tories along the river have taken precau-
lions against overflow. portion OF the
Burlington tracks was washed out TINS
afternoon. and tonight force Is at
work trying 10 prevent further wash
outs. The big Omaha and Grant smelter
and the WiEow Springs distillery are oniy
a few feet above the stream to-night'
THE threatened cutoff at Blair has been