The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-09
EXTENT OF THE CREVASSES.
Reports Made by Officials to Chief
Engineer Wilson.
CALLED TO ATTENTION OF ALGER
Overlooked Arcn In the st. Francis
Basin Estimated ut Twenty-Five
Hundred square Miles.

washington, April S.-Secretary hlger Is
pushing forward the work of relief for the
| flood sufferers, and in few days the dis
bursement OF the rations provided for by
congress will begin.
The secretary was in consultation with
Colonel Gillespie president OF the Missis-
sppi river commission, who was sum
moncd here by the secretary for that pur-
pose. Colonel Gillespie has just returned
from a visit OF inspection of the flooded dis
tricts along tho lower Mississippi and,
backed by his experience in the river move
ments. was able to give the secretary a
fair idea of the needs of tho situation.
1t is felt by the engineering officers that
ready placed at their disposal by congress
for the protection OF the Improvement
works, they will be able to restore the
broken lcvees and get the river banks il;o
normal shape wherever they are protected
by the evoes constructed by the National
government. Already Captain Fitch at
Memphis has been authorized 20 draw upon
the appropriation to the extent Of 10000
Tor the repairs necessary in his district,
which lies up the river from Memphis.
! With a view to the ascertainment of the
Z
| bic at this time, General Wilson. chief of
engineers has tclegraphed TO officers OF
his corps along the river front to send The
| facts TO him These reports came along
this morning. They have reference solely
to the leveos and We're as follows:
To Chief of Engineers United States Army:
New Orleans-Teegram received. No
breaks in my line as yet Lcyces under Sc
we're strain, but the worst has not yet
| reached my district. We are making every
| effort along the line to prevent any breach.
Derby.
"Reminiscences west Of river in my dis
trict practically intact. one crevasse of
miles from upper end of the levoe system,
and though this crevassc has inundated
small area, including Arkansas City, but
| little damage or restitution apprehcnded
from this. -Four crevasses in my district
in Miss 'ssippi. one opposite island No. 10
on southern side Concordia bayou about
eight miles above Bosedalc, one at Stokes
lending. Choctaw bend, enc norther side
Lake Lee. about eieht miles below Grcn-
VILE Width of break about S00 10 1000
| feet. Land now overlooked or that soon
will be from these breaks is roughly cs
timated at about twenty-five by l25 miles.
No reliable information yet MS TO amount
of loss or restitution caused by flood. VIII
| depend largely on time Hood continues. In
terror points hitherto accessible by rail
road will probably soon exhaust supplies
on hand and can be reached only by skins.
| tbiuk vague prcss statements of enormous
damage and suffering very much cNagger-
ate present conditions. Newcomer
Memphis-B Breaks in St Francis levoe are
at Charlottesville. Mo. 1000 feet wide, just
above Arkansas and Missouri State line,
two breaks each 1000 feet wide between
osceola and Nodena Ark, seventeen
breaks aGgreEatiuE a mile in width. This
basin practically overtoWcd from Gaoyso,
Mo. to mouth of st Francis river for
twenty to twenty-five miles back. Over
flowed area estimated at $500 square miles.
Breaks in White river leVees are: Three
miles below Helena Ark, 500 feet wide;
FIVE miles below 1000 feet wide; fourteen
miles below 300 feet wide; below Modoc.
Ark and foot of island No. Ca are six
breaks. the lower being tbree-quarters OF
milo wide. Others Will aEgresate about
5000 feet Between Knowlton Ark, and
two miles above there are three breaks ag
gregating 1000 feet Laconia leveo broken
inundatng Laconia circle, Overilowed area
of White river basin estimated at 800
square miles. In upper Yazoo district there
is one break opposite mouth of St Francis
river about 500 feet wide. No information
on which to base estimate of overtlowed
area of upper Yazoo district. No data for
estimate of loss or destitu-
ton which. however is great. Fitch.
Touching the matter OF relieving the peo-
pie In the flooded district which has been
separated from the matter of repairing the
lovoes. the secretary of war has made
some change In the detail of officers am
nounced Yesterday. The services of the
engineer corps are so badly needed in other
directions that Colonel Haines and Captain
Gaillard were relieved and two infantry Of
ficers were substituted so that tho detail
now stands; Major Sanger, Inspector gen
eral Major Craig, signal corps CAPTAIN
Clarke or nance department; Captain Mar
Tin ouartOrmaster department, Lieutenant
Richman, Ninth infantry, and Lieutenant
Rowan. Nineteenth infantry The two last
named officers are row on duty In the In
formation bureau here. after further con
II has been decided TO make the
purchases not only AT Memphis, but also
nj New Orleans and st. Louis. At the last
two named cities there are already sta
toned officers of tho commissary generals |
lenartment and this morning Commissary |
General Sullivan ordered Captain Davis. |
one of the best officers of his corps. from
Chicago to Memphis 10 superntend inc |
purchases to be made there. II mas heeh |
arranged with the citizens relief commit |
ice Of Memphis that the government viii |
procure the rations and medicines aud |
place Thorn on boats to be supplied by the |
titi2ens' committee in Chicago. An army |
officer will 20 along, one on oach boat 10
make sure that proper distribution is
made
The attention Of the secretary OF war has
,onn called to the fact that under the |
erms Of the resolution passed by congress
only ratluns can be purchased
il Is regarded as absolutely necessary to
authorize the supply Of forage and such
stores TO the people who herded few cut
10 and horses remaining to them ON the
eyoes and high ground in tho flooded dis
IrIcts. else the damage may be worry much
heavier; therefore 1t is likely that an i'm
mediate effort will be made to secure The |
rassngo of another resolution amending he
first so ms 10 permit such stores TO be sup
Piled,
ANXIETY At yICksBtHG.