The San Francisco call., 1897-04-07
RESCUE OF THE
FLOOD REFUGEES
Expeditions Sent Out to Get
Negroes Shut Up in
Houses.
Thousands of the Homeless Being
Cared For in Tents on
the Hillsides.
While the Stu ;tion Is Thought to
BE Improved, the Worst Is
Yet to Come.

special to the Daily States, dated Helena,
Ark, April 6. says: The river declined
eight inches last night, making two feet
from the highest mark reached this year,
but still foot and half above the high
est flood mark of previ Gus years. The
danger is not over, but the situation is
| improving The number OF refugees is
increasing every hour, as beleaguered FAM
lilies from points remote from the river
are arriving.
Several expeditions were sent out OF
here to-day to rescue negroes on back
plantations, who are cooped up in GIN
houses and barns. The overflow on Old
Town Ridge. which is provided with a
private ievee, is deeper by two feet than
ever Known before.
Engineers calculate the crevasses in the
Arkansas levee and from Helena to La
coma, thirteen in mum ber, are carrying Off
third as much water as is conveyed in
the channel OF the river. Helena is pro-
tected by cross-levees. Drainage and
seepage water is being pumped out by
! powerful hydraulic pumps running day
and night. There is dust on the streets
here, while wall of water to an average
height of fifteen feet surrounds Helena.
The city Is taking care to-day of 1900
homeless negroes camped in tents on the
hillsdes. Railroad trains all stop out of
the city three miles, mails, passengers and
express being transferred by boat, one
road, the Arkansas Midland, being the
only one able TO re acn the city.
ST. LOUIS. NJ o., April Especial tele-
grams 10 the Scripps-McRae Press Asso-
citation from points along the river indi-
cate that very threatening condition of
things prevails. At some points the river
is stationary and at others it is actually
falling, but everywhere there is the feel
ing that the worst has not yet arrived,
and news from higher points on the river
seem 10 confirm these forebodings,
At Helena, Ark, and at Greenville
Miss, where the water has been so high,
II is now going down, but the subsistence
will probably be but tenn porary. Further
south, at Natchez, the river is slowly ris-
ing, and the greatest anxiety prevails.
The Levee Commission at NatcheZ has
issued warning predicting the worst
overflow in the history of this country
and entreating every man and boy in that
part of the State to suspend all business
and begin work strengthening and raising
the levees to meet The expected deluge.
This advice IS being taken, and work on
| an extensive scale Twill probably be put
into operation in that part OF the State.
Another place where there is the great
est anxiety Is at st. Joseph. Mo-, where
the weter is already dangerously high and
still rising.
AT Kansas City the river is almost up to
| the danger line and IS steadiy y rising. Un-
less some change occurs quickly extensive
floods will occur on the lowIands all along
the river.
The news from New Orleans is of an en-
couraging character. AT all the weak
! points along the river the levees have been
strengthened and preparations have been
! M ade to transfer material quickly to any
| part that may be threatened with a break.
| AS to the city levees there is no anxiety
| for the water that may come down can be
easily handled, and q break in them Is not
| considered possible.
| VERMILLION, s. D.. April 6.-The
! flood emerging from the Jim River has at
! last come in sight OF this CITY. From an
| eminence can be seen vast sheet of
water just above the Lee and Prentiss
farms, TWO miles from here, reaching from
bluff TO bluff. But one train reached here
! from the East to-day and yesterday and it
was unable 10 go further west. No trains
from the West have reached this city
| since last Thursday.
The tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee
ana St Paul Railway are washed out as
| far east as Mecklen. six miles west of
here. and that village is under wafer. At
! Gayville, fifteen miles above, the people
are taking refuge in the top stories of
| their houses. Much stock and property
will be destroyed on the bottoms betwee n
the Vermillion and Missouri rivers IS the
bridges which were washed out by the re-
cent food have not been repla Ced, cutting
! off al. avenue of escape.
| WASHINGTON, ID. c., April 6.-Late
this afternoon President Mckinley and
| Secretary Alger had a conference about
the proposed message to Congress recon-
mending Federal reIef for the food suffer-
ers in the Southwest. They examined
and discussed the Bate resolution, which
passed the Senate yesterday, making
avaiia able the epidemic fund.- for the
purchase of supplies TO succor the dis
tressed people, and finally came to prac-
| tical agreement that this resolution re-
moved the necessity, ETC., TO the end. The
President will not leave Washington on
his outing until the Bate resolution or
some other relief measure has been signed.