San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-21
TERRIBLE FLOODS.
WATERS ALWAYS RISING AND
MUCH DESTRUCTION FOLLOWS
Hundreds of Helpless People are Rescued
But Many No Doubt Have Drowned
Levee Patrol Set.
Special Wire to Sunday Light.

Special Wire to Sunday Light.
Memphis, Tenn, March 20.-A fur
Their half-inch rise in the Mississippi
means a devastation of property and
probably loss of life unequalled in the
flood history of this section. A rise
is threatened because rain is still fall
ing.
Seventeen persons are reported
drowned fifty miles below Carruthers-
vile, Mo.
A stretch Of country over fifty miles
long, from point seventy miles north
of Memphis to point fifty miles south
of the Tennessee metropolis is under
water, in places to depth of ten feet.
The fertile valleys of the Tennessee
and Arkansas are completely inun-
dated and many lives have been lost
and stock drowned, fencing and dwell
lings swept away, inhabitants desti-
tute and homeless and left to starve
or drown by the remorseless tide. Re
ports from tributary streams show
rain and rapidly rising river floods
soon to be emptied into the Mis-
sissippi adding to the danger when
hurled against the already weakened
levees. The levees are patrolled
hourly by armed and desperate men
provided with sand bags to strength
en- the weak places or to close threat
|ened crevasses and rifles TO shoot down
any miscreant who would venture TO
cut the embankment.
The floods now partake of the ma
ture of a deluge. So far as can be
seen nothing but water meets the gaze.
Six hundred people were rescued yes
terday on the Arkansas side of the
river and were taken to Memphis.
but there are flood districts so situat-
ed that relief boats cannot reach the
stricken ones. On Island No 80. one
hundred sufferers and considerable
live stock were rescued by the steam
err Itasca. Neither men nor beast had
eaten food for twenty-four hours
Human beings and helpless brutes
are huddled together awaiting assls-
lance all along the Iron Mountain and
Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gult
tracks. Five hundred people were
forced to fee from the floods in Dyer
and Obion counties, Tenn.
Nashville. Tenn, March 2O-The
Cumberland river is rising. Rain fell
all dsy Thursday and Thursday night
and continued Friday all day. There
is a prospect Of the greatest flood on
record. The highest record Of water
in the Cumberland river was in 1883
when IL registered IS feet. 8 feet high
er than at present. The outlook now
is that mark will be exceeded. Much
damage has already resulted from the
oyerfiowed low lands and more will
follow when the flood increases.
Large sections east of Nashville
have been under water for several
days. The river is already climbing
to the business houses on Front
street. Boats are now anchored to
the sidewalks and the prospect is that
the first floors Of buildings will be sub
merged.
DISPATCHES from the southern eoun-
ties of Tennessee and from Northern
Alabama report thirty-six hours OF
rainfall and terrible floods in that re-
gion. Great damage has been done
bridges and fences. Trains have
stopped running on the n. F. 4 s. rail-
road.
New Orleans, March 2O.-People in
the lower valley OF the Mississippi are
beginning to feel nervous over the re-
ports of the extraordinary high water
at all points north OF Vicksburg. AS
| the entire flood will have to pass here
| ii is feared considerable trouble is In
/ store for the country on the west side
Of the river from the Arkansas line
! 60 the gulf Danger also menaceS the
rich section OF country on the east
| CONTINUED on FOURTH PAGE