The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-19
GREAT FLOOD CONTINUES.
Distress 10 the Overlooked Districts
Along the Mississippi
SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE PERISHup.
waist Deep waiting for Rcscuc
Bonts--Pitcous Scenes.

great flood claims Eve more victims.
Near Marion, Ark. Eta Nix and her four
children were trying to make their way to
Marion for shelter aud while attempting
to cross railroad trestle the strong cur
rent overwhelmed the little party and all
persisted. The Oldest child was n girl OF 10
years and the youngest an infant Of 8
months.
Tonight the Yazoo Valley railroad aban-
doned its trains owing TO tho encroach-
mont Of the water over its tracks Few
miles south OF Memphis. The railroad sit
uation on the Arkansas side of the river
remains unchanged, all trains entering the
city over the Iron Mountain tracks, which
remain a few inches above the water.
At Shreveport and New Orleans the river
continues TO rise.
The work OF rescue and relief goes for
ward with undated zeal. -Four rescue
steamers arrived here, bringing several
hundred refugees. nearly all OF whom are
destitute, to be cared for by the charity
of Memphis people. The relief committee
has its hands full. AS long as the over
flow continues funds will be needed TO re-
lieve the immediate pressing wants OF the
flood sufferers.
Inasmuch as all the sufferers practically
are residents OF Arkansas the relief com
mittee telegraphed to Governor Jones OF
| that Stnte. asking cooperation IN reiev-
| ing the dire distress into which thousands
| Of the people of his State were plunged,
The governor replied that there are no
| funds at his disposal.
The local relief committee has sent out
an appeal 10 the individual citizens Of Ar
| kansas Tennessee and Mississippi.
| The river is still rising at Memphis and
the indications are that IL will continue TO
| do SO for some time to come. The river
| tonight stands 1863 feet. rise since morn
| ing of one-tenth Such is the pronuncia-
mento of the weather bureau at Memphis
! Tho conclusion is that there Will be u con
tinuance of the rise In the river, Through
out tho entire northwestern territory I'll,
drainage from which swols the volume OF
water in the upper Missississi. the rain.
fall continues. The same conditions pre-
vail in the territory which feeds the Ohio
and other tributaries. while the heavies
rains OF all are descending over tho al
ready submerged Arkansas territory.
on the eastern side Of the river contln
nous rains are the rule. AT Memphis ant
throughout this district the rainfall In tbs
last twenty-four hours amounted to &c
inches while acrASs the river at Helena 1
was 2.24 inches, So long as the hcav,
rains continue there is small chance of
cessation Of the overflow.
shortly after j O'Clock yesterday an OF
acial bulletin was Sent on, from the wen,h
or bureau of Memphis, reporting a fall o
two-tenths of n foot In the river since yes
terday morning. This bulletin was pub
ished MS piece Of cheering news In tn
local press and WIS teleEraphed over thu
country. Subsequently Mr., Emery Of TIN
weather bureau discovered that the state
ment contained In tho bulletin was ahsu
I lutely erroneous; that no fall whatever ha
, taken place. but that the employee OF tn
: bureau who had read the gauge had mad
e | n mistake In the reading, AS q matte
y of fact the river was stationary from yes
4 terday morning at 7 o'clock until yostor
day evening at 6 O'Clock when the ris
. continued Mr. Emery deplores greatly IN
A mistake. M
i At Cairo tle rise coutinnos In about tn
n sane proportion tw9-tnnths of n foot bein
q recorded In the twenty four hours endin
! this morning, when the gauge indicated .
= feet. This is ten feet above The danger lin'
g and within two feet and n fraction OF tn
extreme high water marx reached about
week ago
At Helena. whore the rainfall was almot
I as heavy as at Memphis, being 2.i2 inchei
/. the river rose eght-tenths OF Il foot In IN
r ,wenty-four hours ending this morninl
o when the gauge Indicated 46.7 feet. while
: is I feet above the danger line.
: At Vicksburg the river rose tyo-tent
g OF a foot. gaugo registering l2.7 feet. Will
o ia IT feet above danger line.
. At Greensyille. the rise In the invent
|, four hours was six -tcnths OF loot, ~
/, feet being registered on the gauge. IN
ii 1. within two-tenths OF a foot OF the da
s | ger line