Evening star., 1897-04-07
F E D E R A L AID
The President Sends a Message to
Congress.
RELIEF FOR TEE FLOOD SUFFERERS
Local Authorities Unable Alone tc
Cope With the Situation.
A PIP D ISTRE s

Following is the text of the Presidents
message sent to Congress today:
To the Senate and House of Representative:
Information which has recently come to
me from the governors of Arkansas, Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana and from prominent
citizens of these states and Tennessee,
warrants the conclusion that widespread
distress, involving the destruction of a
large amount of property and loss of hu-
man life, has resulted from the floods
which have submerged that section Of the
country. These are stated, on reliable au-
thority, to be the most destructive floods
| that have ever devastated the Mississippi
valley. the waters being much higher than
the highest stage it has reached before.
From Marion, Ark, north of Memphis to
! Greenville. Miss, a distance of more than
$50 miles by river, it is reported there are
now at least fifty towns and villages under
water, and territory extending from 100
miles north of Memphis to 300 miles south
| and from five to forty miles wide, is sub
merged. Hundreds of thousands of acres
of cultivated soil with growing crops are
included in the submerged territory. In
this section alone there are from $1,000 to
$1,000 people whose property has been de-
stroyed and whose business has been sus-
pended. Growing crops have been ruined,
thousands of cattle have been drowned
and the inhabitants of certain areas
Threatened with starvation. As great
majority of the sufferers are small farmers
they have thus been left entirely destitute
and Will be unprepared for work even after
the floods have subsided.
The entire Mississippi valley in Arkansas
is flooded and communication with many
points cut off. In Mississippi a like condi-
ton exists. The levees in Louisiana, with
a single exception, have held; but the
water is rising and the situation there is
reported as being extremely critical.
Under such circumstances the citizens of
these states look for the cooperation and
support of the national government in re-
lieving the pressing cases of destitution
for food, clothing ard shelter which are be-
yond the reach of local efforts. The au-
| thorities who have communicated with the
executive recognize that their first and
| most energetic duty is to provide as far
as possible the means of caring for their
own citizens; but nearly all of them agree
| in the opinion that after their resources
have been exhausted, a sum aggregating
| at least sl5O.0m and possibly s2O0O0O viii
be required for immediate use.
Precedents are not wanting that in such
emergencies as this. Congress has taken
prompt. generous and intelligent action in
volving the expenditure of considera Bile
sums OF money, with satisfactory results
IN 1871 S5W.ooO was appropriated. and in
lss2 $Soo.ooo was also appropriated for re-
lief in the same direction, beside large sums
in other years.
The citizens relief committee of Memphis
which has taken prompt action, has al
ready cared for from 5000 to 1900 refugees
from the flooded districts and they are
still arriving In that city in large numbers
daily. Supplies and provisions have been
sent to the various points in Arkansas and
Mississippi by this committee; but the ut
most that can be done by these efforts is to
l'artly relieve the most acute cases of suf-
1eflng. No action has yet been taken for
the great majority of the Inhabitants living
IN the interior whose condition has ALREADY
been described.
Under these conditions and having exert
ed themselves to the fullest extent the
local authorities have reluctantly confessed
their inability to further cope with this dis
tresslpg situation unaided by relief from
the government. 1t has, therefore seemed
10 me that the representatives of tn. neo
PIE should be promptly informed of the ma
ture and extent of the suffering and needs
OF tnese stricken people. and l have com
munlcated these facts in the hope and he
hef that the legislative branch of the gov
ernment will promptly re-enforce the work
OF the local authorities in the states named
WILLIAM MCKINLEY
Executive Mansion, April Z 1897