Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-04-03
FLOOD SITUATION.
Tho Mississippi River Now Like
an Inland Sea.
THE Loss OF HUMAN LIFE SMALL.
water Rushing Through Crsvasso Ten
Aaiiss below Helena, Ark.-severai 0thsr
Breaks In tho Banks Rcported-sit-
uatlon Gloomy ut vicksburg.


rainfall accompanied by n strong gale
from the west added to the horror Of
the food situation 100 miles below
Memphis In the Mississippi delta.
There IRE four breaks and each Is let.
ting In stream rs large rs the Ohio
river ut Cincinnati or the Hudson at
Albany, and this tremendous outflow
has caused fall of only one-tenth ut
Vicksburg, Immediately below the last
break. The rain and wind will prob
ably cause more breaks. The river Is
now like IN inland sea, and yesterday
afternoon telegram from point be-
low Rosedale, Miss, announced that
great waves were pounding against
the levee and that at frequent inter
walls the water tore itself loose from
the main channel and dashed over the
embodiment.
On the Arkansas side the levee nom
Helena to Arkansas City last night
was rs full Of holes rs the outer wall
of fertilization after siege. There
is break at Westover which occurred
ut an early hour yesterday morning.
A thousand men were at work on the
levees when the crash came. For
moment thin thread of water began
to trickle from the inner wall of the
embankment Experienced levee men
saw the danger and cried out u word
of warning, and the laborers rushed
back, but in FIVE minutes n gap so feet
wide and six feet deep was torn in the
wall Of earth. The break grew until
1t Is now several hundred feet wide.
This crevasse Is ten miles below Helena
and the water rushing through 1t will
destroy dozen splendid plantations,
and may back up to Helena. Other
breaks will probably occur on the Ar
kansas shore.
The LacogDia Ficrcel country, few
miles below Westover, is under water
This circle is surrounded by a Ievee.
The levee in the rear went to pieces at
n late hour Monday and tho water
rushed In and spread itself over $4,000
acres of the most fertile land in Arkan-
sas, cut up into plantations, giving sup
port to no less than 5000 people.
Last night Gunnisaa, Rosedale and
other small towas were under water.
The whole country will be inundated.
The water is spreading over the terri.
tory from Perthshire, Miss, to point
ten miles north of Vicksburg and back
from the river 30 or 40 miles. Already
the loss of cattle has been enormous.
The corn that was planted and grow.
ing is under the water and the prepara-
lions for cotton planting were well I'M
der way. II is difficult to estimate the
loss A thickly settled country con.
tanning an urea Of about 1000 square
miles, settled with farmhouses, negro
cabins and small villages, will he aood.
ed. The Yazoo & Mississippi Valley
railroad will have $50 miles Of track
under water before the flood is over.
The loss of human life SO far has
been small. Not q half dozen people
have been drowned in the delta, and
probably a dozen on the Arkansas
side, south of Helena. The upper
Hoods, which have prevailed in the st.
Francis basin for two weeks, claimed
probably no more than 30 victims, all
colored. Greenville, Miss, is still safe.
A telegram from vicksburg says the
situation Mt this hour is certainly
gloomy. kilograms from Assistant
Engineer Thompson report the situa-
tion ON the East Carroll and Madison
front, Louisiana, as critical. In order
to comprehend fully the area Of coun-
try threatened by the overflow, take
point just south Of Rosedale, Miss, on
the east bank of the river, in bolivar
county, and thence south to the Yazoo
river and west rs far, and in all proba- |
bility beyond the main line Of the va
ZOO 4 Mississippi Valley railroad. This
large scope Of country, the finest cot
ton lands in the world, and con-
tanning estates or plantations rivaling |
in extent many small kingdoms of the |
world, is seriously threatened, and al.
ready an immense amount Of damage |
has been done. Greenville has been |
crowded with refugees, principally ne
groes, for u week past, and gangs OF
them are marching hithcr and thither
all day long from point TO point of
danger, directed by their captains, the
foremen who are acting under instruc-
tions from their superior officers, the
engineers, who may very aptly be COM
pared TO generals in charge of an army
in the heat Of aoti0n