River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-04-08
a SCENE OF DESoLATIoN.
Starvation Faces Fifty Thousand
Flood Sufferers.


Memphis, Tenn, April 5.-Fifty thou
sand persons are confronted with fam
inc. This is the shocking result of the
floods in the lower Mississippi valley,
which are spreading with every hour
that passes. All of the country must
come to the rescue of the homeless ref
ugees, or hunger, possibly pestilenee,
will make dire inroads on the victims.
Memphis, Tenn, April 9. - Another
disastrous break in the Mississippi levee
occurred Sunday morning at eight
o'clock at Flower lake, six miles below
Tunica, Miss. The most fertile farm
lands of Mississippi, lying in Coahoma,
la Flore, Quitman and Tallahatchie
cour ties, in the northern part of the
state, will be inundated and the newly
planted corn crops will be laid in waste.
The condition of the poorer classes
throughout the flooded area is indeed
critical. Thousands of refugees are be-
ing huddled on levees and spots of land
waiting for relief. The towns of Rose
dale and Tunica report that everything
possible is being done for these poor
people, but that funds and provisions
are fast becoming exhausted. In the
little city of Rosedale alone 1900 refu-
gees are being cared for by the citizens.
Half a hundred towns stand in six feet
of water and the yellow stream is creep
ing up slowly but surely.
Advices received tell of break in
the levee two miles south of Helena,
Ark. This is the levee for which the
people of southeastern Arkansas have
made such a desperate fight. The wa
tiers from this break win flood great
area and in all probability will back up
into the streets of Helena.
Omaha, Neb., April 5. - Special tele-
grams to the Bee from points in South
Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska bring word
of increasing floods in all the rivers.
Rain has fallen almost necessarily for
the last 20 hours over an area of more
than 100 miles in radius from Omaha,
the fall being fully four inches for that
time. This has greatly increased the
volume of water in the already swollen
streams, and now what are usually bah
bling brooks have been transformed
into raging torrents. Thousands ofacres
of farmland are under from four to six
feet of running water, and many fami-
lies have moved from homes in boats.
Along tie James river in South
Dakota a great many farmers had gone
back to their homes when the water re-
coded early last week, and are now
caught in the second flood. Sioux City
reports that the Missouri has passed the
danger line there and is OVERLOOKING
the lower part of the city. Cherokee
reports the second flood on the
Little Sioux worse than the first.
Washington, April 6.-The situation
in the flooded Mississippi district is be-
ing earnestly inquired into by the
president, and the Arkansas congress
sional delegation, headed by Senator
Jones, called upon Mr.. Mckinley to
urge upon him the advisability of send
ing special message to congress urg-
ing appropriate legislation for the re-
lief of the flood sufferers. A delegation
of citizens from Memphis. headed by
Representative Carmack. also called on
the same mission.
The president has received from the
governors of Louisiana, Arkansas and
Mississippi replies to his kilograms sent
out Saturday. All emphasize the need
of help in relieving the flood sufferers.
Memphis, Tenn, April 6. - The pre-
dictions made Friday that great disas-
ter TO the Mississippi delta would fol-
low the breaking of the levee at point
on the east side of the river north of
Helena, Ark, has been terribly realized.
The break at Flower lake. which oc-
CURED Sunday morning, has rapidly
grown from a dozen feet in length to a
thousand.
This crevasse is at the head of the
delta and will cause an overflow of the
northern tieI of counties in Mississippi
with the exception of part of Tunica.
s.. Paul, Mimi. April 6. = The river
at this point is still rising slowly, pass
ing the 1s-fOot mark Monday afternoon.
This is four feet above the danger line
and the flats on the West side are most
ly submerged, the residents Of the shan
ties and the smaller houses there hav-
ing been compelled to move out some
days ago. The loss is chiefly to the
poorer people, who are being cared for
by the city. Monday afternoon the wa
ter swept away several icehouses at
South st. Paul, with several thousand
tone ~