Evening star., 1897-04-08
THE WORK OF RELIEF.
Within Il Few Days the Disbursement
of Supplies VIII Desin.

of Supplies Viii IieEin.
Secretary Ager is pushing forward the
work CT relief for the flood sufferers, and
within a few DAYS the disbursement of
the raiions provided for by Congress will
begin. To-day the Secretary was in con-
sultation with Col Gillespie, president of
the Mississippi river commission, who WAS
summoned here by telegraph by the Sec
retary for that purpose. Col. Gillespie has
just returned from a visit of inspection
of the flooded districts along the lower
Mississippi, and backed by his experience
in the river improvements, was able to
give the Secretary q fair idea of the ne eds
of the situation.
1t is felt by Gen. Wilson and the other
engineer officers that with the appropria-
ton of $25o,000 already placed at their dis
posal by Congress for the protection cf
the improvement works, they will be able
TO restore the broken levees and get the
river banks into normal shape wherever
they are protected by the levees construct
ed by the national government and are
not state works. Already Capt. Fitch at
Memphis has been authorized to draw upon
the appropriation to the extent of $4,000
for the repairs necessary in his district,
which lies up the river from Memphis.
After further consultation among 'he
army officers respecting the procurement
of supplies, II has been decided to make
the purchases not only at Memphis but
also at New Orleans and St. Louis. AT the
two last-named cities there are already sta
toned officers of the commissary generals
department. and this morning Commissa.y
General Sullivan ordered Capt. Davis from
Chicago to Memphis to superintend the
purchases to he made there.
1t has been arranged with the citizens
relief committee of Memphis that the gov
ernment will procure the rations and medi-
st-aAe and yt1n how hoa H.
piled by the citizens committee, in chalg ge
of army officer, who will go along on
each boat TO make sure that Il proper dis
tribution is made.
Another Resolution Likely.
The attention Of the Secretary of War
has been called to the fact that under the
terms of the resolution passed by Con-
gress yesterday only rations can be pur-
chased. 1t is regarded as absolutely neces-
sary to authorize a supply of forage and
such stores to the people who have herd
ed the few cattle and horses remaining to
them on the levees and high grounds in
the flooded districts, else the damage may
be very much heavier. Therefore it is
likely that immediate effort will be
made to secure the passage of another
resolution amending the first so as to per-
nit such stores to be supplied.
Engineer Officers Statements.
General Wilson. chief of engineers TO-
day received the following kilograms from
engineer officers stationed in the flooded
Mississippi valley in response to requests
for information on the subject:
From Captain Derby. at New Orleans:
No breaks in my line yet. Levees un-
der severe strain now. but the worst has
not yet reached my district. We are MAX
ing every effort all along the line to pre-
vent any break"
From Captain Newcomer at Memphis
''Levees west of river in my district prac-
tieally intact. One crevasse of little i'm
portance on Amos bayou, about two miles
from upper end of levee system and
through this crevasse has inundated small
area, including Arkansas City. But little
damage or destitution apprehended from
this.
-Four crevasses in my district in Mis-
sissippi. one opposite Island Seventy one
southern side Concordia bayou, about eight
miles above Rosedaie; one at Stop Land
ing. Choctaw Bead: one northern side
Lake Lee. about eight miles below Green
vile. Width of breaks, about 500 to Loco
feet, April > Land now overfiowed or
that soon will be from these breaks
roughly estimated at about % by 100 miles.
No reliable information yet as to amount
OF loss or destitution caused by flood Will
depend largely on time flood continues
Interior points hitherto accessible by rail-
road VIII probably soon exhaust supplies
on hand, and can be reached only by skin
l think vague press statements Of enor-