Evening star., 1897-04-16
RELIEVING DISTRESS.
Reports From Army ORcera I'm ii
Flooded Dfstficts.

Reports From Army ORcera I'm the
Flooded Dfstricts.
The Secretary of War today received the
following telegram from the officer sta
toned at Cairo, ILL.,:
Have completed inspection upper por-
tion of my district, Ashport to Cairo; con-
ditions slightly improved. Most extensive
crevasse below Charlottesville has widened
to thirty-two hundred feet. Engineer boat
is on the scene. Water falling at Cairo,
rising slightly below. About two thousand
refugees from this portion collected at
points on high ground. / have located
them, noted approximate number, estab-
lished relief stations and communica Ted
necessary details to Capt. Davis, who is
forwarding supplies from Memphis This
point Is natural center for general dis,ri
button by small semi-weekly packets tina.
know the landings and are expected; more
satisfactory and economical than chartered
boats. All relief stations but two are al
ready supplied from Memphis with five
days rations. Would recommend that sup
plies from st. Louis now here. in charge Of
Lieut.. Hedeken, be shipped in his care on
packet leaving Cairo for Memphis this
evening. Will save several hundred dol
lars per trip thereby. Can furnish distrib-
uting officer with details concerning sta
tions not already supplied and names Of re-
Sponsible conSigneeS."
Another one of the army inspectors tele
graphed from Greenville. Miss. that the
total area subject to overflow in his district
was about 1000 square miles, mostly in
Phillips county, Ark, and in Coahoma,
Quitman. Bolivar. Sunfiower and Washing
ton counties, Miss. He says that Flower
Lake crevasse is draining off, but that the
overflow IS inundating parts of Qu.tman,
Coatloma and Bolivar counties. The Con-
cordia break is draining into Bogue Phalia
and the overflow is covering Bolivar and
Washington counties.
1t is suggested that ten days supply of
rations be sent at the earliest practicable
moment to supply 1000 destitute persons
and 100 head CT stock in Quitman county.
in which thirteen townships are inundated;
also for 5000 destitute and 500 head of
stock In Coahoma county, where twelve
townships are flooded; for 5000 destitute
and $40 live stock in Bolivar county where
twenty-nine townships are inundated.
On the Arkansas side it is reported that
there are 1000 de stitute and 400 live stock
IN Philips and Monroe counties requiring
assistance. Thirty to forty days is the
estimated period Of time before iaborers
can go to work In the inundated area, but
as this period will vary with the locality
the inspector recommends that no supplies
be sent for a longer period than ten days.
After ten days" he says, "if the flood
does not to some extent subside, the desti-
tuition will reach its maximum and be
maintained at that until it becomes evident
that a crop this year is possible, in which
event the number of destitute will rapidly
diminish, and then the presence of relief
supplies in the district will be a positive
drawback to the prosperity of the district.
If. however, 1t becomes evident that a crop
this year cannot be made the destitution
ard suffering will increase and eventually
extend to perhaps one-half of the entira
population of the inundated country.
If the flood subsidies by the middle OF May,
as now seems likely, the destitution will
be by that time relieved. 1t will require i
fall of about six feet in the river before the
- i
ritory will drain out and planting can be-
GIN