Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-04-08
FLOOD OUTLOOK.
The Situation at Many Points Is
Extremely Alarming.
PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM EXPOSURE
The Mississippi River Il Rising at st. Louis
In Opposition TO the Forecast-Mer-
chants Along the Leyee Trans
ferring Their Goods.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, April S.-The food
situation has once more become acute.
From point few miles above Austin,
Miss, as far down as the first break at
Perthshire, Miss, crevasses in the line
of levees would not be surprising. The
pressure on the levee is brought about
BY the waters Of the St. Francis basin,
which is here congested between the
levees in front of Helena There is nc
levee on the Arkansas down to Sans
Souci, to a point above Helena distance
of 100 miles, and it is at Austin that
the levee system on each side OF the
river begins and goes to the pass IS be-
low New Orleans. The waters are now
10 high in the st. Francis basin that
the current rushes from the west and
cuts along the east shore levee tor
miles, and several alarming kilograms
have been received from near Austin
and the situation is most grave. A
crevasse at Austin would inundnte a
strip of fertile country in the Tunica
and Coahoma counties 20 miles wide
and go miles long.
Reports from Helena. Ark, show
that the river there is still slowly rs-
| ing, and it is almost miraculous that
the levees at Helena have not broken.
Thousands of people have been work.
ing day and night, and their energies
are seemingly exhaustless. The Mis-
souri, Pacific and Cotton Belt roads
have rushed train load after train load
of sacks of sand into the beleaguered
city, and still stand ready to help the
Helena people.
Greenville is on an island, and Rose
dale, Miss, is in water from five to ten
feet deep. Thousands Of head OF cattle
are standing on the levee, and many
unfortunate refugees sleep there VITA
no covering to protect them froIl the
water-soaked winds Of night Back OF
Rosedale and throughout the lower
and middle delta country everything
is under water. In many villages
communication with the outside world
has been cut oil for several days. The
threatened rise ut Cairo is now
certainty. Tbs Mississippi above
Cairo and the Cumberland and
Tennessee rivers will send a great
! flood into the already filed st. Francis
| and from Cairo to Memphis 1t is feared
| that the delupe will mark high water
figure that will be without prece-
dent. The calls for assistance from
numerous points along the river are
becoming more and more frequent at
headquarters Of the relief committee
in Memphis The commission is in re
ceipt of information that there are
some Is or 20 white people, principally
women and children, in great distress
| at a point near st. Claire's landing
about Is miles up the river, which IL
some six miles from Mound City. The
people are located in houses, the lower
floors of which are overtlowed, anc
they have no food and no means OF OBJ
tanning it. Arrangements were madt
| to send supplies.
MISSISSIPPI RISING AT ST. LOUIS.
ST. Louis, April S.-Ths aggravatine
conduct Of the Mississippi at st. Louis
in persistently refusing to abide at the
height set for it by the weather bureau
Is worrying forcasters. Old river mer
declare the water will be over the levet
| by tonight. the weather bureau not
withstanding, and they are making
preparations for that event Al
lit is the big wharf boats art
virtually roosting On the levee. The
cellars of many houses along the rivel
front are already flooded, and there
is every evidence that an immense
amount of damage will be done. A
very few more inches will bring tn,
water onto the street which tops tn,
levee, and there is every prospect of !
coming half way to Main street. Mer
chants along the levee are taking NJ
chances, and the river front last nigh
presented a busy scene, hundreds o
laborers being engaged in transferring
merchandise and other movable ma
terial from the levee stores to place
Of safety, and are arranging to keep a
much Of the water as possible from en-
tering the houses.
The situation at East st. Louis |
more threatening. The water ha
already made its way about 20 feet i
on the banks. and the predicted ris
will move it up to the railroad tracks
from which point it will easily find il
way over the island, as the countr
| slopes downward from that point Th
bottom lands on both sides of the rive
north and south Of st. Louis are alread
under water, and the overflow Is bein
slowly backed up into the country b
| hind it. 1t is this back water, intensitie
S by the predicted rise, that the peop
In East st. Louis and in and abo,
9 BADEN fear. Venice and the wester
? portion of Madison, H., is snbmergt
+ In water for some distance east of IL
Q river
H-H-NnAaC ACAI FEAT