The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-04-17
THE WATERY WASTE.
The Situation in the Flooded Dis
trict at Least No Worse.
Confidence in the Levees Growing, But the
Chances of Making a Crop After the
Flood Subsidies Diminishing
A Cry of Distress.
The Situation in the Flooded District Nc
Worse.

standing the high winds and heavy
transform reported from the overfiowed
Mississippi delta, last night, the situa-
ton IN the food-stricken section, if not
better, as certainly no worse tonight.
The water which has been pouring
through five big ~crevasses for more
than a week is rapidly flowing into the
mississippi again at a point II miles
north OF Vicksburg, and is sweeping
with terrible force. The
strain on the Louisiana levees will be
something terrific for a week, and il
they Withstand the pressure for that
length of time all will be well.
The Suntiower river, which ira
verses the counties of Coahima, in Mis-.
slsslppi, is on a rampage tonight.
Iwo-thirdS of the water from the
Flower lake ~revas is rushing pell-
NEIL INTO this stream. and a large area
will be inundated from the overflow.
The Tallahatchie and Coldwater rivers
are gradually falling.
At Helena the river is slowly falling,
and indications are hat the big streams
will continue to decline. The backwa-
tiers below the Arkansas midland lev
ees are on a stand tonight. The num-
Der OF refugees is increasing at Helena
almost every hour. The steamer Maud
arrived there late this afternoon with
more than a hundred flood sufferers,
swelling the list already there to 5000
people.
At Rosedale nothing of special in
terest has occurred in the situation.
After a stormy night that caused build
ings to rock and sway like boughs of
trees, the sun came out bright and
clear in that section to-day, but a cold
north wind is blowing. In the Bogue
Phalia country much suffering is re-
ported. Members of the Rosedale re-
lief committee will visit hat section
tomorrow and distribute provisions to
the needy.
At Greenville the situation has not
changed. All the levees along the
Mississippi front satisfactorily with
stood the terrible wind of last night.
At Memphis the river continues to
fall. A decline of one-tenth of a foot is
reported by the weather bureau to-
night. The railroads, with one excep-
ton, are again open for business, and
in good shape and all trains are being
run on schedule time. Many dis
patches from Memphis have stated
hat the Iron Mountain was the only
line entering the city from the west
side. This is The Cotton
Belt railway has been open during the
ls-l r,o4ar ~ Alronroc 1,cDatnh1n-
its trains promptly and regularly. By
raising the tracks in the vicinity of
Birds Point, opposite Cairo, the road
had an uninterrupted service to and
from st. Louis.
Confidence in the Levee, but Little Chance
of Making a Crop.
VICKsBUBG, Miss, April 9.-Informa-
ton from all points on the Louisiana
side and the Arkansas state line down
to the lower end of the district, is that
while the high winds have done con-
siderable damage no serious results
followed last nights storm along the
entire front line of the levee banks
that are now put to such a Sc
we're strain by the waters
coming out of the Yazoo. Lieut.
Col. Newcomer, with headquarters
In Memphis, United States engineer in
charge of this, the third district, which
extends from the mouth of the White
river down to Warrenton, ten miles be-
low this city, telegraphs to Capt.
Brown, his assistant in charge, that
more money is available if necessary
and to do everything possible to hold
the levee and to prevent overfows.
Col. Newcomer had previously placed
$40, 900 to the credit of the emergency
fund here. This gives ample funds for
the high water fight that is now on.
President Maxwell stated yesterday
that the line in danger extends from
Henderson, 80 miles above Vicksburg,
to Warrenton, ten miles below. This
territory is being closely watched, and
large forces are at work raising the
low lines and strengthening the weak
places,
At the Bedford-Bi levee, ten miles
below, in Louisiana. the work is well
under way. and two days more, it is
thought, will put it out of immediate
danger. At Cabin Tell, in Upper Mad
ison parish, there was some wave-wash
damage last night, but it was all re-
paired to-day.
The Surget-Ashley run-around, built
to protect a caving bank in Concordia
parish, was completed yesterday. Mr..
Maxwell also stated that he has no
fears of the Tennessee ~levees, as they
are all five feet above highest water.
This line runs from Bedford down to
st. Joseph, a distance of about fifty
miles.
Capt. Long, a well-known levee con-
tractor, was in the city to-day, and
states that he rode over the line yes
terday from Ashwood, La, down to
Hard Times Landing, a distance of %
miles, and that the levees could stand
six feet more water. Mr.. Maxwell
states that if the levees hold until the
flood passes Vicksburg he will feel
comparatively safe.
Information from the delta is that
Deer creek and Suniower are rising
rapidly and are flooding all lands ad-
Joining. The damage done in the over
flowed section is almost beyond esti-
mate. Experience in past years is evi-
-dence that no corn can be raised on
.overfiowed lands of the season and not
an average crop of cotton.
Mr.. S. P. Metzger, president of the
Cotton exchange of this city, we'll in