The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-25

longer continuance of the distressing
scenes.
Today the most alarming reports con-
corning the condition of the levees above
and below Memphis have been in circu
lation in Memphis, but they have particu
lar reference to places below this point
At Helena it appears that the people
have faith in the protection which the
government has furnished them at such
large expense, but this confidence was
based on the expectation that the rise of
the river would have some reasonable
limit, being treasured by floods of pre-
vious years. and that it would have come
to standstill or begun to fall before
now, but the river continues to rise, and
will do so for some time, according to
the weather bureau. The local rains also
had their effect in disheartening the peo-
pie who have placed their reliance in
the levees These. local rains, continuing
for so long a time and coming down with
such force, softened the earth of which
the levees are composed and made them
the more susceptible to the sweep of the
river. The levees ut most places are
built to extend three or four feet above
the highest water mark of the locality
| where they are constructed. 1t seems
now that this allowance of altitude has
about been consumed by the rising
, waters The following figures show how
near the flood approached the top of the
levees:
At Oldtown the river'is inches above
the previous high water mark; at Vel
! lowbanks it is 9 feet above the previous
| high water mark; at Modoc, 2 feet 8
inches, while at Laconia the river is a
/ few inches above the previous high water
mark.
Up to this time the people have exerted
their utmost strength to solidify and pre-
serve the levees, believing that by care
full watching and by applying remedial
measures wherever there was prospect
of break, disaster could be prevented,
but the reports from down the river indi-
cate that hope has been lost in many
places.
! The United States engineer force for
| the districts have been doing everything
in their power to protect the levees and
relieve the sufferers. The Mississippi
requests, has transferred some $4,000
! from the funds at its disposal, to be used
in the protection of these districts dur
! ing the high water.
| Information from Modoc. Avenue
Bridge, Allen Lake, and other places be-
low Helena, is that the water has not
gone over the levees, but owing to the
mushy condition of the ground it is not
believed possible 20 protect the banks
from the ever rising river. Many people
in the districts mentioned are fleeing for
their lives. The government steamer
Booth carried Il large number of sacks
of sand to the Modoc locality and to
points below. AT that place the govern
ment has only recently spent many
thousand dollars in completing the
Strengthening of the levees.
There is positive information that The
levee constructed under the direction of
the st. Francis levee board near Carruth-
crsville, Mo-. has been cut, and the belief
is prevalent in that locality that the work
was done by persons living on the Ten
nessec side, who hoped. by making an
opening for the flood on the Arkansas
side, to decrease the flood and save prop
erty on the Tennessee side.
Officials OF the st. Francis lcvee board
| who are in this city thought very likely
| the cut. was not serious and it could be
repaired in time to prevent more dan
gerous crcvasse and to prevent people be-
ing flooded out inside the levee
The reported break in the levee at
! Glendale. Miss, can not be confirmed.
and it is thought to be premature.
Hundreds of refugees were landed here
by the relief steamers today and tonight,
and are being cared for by the committee.
Tonight Il report is current that the
levee had broken at Hillhouse, Miss, and
| the fine Ferguson plantation is being
flooded. A steamer with men and sand
has been dispatched to the scene of the
| reported break.
The railroad situation is the worst ever
known in this section of the country and
it is due to the flood of the Mississippi
and excessive rains through this section
of the country. The Yazoo and Missis-
sippi is still abandoned on account of the
trouble just south of this city. The Hi
nois Central is running its trains over
the Kansas City, Memphis and Birming
ham to Holly Spring. The Memphis and
Charleston has two feet of water over
its tracks on the river bottoms. and is
weakened by the same situation at the
crossing just this side of Tuscumbia Ala,
with possibly Il bridge gone there. The
Iron Mountain is still holding out to car
ry all the western trains through the low
lands of Arkansas.
WEATHER BUREAU WARNING.