The San Francisco call., 1897-03-29
ALARMING RISE Of
THE MISSISSIPPI
L9wlands Inundated by the
Swirling, Rushing
Waters.
IL the Levee Districts the Pros
poets Appear to Be Very
Gloomy.
Mills Are Swamped and Farmers Along
the Flats Are Now Fleeing
for Safety.

QUINCY. Ill. March 2S.-The Missis-
sippi River continues 10 keep up its aver
age of the past week and marked another
rise of six inches to-day, bringing the
stage ND 10 fifteen feet above low-water
mark. Reports from northern points are
very discouraging, and the Indications are
that tomorrow will see another six-inch
rise. The situation is growing worse
hourly. Hundreds of families have been
driven out OF the lowlands which are un-
protected by levees.
The water has inundated the Missouri
bottoms for a distance of seven miles
back from the river bank. Up in the
levee districts things look gloomy. AL
though the water has not yet reached the
top OF the levee break is expected at any
time, and big force OF men is working
day and night to strengthen the weak
places. Another force is engaged in pa
trolling the levee. The damage already
done by the food is great, but is nothing
compared 10 what it will do to the thou
sands of acres of cultivated land between
here and Warsaw, should the levee break.
l.
cast of the Government signal service that
the Missouri and the upper Mississippi
rivers would rise to the danger point has
been well verified and new high-water
marks are being made. That stretch of
Iowland country on both sides of the Mis-
sissippi River, from the mouth of the Des
Moines to the hills below Hannibal, Mo-,
and Quincy, ILL.,, is under water. AT Quincy
the record tonight is 1913 feet, with
rising river. This is two feet above the
DANCER line. There is great suffering
among the farmers. This sea of overflow
has ruined every farm from Palmyra
north for forty miles to La Grange.
9fou,d the rise reach another foot every
railroad in the valley will have to be aban-
doned Portions and Ward ISLANDS. be-
low Quincy, are inundated and the settlers
barely escaped with their lives The In
dian grave leyee north of Quincy, that
protected 20 600 acres of farm land. was
still intact tonight but little more water
would sweep it away.
+ At Louisiana, No, the water is spread
ing over the lowlands.
At Burlington, Iowa, the river is five
miles wide and has destroyed several N ills
on the flats.
At Alton, ILL.,, the rise yesterday was
very rapid. Rescue boats are busy bring
ing families and stock to Quincy from the
lowlands.
ST. PAUL, MINI, March 28.-The Bo-
hemian Flats on the east side OF the Mis-
sissippi River are half under water to-
night and the residents nearest the river
have been forced to take to the hills. The
oe ha re i'll n
all night to watch the rise OF the river.
The gauge showed that the river had
passed the ten-foot mark shortly before 10
O'clock this morning and since that hour
there has been steady rise. The ice has
been going out all day and gorged at the
high bridge and Sonth st. Paul.
As IL is thawing very rapidly the gorged
ice is becoming rotten and will break
away probably during the night. Lake
Peppin, the arm OF the Mississippi at
Lake City, is reported still solid, but it is
expected to break up during the next
three days. All the rivers to the north
are rising and there will be considerable
further rise. However, if there is no rain
it is not believed the water will go up
more than four feet more.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 28.-The
following special river bulletin has been
issued by the Weather Bureau:
The crest of the flood wave is sill at Cairo,
which shows a stationary gauge reading five
and one-sixth feet for the past four days.
There is great danger vet to come from the
food in the region from Helena southwark to
New Orleans.
The river will continue to rise for at least
ten days in the region from Helena southwark
to Vlcksburg and to rise during longer
period from Vicksburg southwark.
If no break occurs before, levees will be SUBJ
jeeted to the greatest strain about April 10
in Southwestern Kansas, Western Mississippi
and in Louisiana Should the levees break
the result will be one of the most disastrous
floods ever known.
Weather conditions now indicate additional
heavy rainfall in the Middle and Lower Mis-
sfssippi Valleys, which will materially inten-
sify the flood conditions.
Those living in districts overfowed in
former years should be on the safe side and
transfer stock and movable property to
places OF safety while there is yet time.
WILLIS L. MOORE, Chief of Bureau.
MEMPHIS, TENN, March %. The local
Weather Bureau tonight reports that
cyclonic distur Dances, central near Aus
tin, Tex, this afternoon are sweeping In
and will probably strike tomorrow after
noon, bidding fair to create havoc with
the levees.
DALLAS, Tex, March 28.-The big rains
that subsided two days ago broke loose
again last night and precipitated a worse
food than before. All railroad traffic
centering at Dallas is tied up and much
damage is being done. Two bridges on
the Santa Fe south of Dallas have been
swept away and one on the Missouri, Kan
sas and Texas. Bad washouts are reported
on other lines. There are rumors of a
cyclone having passed over the country
to the southwest of Dallas this evening,
but confirmation is lacking.
MEMPHIS. TENN. March 29-1 10 A. M.
"A message just received says that large
break has occurred in the levee at Way
side, Miss, nine miles below Greenville.
The break is reported to be bad one.
FIERCE WINDS IN TEXAS.