The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-04-17
FLOOD SUFFERERS RELIEF.

N1aOe Dy the war Dep3TmenI-"hl ~
Operate 9th the Citizens Committee o
Memphis
WASHINGTON, April 9.-Touching TIT
matter of relieving the people in the
flooded districts, which has been sep
arated from the matter of repairing
the levees, the secretary of warhas made
some change in the detail of officer:
heretofore announced. The service:
of the engineering officers are
80 badly needed in other di'
rections that the two members
of that corps, Col. Haines and Capt
Gaillard were relieved and two in
fantry officers were substituted, so thai
the detail now stands: Maj. Sanger
inspector-general; Maj. Craig, signal
corps; Capt. Clarke, ordnance depart
ment; Capt. Martin, quartermaster's
department; Lieut.. Richman, Ninth
infantry, and Lieut.. Rowan, Nine
tenth infantry. The last two named
officers are o on duty at the infor'
nation bureau here.
After further consultation, it has been
decided to make the purchases not only
at Memphis, but also at New Orleans
and st. Louis. At the two last named
cities there are already stationed Off
GERS of the commissary generals de-
partment, and yesterday Commissary
General Sullivan ordered Capt Davis,
one of the best officers of his corps,
from Chicago to Memphis, to superin-
tend the purchases to be made there.
1t has been arranged with the citi-
zens' committee of Memphis that the
government will procure the rations
and medicine and place them on boats
to be supplied by the citizens commit
tee, in charge of an army officer, who
will go along on each boat to make
sure hat a proper distribution is made.
The attention of the secretary of wal
has been called to the fact that under
the terms of the resolution, passed by
congress Wednesday, only rations can
be purchased. 1t is regarded as abso-
lutely necessary to authorize the sup
ply of forage and such stores to the
people who have herded the few cattle
and horses remaining to them on the
levees and high grounds in the flooded
districts, else the damage may be very
much heavier. Therefore, it is likely
that an immediate attempt will be
made to secure the passage of another
resolution amending the first SO as to
permit such stores to be supplied.
The Situation at New Orleans, Upon ths
Whole, Reassuring.
New ORLEANS, April 9.-The river
rose to 1874 feet last night. This is a
rise of .O7 in the last n hours. Last
evening New Orleans participated in
what seems to have been a pretty gen.
eral rain and thunder storm.
The levees on the river front are
holding out well and up to this writ
ing there is no justification for the en-
tertainment of an opinion contrary to
that frequently eXpressed-that, as a
system, the New Orleans levees are
perhaps the finest in the territory af-
fected by the overflow and easily able
to stand any ordinary pressure.
The levees in Plaquemine parish, I'M
der control of the La Fourche and
Buras boards, contain within their
jurisdiction perhaps the weakest spots,
but even there it is denied there is any
conspicuous feature to give rise to
alarm. The entire river front is
being splendidly guarded. Information
from the levees in the fifth Louisiana
district up to six o'clock last night re-
ports everything holding well. Low
levees in Madison and TensaS parishes
are receiving the most careful atten-
ton. Everybody is thoroughly aroused
to the critical aspect of affairs.
A Poverty-Stricken Band of Negroes Az.
ply for Relief.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 9.-Telegrams
received last night from the flooded
areas OF the Mississippi delta report
the situation unchanged. A heavy
rain accompanied by a strong north
west wind prevailed all afternoon.
Information from the Flower lake
crevasse said that the break was 1, ZOO
feet wide. Every effort was being
made to tie the ends of the levee.
The town of Lulu is entirely shut
out except by telegraph.
Yesterday was ration day for the
destitute regions, and a more poverty
stricken band of negroes than those
gathered at the place of distribution
would be hard to picture. Only those
who were known to be actually in need
were supplied. The news had become
current among the negroes that the
government had sem rations, and
many who were yet able to take care
of themselves were previously disap-
pointed at not finding their DID,
the relief roll.
At Helena the river has fallen two
feet and eleven inches since the levee
gave wal on Sunday. The backwater
in the southern part of the city is at q
stand. Many flood refugees are being
taken to Helena and the number in
that city will now probably reach
(, 1000. The relief committee is doing
good work and no complaints have
been made. The river is falling at all
points between Cairo and Helena.
Within -Four Inches of the Danger Mark
Preparing for a Serious Flood.
KANSAS CITY, No., April AT six
o'clock last evening the Missouri river
had reached to within four inches of
the danger mark. According to the
predictions of the local weather OBJ
server, it will remain stationary for
two days or so, with a tendency to fall.
Many river men, however, differ from
this opinion, and think the river will