The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-04-02
FORTY MILES WIDE
The Mississippi Insists on Breaking
All Records.
MANY COUNTIES SUBMERGED
The Jim and Other Rivers on the
Rampage-However. the Sit
uation Is Less Alarming
Than II Was.
MANY COUNTIES SUBMERGED

Memphis, April 1.-The Hood situa-
tion In the Mississippi delta above
Greenville is decidedly better tonight
as To the threatened loss of life and
further destruction of levees The half
dozen crevasses on the Arkansas aud
Mississippi shores between Helena and
Greenville have drawn an immense
volume of water out OF the main chan
Lcl, which is spreading over the low
lands. but not with that degree OF
rapidity that cuts OF escape by the in
hahitants Of the low countries. The
river shows decline from a point be-
low Helena To the Wayside crevasse.
The decline above Grcenville in many
places Is as great as 10 inches. How
ever. Helena. Ark, is not out Of danger,
for the waters from the st. Francis
basin Arkansas are still swelling the
channel Of the main river from the
mouth of the ~. Francis to point
south Of Helena, as no break occurs
until Westover Is reached, 10 miles be-
low the city. The worst at Helena will
be over by Sunday.
The damage Ia the farming country
in the delta cannot he exaggerated.
Five counties will be- for the most
part. under water for 30 days and the
main line and branch lines of the
Yazoo X Mississippi Valley road Will
have more than 100 miles Of track in
undated.
Opposite the Perthshire. the upper
CreNasse. a mile of track has been COM
pletely washed away. Probably 20 rail-
road stations and small towns are
Hooded Tonight. The greatest danger
now is tn the south Of GreenVille, as
the levees from Waysidc In the mouth
of the river must begin Ia feel the
pressure of the movement of water
hack into the channel from the delta.
the White river country and the st.
Francis basin. From Memphis tn
Crawley's ridge the river Is now 40
miles wide \ line east and west On
the water across Rosedale would prob
ably be 30 miles long.
Another rise nf Une-tenth of a foot
in the river at Memphis Is shown. AT
Cairo an encouraging fall In the river
Il shown. Shreveport and other points
below Nicksburg report continued
rise. The Louisville a Nashville and
the Louisville. Chattanooga a 81. Louis
railroads resumed direct traffic com
munication with Nashville tonight
after cessation OF two weeks due to
high water of the Tennessee river.
Omaha. April IA special 10 the Bee
from Mitchell. :. D., says; More than
200 feet of the Milwaukee roads
track. two miles east Of here, was
washed out this morning. leaving the
bridge intact hut in danger Of being
carried away. Jim river has risen fully
three feet since yesterday afternoon
and lis fully mile In width In places
The railroad Is shut of from reaching
here on It's east line. ON the Omaha
road. 200 feet from the approach To the
bridge an the west side and 100 on the
east. are doomed and will go out with
the Hood tonight. The river Is expect
ed to rise tomorrow when the big
Hoods get down from the north. Sew
eral farm houses in the Jim river hot
toms are now nearly covered with
water.
A special to the See from Sioux Falls
says: The Big Sioux river IL higher
than ever known. and Is still rising.
Lake Kampeska. in which the river
has It's source, has risen five feet and
/ is still rising. Al Castlewoud the valley
and lnwlands are Hooded. At Sioux
Falls business along the river has been
suspendcd The bottoms above the
| city are broad sea. and much fear Is
expressed The flood from the north Is
/ still to come. The damage To bridges
; in Minnehaha county alone 50 far IL
I $4,000. \ special from Yankton says
the Jim river is still rising, but no
great damage has been done.