The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-15
THE SOUTHERN FLOODS.
The Swollen Rivers Probably Now
Under Control. . e.-,
A SAD DROWNING ACCIDENT.
A Negro, with His Wife and Five
Children, Lose Their Lives in an
Effort to Save a Valuable Bull-The
Flooded Missouri.

A Negro, with His Wife and Five
Children, Lose Their Lives in an
Effort to Save a Valuable Bull-The
Flooded Missouri.
Memphis, April 16.-The river con-
tinues to slowly rise at Vicksburg and
all points south, and the situation
along the Louisiana system of levees
is acute. The waters are being hurled
outward with tremendous force, and
several thousand men are working day
and night In the effort to hold the em-
bankments intact. Reports from the
overfiowed Mississippi delta are not
encouraging. The expected fall in the
waters has not occurred. Many plant
ers express the fear that the flood will
not recede until June-too late to plant
this years crop.
Much suffering still exists In the Sum-
flower and Boguephalia country, where
hundreds of negroes have deserted
their cabins and are huddled on the
high grounds. Many cabins are sub
merged to their very roofs, while sew
eral have been swept from their foun-
dations and carried away by the cur
rent.
A distressing accident occurred ten
miles west of Helena, Ark. Sylvester
Sanders, negro tenant on the Joel
Higgins farm, left with his wife and
five children for high ground. He took
into his tlatboat a large bull which he
valued highly. When within a mile of
the hills the bull, which was almost
famished. attempted to eat the small
he, nf La INvr
which the boat was being laboriously
passed. The animals action tipped the
boat and frightened the inmates, who
made frantic efforts to right it. In the
excitement the animal kicked the side
of the boat to pieces and the entire
family was drowned. Near Greenvllle
two negroes were drowned in an at
Word reached Vicksburg yesterday
that many negroes We're in imminent
peril at Davis Island, where the break
in a private levee occurred on Tues
day and assistance was asked for.
Two relief steamers were Immediately
dispatched to the island.
Dispatches from Omaha, Neb., say:
There is less danger of the threaten
ed cutoff by the Missouri river and
unless there is an unlocked for rise or
a wind from the north 1t is not pos
sible that much more damage will be
done. The hastily built dyke that
stemmed the torrent from Florence
lake on Tuesday was greatly strength
ened yesterday, and has almost stopped
the flow at the most threatening point.
The water has spread out over wider
stretch of territory, and surrounds a
70 t,,t ho nhnr In
of the channel of the Missouri has been
ayerted for the present at least.
The workmen employed along the
levee struck yesterday for double pay.
They were getting Is cents an hour.
and demanded 30. Their demands were
refused, and they quit work. Other
men were easily secured.
On the Iowa side of the river south
of Council Bluffs the water has inun-
dated farms for a distance Of three
or four miles back from the stream.
The water came up in the night, and
the farmers report many hogs cattle
and horses drowned. These reports are
coming in from every point along the
river as far south as st. Joseph. The
flood Is the worst since the one in 1881,
and is doing immense damage to prop
erty along The river edge. The flood
seems to- have reached its height, and
will probably fall from now on.