Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-17
LEVEES WEAKENING.
DOUBTFUL IF THEY CAN STAND THE
TERRIBLE STRAIN.
LOUISIANA IN GREAT DANGER.
SERIOUS BREAK BELOW DELTA, La,
LATE LAST NIGHT.
Situation Is Desperate for Fifty Miles
Opposite VicksburS-River Is
still Rising Below the Ia
zOo-4u Available Men
Are Mt Work.

Memphis Tenn, April 16.-Advices
from Natchez and other points below
Vicksburg Indicate that the supreme
test in the food situation is at hand. The
swift current which is rising steadily, is
beating against the levess with such force
as to cause the gravest apprehension at
many places. At Natchez. the river is near
the top of the levee and everything possible
is being done to fight back the encroaching
waters.
All kinds of rumors have been current
to-day regarding wholesale loss of life on
Davis island, but diligent inquiry fails TO
confirm the story. II is known that three
negroes were drowned on the island, but
outside of these fatalities no further loss of
life is known TO have occurred.
At Vicksburg the river is rising at the
rate of four-tenths of a foot a day. The
swift volume of water pouring out of the
Yazoo into the Mississippi river at a point
twelves miles north of Vicksburg viii con-
tinue for several days.
The levees between Bedford store, four
miles south of Delta, La, TO Duckport. six
miles above. are in a precarious condition
tonight and every man and boy available
is at work strengthening the embankment
At some points in this stretch of levee the
water is washing over and the greatest
alarm is felt.
A more cheerful feeling exists in the delta
tonight At Greenville, the backwater
from Stops landing, which has been. rising
in the flooded part of the town for the last
three days. is stationary and will begin TO
fall tomorrow. Rosedale, FTiars Point,
Helena and other places report an encour-
aging Improvement in the situation The
river declined one-tenth of foot at Green
Vile to-day, and the fall of two-tenths of
a foot reported at Cairo gives renewed
hope that the vast amount of water will
recede in time to make good crop.
At Memphis, the river is stationary. Cap
tain Mccoy, of the steamer Bluff, arrived
In port from ST. Louis, and brings very
encouraging account of the Improvement in
the condition of the overfiowed territory
above Memphis.
Vicksburg, Miss, April 16.-Afidnight-A
dispatch has just been received from the
Vicksburg Shreveport & Pacific railway
office at Delta, reporting a big crevasse
about five miles south of Delta in the
Biggs levee, which occurred at IL o'clock.
This is the levee on which Boliver Thomp
soE has been working for several days
with force OF $40 men, Tree laborers and
convicts. 1t is a high levee. said to be
fully eighteen feet high. but fs built largely
of sand and has a thin cross section, with
insufficient slope. 1t protected a fne PLAN
tation country and its backwater viii Hood
much valuable plantation land. A des-
perate effort has been made to hold the
levee but there is no chance of closing the
creVasse, or of preventing its development
into disastrous break. There is strip
OF swamp about two miles wide Immediate
ly behind the Biggs levee, but beyond that
the backYater Will run over cotton lands
Secretary Lane, of the Fifth district leyee
board, Is of the opinion that the back
water VIII Hood TensaS and Concordia par
ishes. II is thought the flood will back up
on the Nicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific
road as far as Tallulah or farther. The
,af mr. hErrr N-irNp
TO all stations along its line.
1t appears impossible to find anyone here
at this hour who knows anything of the
topography OF the country which may be
overIiowed by this crevasse, but the gen.
eral impression is that its effects will be
extremely disastrous.
At the present time the situation along
the Louisiana leVees across the river
for nifty miles above and below this city
dwarfs every other feature of the flood
problem into temporary lnsignifcance. The
rise shows no sign of diminution and the
leVees are actually in danger OF being over
topped by the water now pouring out of
the fazoo basin, in "A sheet twenty-five
miles wide. for distance of ten miles
opposite this city. In spite of the evident
the weather bureau, very few persons are
removing stock 10 the highlands, though
All are taking other precautions. it Is be-
lieved. One hundred head of mules We're
brought to this city tonight from Sparta
here
itt l-NetS are weak, Dut the grel,eSt
fear is they cannot be raised fast enough
10 keep ahead of flood that is piling over
1our inches Of water daily on river al
ready at 524 feet on the gauge. In spite Of
these conditions, the levee forces are bat
Ting dosgedly against the flood night and
Day 1t Is the finest eXlmple of human en-
ergy and constanCy of heart TO be seen at
ms moment on the planet. The work of
relief Is going on Systematically. Some of
the negro refugees are finding employment
In the uplands, few having gone as far
as ElDuS county and here
planters oVerfiowed plantation is heard of
who has removed his people to the hills
determined TO make a cotton crop there
ana to plant his home place IN corn when
the water falls.
Natchez. Miss, April 16.-The gauge
notes "A rise for the past twenty-four hours
OF Al. Above and below here the levees
viii not stand any more water This is
The statement of Captain Thomas Rober,
OF the steamer St Joseph, engaged in res
cue work near Nicksburg The following
telegram was received from him to-day:
Rescued from Lovelrs place l69 per-
sons who would have gone under. To-day
brought in 800 VIII return by Lake Pal
myra and continue the rescue late to-
night The levees will not stand further
pressure-muSt GO"
The anxiety everywhere is intense
lhe creNaSSe water now coming out and
discharged about opposite Milliken's bend
leNee and the force of the volume dis
charged at the mouth of the YaZOo en-
goFges and banks up the water of the
Mississippi considerably on the Iouisiau ma
That the situation there is critical is be-
NCnd question.
New Orleans, April l6.-ConsiderabIe in
convenience is being experienced on the
river front over the handling of freight on
account of the water now lodged on the
levees. The appeaia ance of things is very
much worse than their actual condition
hut II cannot be denied that the appear
ance of the wharVes to-day looks exceed
ingly gloomy. At certain stages of the tide
the river becomes flush with the leVee and
runs over. and when the water recedes il
leaves deposits of mud behind. In low spots
several inches of water stands. Protection
levees have been put up. and these are be-
ing raised as required The Southern Pa
cific and Northeastern roads have found
il necessary TO raise their tracks on the
river front. The permanent levees are
holding out very wel. in spite of the
gloomy outlook and the nervous inror-
nation forwarded from the government
weather office. Well posted levee engineers
are of the opinion that at least the Ievees
OF Orleans parish will stand intact. Some
fears are entertained about some of the
ST Bernard and Plaquenine parish en-
bankments. The gauge at the head OF
Canal street tonight showed 1SG feet, a
rise of one-tenth of a foot.