Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-04-03
THE MARCH OF ANGRY wAreRsi


1t Brings DesolatIon TO New Districts in
the Misslssippi DcItn-Breaks In thd
Levees Widen.
VIcKsBURa, Miss, March 3I,-The
high water record at this place since
1862 was broken Tuesday, the gauge
reading 1913 feet A third crevasse is
reported in the Mississippi seven miles
above Arkansas City. Its waters, ad-
ded to other crevasses, will complete
the inundation of the lower Mississippi
delta. The Louisiana levees are hold
ing, but Lake Providence reports that
the water is running over Pitchers
Point levee for two miles. The break
at Perthshire, short distance below
Australia, is serious. 1t has widened
to 1900 feet and is cutting its way fast.
break occurred yesterday morning
at Mound Landing, Bolivar county,
seven miles north of Arkansas City.
This break has reached a width of 500
feet and is widening fast. President
Maxwell, of the Fifth Louisiana dis
trict, says that unless unforeseen events
occur, the Louisiana levees will hold.
HELENA, Ark, March 31.-The river
rose two and half inches during the
last "a hours. The weather has cleared
and is sunshiny, giving needed
breathing spell to the people working
on the levees. The Iron Mountain
trains have been shut out of Helena
owing to the baclSwater in the St..
Francis river having flooded the track.
After the severe gale of Monday
evening, repairs are being made in the
whole line of levees in order to be-
ready for the bad weather yet to ar
rive. A citizens committee has raised
$1,000 for prosecuting the work. Camp
Black, established by the relief COM,
mittee for the care of the colored refu-
gees, is now village of nearly 900
souls. The refugees, both white and
black, are working with will.
The break in the levee ten miles be-
low Greenville, Miss, is the worst so
far to occur. Thousands of feet of the
levecs, weakened by the high waters,
are melting away like sand. The water
is rushing into Mississippi with fright
full velocity. The inhabitants are flee
ing for their lives, leaving ali behind
Cattle, horses and other live stock are
drowning by the thousands and houses
and barns are being washed away like
driftwood. Fully 1000 people are al
ready homeless and at the mercy of
charity. The waters have already
reached 10 miles inland and the de-
struction of hundreds of farm houses is
inevitable.
Harvey Klemmer and two sons, who
attempted to save some stock, had
their boat overturned and were
drowned. 1t is reported that Mrs.
John Marshall and son were also
drowned. The famous plantations of
Jefferson Davis and his brother, Joseph
Davis, six miles below Vicksburg, are
doomed to become sea of water. Six
ty-two miles below Vicksburg is the
historic plantation of Gen. Zachary
Taylor. With the threatened rise of
three more feet it will be total ruin.
JACKSON, Miss, March 31.-From the
great Yazoo- Mississippi delta comes a
wall of distress and the cry 1.-The levees
have broken" is heard throughout the
valley. Three fresh breaks were re-
ported Tuesday, through which i'm
mense volumes of water carry death
and destruction to thousands of happy
homes and devastating as fertile ter
ritory as is to be found on the globe.
The breaks that have occurred have
flooded and will flood before reaching
the Yazoo, perhaps week hence, the
counties of Bolivar, Washington, Shar-
key, Issaquena, Yazoo and portions of
others in which are comprised the
finest cotton farms in the world.
The greatest concern is for the city
of Greenville which, situated as it is
in the hollow of crescent formed by a
bend of the river and surrounded by it
on two sides, would be wiped out ofex-
istence should break occur in the inn
mediate vicinity
The streets of the city are 12 feet be-
low the summit of the levee, so that if
break once formed there would be no
way of stopping the Niagara and every
house in the place would be swept from
it's foundations and the remaining in
habitants it is feared hurled into eter-
nifty. Those who could have migrated
to the hills, but thousands still remain.