The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-18
Crops Under Water, Bridges Washed
Away and Number of Black
Farm Hands Drowned.
FOUR TO NINE INCHES OF RAIN
REGULAR TORRENT FROM THE
CLOUDS At SEVERAL POINTS.
and Telephone Wires
bound and Occupants Hungry.

NEW ORLEANS. April n.-Damage to
the extent of thousands of dollars has been
done to railroad property, crops and
bridges by floods in the middle gulf States
caused by the record-breaking rains Of the
past two days The downpour has covered
louisiana Mississippi and Alabama and
has ranged from four to nine inches. 1t
has sent all the country streams out of
their banks, caused a complete suspension
of railroad traffic over a large section, re-
suited in the loss of innumerable bridges
and caused the overflow of large tracts of
cotton and corn, much of which must be
replanted. The loss of life so far reported
is small, being confined so far to the
drowning of few negroes in country dis
tricts while trying to save live stock and
other property.
Eight inches of rain fell at Amite City,
La, in twenty-four hours and over nine at
Vicksburg. The Illinois Central Railroad
is unable to move along it's main line and
roundabout journey over the Mississippi
Valley tracks is being resorted to- Heavy
winds accompanied the rainstorm and tele-
graph and telephone wires are down all
over the State, while bridges have been
washed out and mails delayed. Because of
these hindrances reports from northern
and central Mississippi have been meager
to-day. The heaviest rains those sections
have experienced for many years have
fallen within the past two days.
No trains have passed through jackson,
Miss, since the south-bound passenger
train over the Illinois Central yesterday at
m. Washouts are reported in all di-
rections. The Little j." road Is under
water at several points. The Illinois Cen
trail officials hope to get through trains in
each direction from Jackson during the
night. The Alabama and Vicksburg trains
have all been abadoned until tomorrow
morning. Laborers are being recruited to
make repairs in all directions. Much dam
age has also been caused to telegraph
wires and the Jackson office of the Postal
Telegraph Company is closed to business.
Reports from Crystal Springs and Madi-
son state that the strawberry beds are un-
der water and that the early crops will be
entirely lost. Both the cotton and corn
crops will have to be .replanted In many
places and the damage done to fences and
bridges is practically incalculable. Natchez
| is cut off from railroad or telephone COM
munication. Trains between Mobile and
Meridian have been abandoned.
Vicksburg tonight reports a cessation of
the downpour of rain. Railroad traffic is
badly demoralized in that section. The
vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific train from
Shreveport arrived over seven hours late
and was abandoned east of here. The Ala
bama and Vicksburg trains are all delayed
by washouts. Trains south of Vicksburg
on the Yazoo Valley road are all out of
schedule. No trains have been sent south
of Vicksburg since yesterday morning
dispatch from Meridian says the flood
situation in that section has reached
frightful proportions. Meridian is cut off
from the outside world except by slow
Geographic communication. All trains are
marked annulled for an indefinite period.
The Atlanta Vicksburg train due at Me-
ridian at 1890 p. m. yesterday has been
water-bound twelve miles from that city
for twenty-four hours. The passengers are
without food, the train being unable to
come forward or go back. The damage to
the Atlanta & Vicksburg, the Alabama
Great Southern, the Mobile & Ohio and the
New Orleans & Northeastern Railroad will
reach $4,000 in tracks swept away by the
flood Meridian and its vicinity suffered
incalculable loss Twenty-Five per cent of
the fertilizer on farms throughout the
State is a total loss and all truck planta-
tions in a radius of ten miles are SUBJ
merged. Three fatalities have been report
ed so far, the victims being negroes who
lost their lives in endeavor to save cat
tie. Their bodies have not been recovered
The rain has ceased at Meridian and the
waters are slowly receding.
Birmingham reports a record-breaking
rainfall throughout northern Alabama, six
inches falling in twenty-four hours. The
railroads there are suffering heavily. Five
miles of the Southern's track near York is
under water and two miles of the Ala
bama Great Southern Railway in the same
district is washed away. All trains on
both roads are abandoned in that section
The Louisville G. Nashville is under water
near Bangor, north of here. The Kansas
City, Memphis e. Birmingham Railroad
has also suffered considerable damage
Nearly all trains coming into Birmingham
are delayed and many have been annuled
Mines in that section are flooded and work
cannot be resumed for a week. This will
cripple a number of industries. Many
bridges and county roads have been
washed away.