Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21
Damage in Southern Mississippi Esti-
mated at S3,OOO,0OO.
DROWNED ALONG THE CHUNKY RIVER
Many River Towns Completely
Isolated by Raging Waters.
HONEY ISLAND INUNDATED

NEW ORLEANS La, April 2l.-The
foods which commenced the early part of
the week have already caused. at con-
servative estimate. fully S3.00O.oCO loss in
central and southern Mississippi. TO say
nothing of the damage sustained by the
railroads. The extent of the losses has not
yet been fully realized, and it may be some
days yet before an accurate total can be
reached, as mail communication has been
totally cut off between those localities
which have suffered most. In Louisiana,
too. the damage done by the unprecedented
rains great, but in this state they are
more inferential than positive.
A special from Columbia, Miss. fixes the
loss in that little town and its immediate
vicinity at 100000. Many farmhouses were
carried away by the mad waters, the occu-
pants barely escaping with their lives. and
the number of cattle destroyed was great.
a great many gin and mill houses We're
washed away. Nearly every bridge around
Columbia was swept down stream.
Pearl River Rising.
Pearl river is now higher than 1t has
been known for many years.
Miles and miles of the New Orleans and
Northeastern track are still under water.
Honey Island. the rendezvous OF the noted
train robber, ,Rurch, is under twenty feet
of water, and the island, which has for
years been one of the natural game pre-
serves of the south, is devoid of wild
animals.
Hundreds of deer were drowned and tho
hills near the banks ofathe Pearl river are
now the temporary abiding places % all
manner of four-footed life.
The log booms in the neighborhood of
Parlington were all carried away. and The
loss sustained in this direction alone
amounts to thousands of dollars.
Distressing news comes from Hickory,
Miss, a small town on this road, which is
now completely surrounded by water and
inundated in many places. Hundreds of
hogs and cattle near this point were drowned
and miles Of fencing have been washed
away.
The latest advices from the town of En-
terprise state that the losses there have
been great and much destitution prevails.
Towns Cut on From Rest OF World
Half score of towns are completely cut
off from the outside world, as they nave
been since the early part Of the week.
From the Chunky river swamps near En-
terprise comes the news of heavy loss Of
life.
The Illinois Central road is st:H crippled
badly. The New Orleans and Northeastern,
the East Louisiana and the YaZoo and
mississippi Valley are as yet unable TO
move trains, and the Mobile and Ohio is
also a heavy sufferer.
Suffering and Loss of Property.
MERIDIAN, Miss, April 21--The eXten-
sive rains which have prevailed over Mis-
sissippi and parts of Alabama for seven
days, making the rivers and smaller streams
of these states rise to an unprecedented cX-
tent and overflow the low lands, is caus-
ing suffering and loss Of property never
known before
Thousands of acres of farming lands
have been devastated and the early crops
will prove a toIal loss. Homes have been
fioated away, the occupants losing much of
their household furniture. and in some in
stances not escaping with their lives. Thou
sands of head of cattle. sheep ana hogs
and fowls have been drowned.
Railroad traffic has been seriously inter-
fercd with. and in some of the small towns
neither freight, express nor mail has ar
rived for four days. Fears of scarcity IN
foodstuffs are entertained in some commu-
mites. The loss to the railroads in traffic
and property is inestmable. No road run
ming through the low lands has escaped, and
some have been totally blocked for two
days at a time.
Little Improvement Today.
Today the situation seems little improved
In the flooded districts in this vicinity there
is little prospect of a resumption of traffic
over the railroads before Monday or Tues
day. The merchants are beginning to suf-
fer from the continued suspension of rail-
road traffic.
The large streams south of here continue
rising. An alarming report has reached
here from Hickory, a small town which is
completely surrounded by water. 1t is
feared that great suffering will be the
suit.
At Jackson, the state capital, the situa-
ton is considered more serious than at any
other locality. The city is threatened with
a water famine, the waters of the Pearl
river have risen to such an extent that the
fires under the boilers at the water works
pumping station have been eXtinguished.
The city is also surrounded on three sides
by the back waters of the Pearl river.