The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-20
FLOOD SITUATION IS SERIOUS.
NOW LOOKED ON as A CALAMITY
OF GREAT MAGNITUDE.

Many Water hound People In New
Railroads Is Complete, and the
Failure to Dispatch the Mails Is
Interfering With Business-Some
Loss of Life and Extensive Dam
nge to Property.
New Orleans April 19.-New Orleans
has ceased to regard the flood situation
as a temporary Inconvenience. As the
time has passed and as the full scope of
the disaster which visited this section of
the country in the excessive rains which
began in the early days of the week, and
stil continue has been learned, the con
viction has been irresistibly brought home
that a calamity of appalling magnitude
has been experienced, and that instead
of the worst being over the evil has
just begun.
There are now within the gates of the
city no less than 500 water bound travel
ers, who are not only unable to return
to their homes now, but who do not know
when they VIII be able to leave. Partial
reports of the damage incurred in the
storm belt, have run figures up into the
millions, and taking under consideration,
the losses, real and resultant the amount
foots UP to an enormous figure.
The Illinois Central system has incurr-
ed damages which will amount to hun
dt eds of thousands of dollars, figuring the
loss of business and the end is not yet,
Not only was that road tied up to-day,
but there is no telling when the trains
will be able to run. The streams are still
rising and rain continued to fall to-day.
The Tie-Up Is Complete,
The tie up is complete, both on the IL
linois Central and Yazoo and Mississippi
Valley Railroad The train which depart
ed for Chicago Monday morning was only
returned to New Orleans last night and
with the delayed passengers came back
two carloads of mail which had to be
taken in charge by the postal authorities,
and routed out as expediency demanded.
= The New Orleans and Northeastern is
in just as bad fix. 1t has been unable to
move any trains out of this city since
Monday and does not know when it will
be enabled to resume operations.
The East Louisiana Railroad has shut
up operations and the Mobile and Ohio,
between Meridian and Enterprise, Miss,
ing to the lack of mails, which have been
stopped over the suffering roads since
Monday
Reports of Loss of Life.
Belated news is just now beginning tc
arrive regarding the loss of life. -Four
people were drowned near Meridian and
two near Hattiesburg, Miss.
In the vicinity of Enterprise, Miss, the
waters of the Chickahasay are raging
Water was five feet deep in the main
streets to-day, and throughout last night
cries for assistance filled the air The loss
of life, if any, could not be ascertained to-
day
The three bridges between East and
West Enterprise have been swept away
The Enterprise Academy, a building
which was the pride of the town. Is swept
away. A number of buildings were also
demolished.
Shubuta and De Soto, Miss, are COM
pletely inundated. The rise of the Chick
ahasay has been 50 far in the neighbor-
hood of thirty feet, and the torrent is still
rising. The Pasagoula river, too, is on the
rampage, and much damage may be ex-
pected from the lands adjacent to its
banks.
The floods have been worse than ever
before known, and tomorrow advices
may bring the additional news of disaster
and of loss of life.