The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-08

I society it will make trips on the boats and
! distribute the necessaries OF life to those
who have been robbed of all they have, for
past history has SHOWN that these unfortu-
mates are sorely in need Of assistance as
soon as possible and before they are
brought to Memphis.
DABNEY HOPEFUL.
While the general opinion is one of grave
apprehension, there are those who believe
that the danger has been exaggerated.
among them being Major T. G. Dabney,
chief engineer of the Mississippi
Delta Levee District, who writes from
Clarksdale, Miss, under date Of March 4,
saying:
The very extravagant expressions relating to
recent and present river conditions. used by the
river reporters Of all the Memphis daily papers.
have doneoand doing a great deal Of harm
throughout the Yazoo basin territory. The peo-
pie in this territory who do not live near the riv-
er look to the special river writer's in the Mem
phis papers for Information on the subject. The
kind OF information they have been getting
lately has nied their minds with causeless alarm.
and created serious disturbance in business af-
fairs.
stated two days ago. in speaking generally OF the
country below Memphis. that the water Is lap
ping at the top of the ievees and running over
in streamlets.. ETC., while the truth is that
along the entire length Of the levee lines In this
district the water is now from eight TO twelve
feet below the tops OF the leHees. according to
grades along the st. Francis basin front 1 feel
that the present stage is not less than I'VE
feet below the lowest of that line.
The river this writing is three feet below
extreme high water at Memphis. and seven and
one-half feet below at Helena. With tso levees
mucn higher and stronger now IMAM Ia were
in 1897. the spreading OF so much alarm as pres
ent river conditions Is palpably absurd The peo-
pie who live along the levee lines In this district
are paying no attention to the present river
stage. except few newcomers. who have taken
some panic from the newspapers. and think there
must De danger somewhere. though none is ap-
parent. But those who live in localities remote
from the river many OF them much alarmed.
and believe there is a present danger threaten
ing. f-s
believe the probabilities are in favor Of
maximum stage OF water this season. though
the water has not yet fallen from the clouds that
BANKS ARE RAISED.
Captain E. C. Van Lucas. Chief Of the
Corps OF United States Engineers. has been
at Charlottesville since Wednesday. oversee
ing the work that is in progress on the
new levee under construction at point
near the boundary line between Missouri
and Arkansas. At this place the condition
OF the levee is sufficiently dangerous to
cause the people residing in that locality
much alarm.
The coming great rise is likely to work
direful results there, and the work on the
embankments Is being pushed with the ut
most dispatch, The frequent and heavyy
rains during the past two weeks have
greatly hindered the progress of the work
and the forces of workmen have been
greatly increased to meet the exigencies Of
the case.
The chief engineer has a great deal Of
the work now going on there under his
personal supervision, and he is making
strenuous efforts to push it far enough
along to meet the coming rise with a
greater show OF resistance. The situation
at this place is about like it was three