Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-03-13
FEE C0Nv|CTs
TO GUARD LEVEEs.
Several Thousand Men Are
Given Liberty BY Missis-
sippi Authorities.
10 PROTECT EMBANKMEN1s
Fear That Plantation Owners May Cut
the Structures to Protect Their
Property Leads to Radical Action
BY the State Officials.


to be placed at the disposal of the
Yazoo-Mississippi levee board. This
means that all the convicts will at
once be ordered to work on the levees
and will be required to guard them
against crevasses, which are now
threatened.
It also means that the convicts, who
are principally negroes, will be prac.
ideally turned loose and instructed to
shoot any man, white or black, who
may be seen trying to cut levee.
This Is the final action taken by the.
board and means that the worst sort
Of an overflow is expected.
The danger Of levee cutting is from
plantation owners who wish to pre-
serve their property by cutting the
embankment above or below them, sc
as to relieve the pressure upon the
levees which protect their property.
Levee In Danger.
Caruthersville, Mo-, March 1.-THE
Did levee. the greatest danger point
along the Mississippi, mile and
quarter south Of here, is caving, with
the river showing rise of four inches
and rain falling heavily. The situa
ton is grave. Government engineers
regard 1t as the most critical flood
point along the river. Four hundred
men are building q new levee. Land
ing places along the river are sub
merged. many towns are entirely sur
rounded and the river, which con
tinues to rise, has backed up for
miles.
Sentries on Guard. Il.
Memphis, Tenn, March 1.-THE
Mississippi river is rising steadily. In
some districts armed sentries are pa
trolling the levees. All streams and
rivers in Arkansas are overlooking
The steamer Georgia Lee arrived
from Cairo and reports all landings to
be in an untoward condition. The
steamers officers say refugees from
the lowlands are to be seen every
where.
Levees Are Holding.
Vicksburg, Miss. March 12.-E. C
Tollinger, assistant general engineer
of the Yazoo-M Mississippi board, says
that all the levees are holding splen.
didly, the steady rains Of the past
few days being the most serious
cause Of alarm. He is confident all
danger points can be held In check.
Embankment May BE Broken.
Natchez, Miss, March IA report
has reached here that the Texas Pa
cific railroad embankment at Bougre
had broken, but Sheriff Gillespie OF
that parish could not verify the re
port. This embankment is three feet
higher than the high water stage OF
1897. ID.
Arkansas Rising Rapidly. @.
Little Rock, Ark, March 1.-THE
Arkansas river will pass the danger
line In the next twenty-four hours.
The banks Of the stream are reported
to be badly caving.
Nebraska Situation.
Lincoln, Neb., March 12.-The flood
situation in Nebraska is improved,
and the worst is believed to be over.
It will require week with favorable
weather to put the roadbeds in as
good condition as before the food.
Rising at Cairo.
Cairo, ILL.,, March 1.-THE river
gauge registered 49.4 feet at 10 O'clock
asst night, and the water is slowly
Using.
Reaches High Point.
La Porte, Ind, March 12.-The Kan
1akee river is out of its banks, and
niles Of territory have been flooded.
The river has reached the highest
,oint known.