The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1903-03-21
Levees May Be Dynamited to sa,,
the Imprisoned Residents
of Marion.
TRAFFIC ON ALL RAILROADS ADAHDoNh
Break in levee at Trice's Land.
Floods immense Area-Heav ~
of Life and Property Feared-Ds,,
Bodies Found Floating in Flood

uas II
grown more serious every hour An,
reports from the town of Marin,
which is in the heart of the foods
district, show that the residepn
Marion has not been interrupted AMI
are in desperate straits.
Telegraphic communication witt
dispatches from that town have H.
dicated the serious situation NJ
which the residents are placed. {
Reports were received stating tha
the town was under four or five fes 4
of water, which was rising on Ii.
18th at the rate of foot an hour
A number of persons were rescue
from the town in skiffs, but severn
hundred were imprisoned in the sec
ond stories of buildings.
An attempt to send a steamer d
the relief of the people at first faile!
the boat becoming disabled.
1t is expected that the leyee vii /
be cut in order to rescue the victims I
The whole of the St. Francis bash
is flooded and the damage to props
ty in the district is incalculable.
The water behind the levees in TIL
flooded district rose to within almOa
a foot of the height of the water III
the river side.
Reports of loss of life haze beet
received from various sections of ths:
flooded district, but little definite in /
formation can be obtained at thNI
time.
The bodies of white womalI
and q negro were taken from tadl
water near Mound City. VIM. ElliI
was picked up near Memphis at /
O'Clock in the morning with III
months old baby in his arms. Ellis
had hired a skiffman to take himself
and family from his home near HO-l
lybush to Memphis, The boat was
upset and Ellis wife drowned bel
fore his eyes. Grasping the baby d
his arms he swan to the TENNESSEE
shore and was nearly dead when ID
was rescued.
The railroads which pass through
the district have been forced to AL
andon traffic No trains have moved
either in or out Of Memphis on TN
Frisco, Iron Mountain, Choctaw II
the Cotton Belt lines for seyeB
days, A number Of trains were lie! Il
up at points along these lines az.
were held for hours before thql
could be moved,
Cotton Belt and Frisco trains wen
caught between two washouts abOt
three miles west of South Memph A
and over a hundred passengers we, +
compelled to spend the night on I'm
trains, while the water rose unit y
not a particle of land could be see
from their place of Imprisonment K
The Cotton Belt sent trains aroun!
by Cairo to enable passengers bE
reach their destination,
The Iron Mountain chartered Il
boat and arranged to take passei
gers to Helena ard send them on
their destination from that city
The break in the St Francis leye
which caused the disastrous food o.
Cured at Trice's Landing A sectld
Of the levee nearly three.quarters
n mile long gave way under the Sc
mendOus pressure OF the Mississippi
and torrent Of water rushed thr0ug'
the opening The breach at thi
place was the first serious break
the st. Francis levee, although thai
point with several others, had bee
known to be in a serious condition
The situation at Pecan Point, bW
gleman's Landing and st. Thomas
serious and hundreds Of men are
work to prevent break Il possible W
The water at these points rose to tD'
top Of the leyee,
At Helena the water rose to within n
a foot of the top Of the leyeo In h'
northern part Of the city and huf
drods Of families had to abandoi
their homes
II Is possible the levee vii be GU
at n number of points by order OF u'
board In order to let the water escaF y
with the least possible damage
At Arkansas city and vicinity w
lovees are reported TO be In 80"
shape and the officials OF the boar n
are confident that a stage OF SO Zee
can be held without trouble. AT tn'
point n detail Of guards are patroIlns
the lovee day and night,
Farmers Neck broken,
Eli stevens, u prominent farmer
Tell ont of his wagon, near Monigow'
cry Alao and alightcd ON Ais he0a
his neck being broken, n
Alleged Whltccnps Under Ares"
Thirteen men are under arrest /"
M Annn 4 III. uhnnDnl A,llh MnllN IL