The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-14
Officials and Members Of the
Boards Keeping Up Brave
Front TO The Last
INTENSE EXCITEMENT
AROUND BATON ROUGE
River VIII Break All Records at New
Orleans, But So Far the Levees
Are Holding and Weak
} Spots Made stronaA

yicksburg Miss, March 13.-The gauge
at D. M reads 4s.1 feet, a rise of 2 since
II o'clock this morning. The flood situa-
tion in this section Is steadily growing
worse. It is greatly intensified by the
continual heavy rains. While the officials
of the levee boards are keeping up brave
'front.' 1t is plain that they fear the worst.
NJ p Robertson, assistant engineer Of
the Fifth Louisiana district levee board,
who has established headquarters here,
received a telephone message today from
Commissioner Ransell at Lake Provi-
dence, saying that he had just returned
from an inspection of the levees from
Lake Providence to the Arkansas line
and found the embankments In fairly
good shape.
Colonel Potter United States engineer
has placed the snagboat Columbia at the
disposal of President Mcclellan of the
Louisiana board, and that steamer will
leave at daylight for Lake Providence
with full cargo Of lumber, shovels and
wheelbarrows. In later message Com
missioner Ransell says:
while the situation is serious, we feel
confident of holding the entire line"
new short levee just north of Lake
Providence is causing the most concern.
On the lower Yazoo. Warren county is
submerged to a great extent
From Donaldsonville and Baton Rouge
stories come of intense excitement pre-
vailing at those points, as the Arlington
levee near the Louisiana capital is feared
to be In grave danger. Every able-bodied
man, black and white, is being pressed
into service and rushed to the danger point
in special trains and steamboats,.
In Vicksburg the tracks of the Yazoo
and Mississippi Valley and the Alabama
and Viclksburg roads are imperiled by the
rising water The water works plant. the
two congresses and several oil wells are
also in danger and rise of one foot
more will force them to suspend.
Still Rising at Memphis.
Memphis Tenn, March 13.-The river
gauge tonight is 36.5 feet and rising. This
is an advance of seven-tenths of a foot
since o'clock last night and the weather
bureau predicts that the rise will con-
tinue at an increased rate until tomor-
row night. when a stage of more than
thirty-seven feet Is expected. The bureau
still continues to ANTICIPATE a stage of
more than thirty-eight feet and possibly
more than thirty-nine
Captain Lucas, United States engineer,
in charge of the First and Second dis
tricts, today received a telegram from
Assistant Engineer Nolty at Caruthers-
Vile, Mo-, saying that the situation there
is unchanged and that there is moth
ing alarming in the situation yet as all
embankments In his jurisdiction, which
extends from New Madrid to Pecan
in ha 20 tat In
cas- has issued notices to steamboat cap
tains and masters giving a list of all ex-
posed points along the levees and re-
questing those in charge of steamboats,
to avoid approaching the embankments
at these places and In case 1t is abso-
lutely necessary to approach the ex-
posed points to run at reduced speed to
prevent undue strain upon the embank-
ments from the wash Of the boats.
Danger at Modoc.
Captain Lucas has just returned from
trip of inspection down the river and re-
ports the levees on both sides of the
Mississippi in good shape except near
Modoc, Ark, where a serious break oc
Cured in 1897 and which has never been
completely repaired. Captain Lucas says
the engineers are hopeful that the em-
bankments will hold despite the fact that
higher stage of water is looked for
than that of 1897.
Chief Engineer Pharr of the ST. Francis
levee board today issued a notice to all
engineers in charge of districts asking
them to post notices prohibiting persons
from appearing on or approaching the
levees at any point during the night under
pain of being fired upon by the levee
patrols. All boats approaching the levees
are warned to carry lights and If possible
to secure permits before hand.
All steamers arriving today brought in
large numbers of refugees and 1t is esti-
mated that several hundred persons and
much live stock arrived today.
Gloomy at New Orleans.
New Orleans, March 13.-Tonight's s
guage Is 1911 which is only four-tenths
below the highest water of 1897 and the
weather bureau predicts that twenty-one
feet will be reached in three weeks. 1t
also predicts that weather conditions will
remain unsettled. This is the gloomy side
Of the picture, but the engineers are
lust as hopeful as ever and with good
reason. The long lsne of levees Is In per-
feet condition and the weak spots have
heen strengthened until they are stronger
than the rest of the chain.
Men and material are everywhere and
even false alarms are promptly answered.
Guards are kept on duty day and night.
not only to detect the danger spots, but
to prevent any IdmperlnB liitou6n mdice
or fear.
There is little apprehension felt any
wh>re and even IL the record for height
is broken, all are confident that the banks.
on which government state and city have
spent millions, will come triumphantly
through the ordeal A change OF wind.
which will permit the flow into the gulf
instead of backing Up the gulf and pre-
venting the river from -emptying itself into
the great outlet, is expected to work Won
ders in the way of relief The wind and
weather are both more favorable tonight
Above Danger Line.
Little Rock, March 13.-The Arkansas
river is above the danger line
here. but is stationary. though 1t
is raining tonight. The Arkansas
lis falling at Fort Smith and Dar-
fdanelle. The Red river is rising at Full
Hton and at Garland City, where it IS eight
Nmiles wide, but the reports from towns
north of these places are encouraging.
| as the Red river is falling there. The focd