The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-03-18
The MISSISSIPPI FLOOD.
A Serious Break in the Leyee
Reported at Bougeree, Thirty
five Miles Below vidalia, on
the Texas and Pacific
Railroad.

Natchez, Miss, March 16.-The
fifteen foot embankment of the Texas
and Pacific Railroad, at Bougere,
thirty-fve miles below Vidalia, broke
yesterday and gap of two miles in
length was cut by the river in a few
hours. This gap was followed by a
break in the lower Bougere levee,
which Tapped the railroad embankment
on the south end, and the water is
running into and filing the Bougere
swamp. The first news of this break
was brought to the city by the local
mail packet Betsy Ann, which arrived
up from Bayou Sara this afternoon.
The railroad embankment had base
of hundred feet and was built last
year. It connected the upper and lower
Bougere leyees and it was feared it
would give way since the protection
1evee washed out last week. The
ends of the break will be sacked to pre-
vent further caving of the levee.
Dr.. Robert G. Carter, of Conordia
Parish, La, arrived here this after
noon, having ridden horseback over
the entire Sycamore levee in this
parish. This levee protects Vidalia,
the parish seat, and was reported as
shaky at each end. Dr.. Carter said
that the levee is low in two places,
but will hold, as during the past two
days Of fine weather the levee has been
materially strengthened, and will be
cade perfectly safe.
A stretch of LOCO feet at one end
and $4,000 feet at the other are low,
but it will stand another 21a feet in
it's present condition.
The weather here is clear and the
river is on stand at 47.8 feet, or 3.8
feet above the danger line.
FIRST BREAK, NEAR MEMPHIS.
Memphis, Tenn, March l6.-The st.
Francis levee gave way late this
evening at Trice's Landing, Ark,
twenty miles north of this city, and
tonight the waters Of the Mississippi
River are rushing through a three
Observation-Disclosures in the en-
bankment, with a roar that can be
heard for miles. This is the first
break that has been made in the
vicinity of Memphis, but the fact
that the water is still rising at a
rapid rate and that three other points
on the Arkansas levee north of Mem
phis are in precarious condition,
lead to the fear that reports tomorrow
will tell of other serious crevasses.
SPECIAL FLOOD BULLETIN.
Washington, March 16.-The wealth
er bureau tonight issued the following
special river bulletin:
The river situation has changed but
little except in the Memphis district,
where it has become quite critical.
The stage at Memphis at s a. m., was
SO. feet, l.S feet above the previous
high water record Of April II and II,
1893, while tonight the gauge reads
80. 6 feet. The rapid rise of Sunday
and Sunday night was due to recently
constructed levees and railroad en-
bankments. Thus far the levees have
been equal to the strain, but the wa
ter is now near their tops, and
breaks are not at all improbable.
The crisis may be expected within the
next thirty-six hours, when stage Of
30 feet is probable, unless some por-
tion of the leyees give way.
The rapid rise above has necessi-
tated slight modification of the pre-
vious forecasts for the Vicksburg dis
trict, and the following stages are ex-
pected in about six days:
Arkansas City, 80 feet; Greenville,
At, and Vicksburg, 81 feet. At the
two first named places the stages fore
cast are slightly above the previous
high water records Of 1897.
In the New Orleans district the
rise, while slower, is nevertheless
progressing steadily, and no changes
from previous forecasts are now indi-
Gated. The stage of water at New
Orleans tonight was 1874 feet, rise of
two -tenths of a foot since Sunday
The Ohio River is at stand at
Cairo and is falling above. 1t will
probably begin to fall at Cairo by
Wednesday.
E;cl& po&unon Nor+nre