The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-17
CrevaSSeS Occur in En-
 bankmentS. HARD WORK BEING DONE
Desperate Efforts to COnfine
 River to Its Banks.
At Memphis the Rise is at Rate Hitherto Unprecedented, De- spite the Breadth the Mighty
 Stream Has Attained.

MemphlS, Tenn, March l6.-Ine St. Francis levee gave way late this evening at Trice's Landing. Ark. twenty miles north of the city. and tonight the waters of the Mississippi River are rushing through a three-quarter mile crevasse in the embankment with 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 tine Arkansas levee north of Memphis are in a precarious condition, lead to the fear that reports tomorrow will ten Of several other serious crevasses.
 The levee at Trices. which is near Sunday afternoon. A force of several hundIed men has been doing all in its power to save the entertainments, and 1t was hoped that the break could be pre- vented. These efforts would have been sufficient but for the unprecedented stage of the river, and the fact that the rise during the past two days has been aa a rate more rapid than ever before
 
 dition.
 New Channel Given Flood.
 Gradually the waters crept up the side of the levee until only the crown was above the flood and sacks of dirt and sand were piled up, the crest being rob bed for earth so pressing was the need for a barrier against the rising water. Sunday night the water was on a level with the crest of the levee at Hollybrush, and the rise today carried it over a foot higher, sweeping away the temporary embankment at Trice's and tearing the levee itself from It's foundation, giving new channel for the flood.
 The break was of such extent that the engineers realized the hopelessness at at tempting to repair the breach and aban- dond it after the ends of the levees at each side of the crevasse had been revet- ted with sacks of sand and stones to pre- vent further cutting away of the em- bankment.
 The situation fin the meantime has be- come critical at three other points, and to- night 1t is considered doubtful if these places can be held in the face of the ris- ing flood. At Pecan Point, Foglemans Landing and St. Thomas, the flood is abreast of the crown of the levees and hundreds of men at each place are work ing by lantern-light to save the day. But so rapid is the advance of the river tonight that reports from these positions ere awaited with dread, and 1t will be no surprise if a crevasse has developed at each before tomorrow night.
 The engineers of the Levee Board claim that the damage from the break at Trice's would not be as severe as would have been the case had the crevasse oc- rurred at any other point on the em- bankment
 Goes Into St. Francis.
 From this poina a draw leads into the St Francis River. through several bayous and lakes and this will hold the water to- gether to a great extent and prevent it's spreading out and wreaking destruction over a large area. But even under this favorable condition there will be consid- erable damage In Grittenden County, Ark, from the break What will esult from it along the St. Francis River cannot be foreca sted.
 The river at Memphis tonight shows SS7 feet on the gauge and there is no slackening of the rise. This Is an advance of a two and two-tenths inch in twelve hours, or an inch an hou . which is an ex- treme increase with the i.Eer spread over go much country. The break above here may makee some slight check in the speed of the rise at Memphis. but there is every indication that 40 feet will be reach 
 forecastinug what will be the maximum reached as the crest of the wave Is not considered to be reached by any means tonight The break above will not tend to relieve the situation below Memphis the water will flow back into the Mis- sissippj through the St. Francis and 1t is feared that several serious breaks may occur on both the arkansas and Missis- sippi sides before the week Is ended.
 Tn the city tonight the situation Is the worst that has so far been reported In both North and Southt Memphis many homes and business houses have been flooded and families driven out, Street car traffic has practically been suspended in North Memphis, one bridge having been rendered unsafe, while others are threat ened The tracks of the Illinois Central along Woolf River are under water and trains are being run through the flood until the tracks can be raised above the water.
 Appeals are pouring into the city from all directions for aid by those who have taken refuge on high points along the riv- CT and who are now surrounded by the water. All local packets have gone strict ly into the rescue business but their ca pacity is completely overtaxed and they are unable to respond to all demands that are received. All day cargoes of refugees and their property have been discharged at tho wharf here and tonight tthede are hundreds of destitute persons in the city who arr beeing cared for by charity.