The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-03-26
IS BELIEVED REACHED
Thought the Crest of the Flood Has
Been attained at Memphis.
FORTY FEET HEIGHT
2e Trice's Landing tie Flood Con.
sinues to Pour Through the Gree
vase and the Rush Of the
Water Is Terrific.

Memphis, March 20.-It is believed
Pat the crest Of the Mississippi river
food has rea ,'.e' Memphis AMI that !
fall will begin within less than twenty.
four hours. However, the conditions
that exist above Memphis with the
gap in the levee at Trice's Landing.
Ark, make it a most Difficult, and un-
certain matter to forecast what is
likely to occur in the food situation.
The gauge Thursday night showed 40
feet and stationary, a rise of Two
tenths in twenty-four hours.
While the crevasse has not widened
to any appreciate degree, the levee
is overtopped a short distanc further
to the north and the flooded Missis-
sippi is discharging much water at
both this point and at the crevasse.
A difference of between four and five
feet exists in the height of the water
on either side Of the levee at the crew
asse, and the rush of water through
the opening is terrific. The St. Fran
els levee board made a second effort
to send the tug Diana and a barge
through the crevasse to assist in res
cuing people and livestock in ,Arkan-
sas. The Diana and the government
steamer Abbot went to the crevasse
with the purpose fully formed of send
ing the tug through in charge Of Cap
tain Fogleman, who had volunteered
for the dangerous work When the
situation was carefully inspected the
idea of putting the tug through the
gap was abandoned, as the fall is so
great and the rush of the water SO
strong that it was feared the tug
could not safely pass through. About
100 yards west of the levee there is
belt of heavy timber and the current
sweeps against the large trees with
force sufficient to make them sway
with violence. This condition made it
most probable that the tug would be
swept into the timber by the force of
the current and disabled or even over
turned. These and other unfavorable
conditions make it impossible to ease
the tug through with cables as was
contemplated, and consequently the
task has been abandoned for the pres
ent at least.
4 A special to the CommercialAppea1
from Marion, Ark, received at a late
hour Thursday night, tells of great
havoc by the flood at that point, and
says that such extremeties have been
reached by the people there, that it
was decided at conference of prom
inent citizens to dynamite the levee
at once at Mound City, Ark, unless
the ST. Francis levee board sent a
rescue boat through the break at
Trice's landing at once.
Water is running eight feet deep
through every street of the town with
fearful force, and a rapid rise is in
progress. Twenty white persons of To-
cal families are quartered in the Sec
ond story OF the courthouse, and fully
zoe negroes, many without food are
penned up in various buildings of the
village. Several hundred head OF
stock, without sufficient food, are on
platforms in the village and the first
story of all houses are under water.
The Frisco railroad tracks are cover
ed and washed for six miles, and a
handcar, bearing General Manager B.
L. Winchell, was put through from
the west with the greatest difficulty.
and grave risk. Mr.. Winchell stated
that he saw no hope of opening the
line through to Memphis for at least
a week after the water shall recede.
Sheriff Williamson of Crittenden
county and other prominent citizens,
attended the meeting at which it was
decided to dynamite the levee The
citizens have sufficient of the explos-
i've to tear an opening in the levee.