The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-18
MANY ARE IN
 GRAVE PERIL Cut Off From Escape by
 the Waters. THE RIVER SITUATION
Break in Bougere Embank-
 ment is 3 Miles Wide.
President of Progressive Union of New Orleans Declares That There is Positively No Danger
 in His City.

Memphis. Tenn. March 1.-The flood situation on the portion of the Missls- sippi Valley contiguous to Memphis is extremely critical tonight. It was
 thought at first the break in the levee last night at Trices Landing would help matters by relieving the pressure of the
 water and causing a fall at this point. Instead of this the break has complica- ted the situation by flooding a vast area in Arkansas across the Mississippi from Memphis and tonight a veritable sea exists in the St. Francis and Mississippi River basins, extending from the one complely to the other. distance of many miles.
 From this territory a can for help has come from persons who have been sur runded in their homes and on higher DOT tions of the country, and thus far has been found an impossibility to send them any assistance of any character.
 All through this territory the St. Lotus and San Francisco runs. but all trains were annuIled on this line today and no assistance can be redered by this road, It's tracks being under water at Marion, Ark.
 The town is almost totally flooded and citizens are using skiffs as their only means of travel. Negroes and white persons from the adjacent territory are pouring into Marion each hour and they There is no means of reaching them ex- cept by making a breach in the levee near Memphis and this may be done tomor- row if conditions show no improvement. It is estimated that several hundreds of persons are surrounded by water in the flooded Arkansas territory and he loss of live stock is heavy in the extreme. < In Panicky Condition.
 Negroes at Marion have given away to fright and almost a panic exists. They have congregated at the depot and in the cabins of the village and refuse to work.
 A relief train, the last that reached the village, arrived early this morning with 5000 sacks to be used in damming back the water, but labor cannot be secured to unload the train.
 The tracks of the Iron Mountain and ChOctaw Railroads are still open and no trouble has been experienced. The Frisco Is detouring its trains over the tracks of the former system. Steamboats all day have been bringing refugees and their property to the city and yet more calls for aid are coming in than can be answered. It Is hoped that Ihe Lrest of the rise was sufficiently close to Memphis hast night for the break in the levee at Trices landing to give relief and Cause a fall here. A fall did follow the berak, but this was checked today and tonight the gauge is 39 feet, or within Cne-tenth of the maximum that has thus far been 
 It is feared that the stage tonight will pass 70 feet and the limit will probably not then be reached. The weak points Tn the levee which were reported last night other than at the break are still in l critical condition and further breaks may occur. Forces of men, under assist ant engineers, are working night and lay at these points and the situation has now resolved itself into a race between he workers and the water. A rapid ad- vance of any considerable amount will cause other breaks The >revasse at Trices has not widened to any extent today.
 A few floating bodies have been found It various points by the rescuing boats put the number has not yet been alarm ng. A true estimate of tho loss of life rom the flood can never be made as the 'ections flooded are so vast in area and he population so widely dispersed that nothing like & census can be made In lddition refugees are being carried to many points other than Memphis and he task of determining those who have cached places of safety Is quite impos- dble.
 In this city the situation is growing worse each hour and the water is spread ng to sections other than those which were flooded yesterday. The water pump ng plant is endangered still and a few nches more rise in the river must cause t to suspend if the dams and embank- 1 nents about 1t should break.
 Altogether the situation tonight Is most l and with the water continu- ng to rise, no relief can yet be hoped | or.