Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-03-20
FLOOD IN THE SOUTH.
FULL FORCE or HIGH WATER BE,
ING FELT AND MUCH UN-
II EASlNEss EXISTS.
St. Francis Levee Gives Way and the
Mississippi Is Rushing Through a
Long Gap at Trices Landing-Three
Other Points on Arkansas Embark.
ment North tof Memphis in q Pre-.
carious Condition,

-
carious Condition.
Memphis, Tenn, March 1.-THE
full force Of the food in the Mississippi
river is being felt in the South, and
breaking levees along the course of
the river are causing much uneasiness.
The st. Francis levee gave way late
in the afternoon at Trice's landing
and the waters Of the Mississippi are
rushing through three-quarter mile
crevasse In the embankment with a
rear 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
rapid rate and that three other points
on the Arkansas levee north of Mem
phfs are in a precarious condition lead
to the fear that further reports will
tell of several other serious crevasses.
The levee at Frice's, which is a mile
from Holly Bush, Ark, has been
threatened since Sunday afternoon.
A force Of several hunared men has
been doing all in it's dover to save
the embankments These efforts would
have been successful but for the un-
precedented stage of the river and the
fact that the rise during the past two
days has been at rate more rapidly
than ever before heard of with the
river in it's present condition.
The situation in the meantime had
become critical at three other points
and it is now considered doubtful if
these places can be held in the face
Of the rising food.
At Pecan Point. Fagelman's landing
and St. Thomas, the flood is abreast Of
the crown of the levees and hundreds
of men are working by lantern light
to save the day.
Damage Will Be Nominal.
The engineers of the levee board
claim that the damage from the break
at Trice's will not be as severe as
would have been the case had the
crevasses occurred at any other point
on the embankment. From this point
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 de-
struction over large area. But even
under this favorable condition there
will be considerable damage in Crit
tenden county, Ark, from the break.
The river at Memphis shows 1877
feet on the guage and rising. This is
an advance of a foot and two-tenths
in twelve hours, which is an extreme
increase with the river spread over
so much country. In the city the sit
uation is the worst that has so far
been reached. In North and South
Memphis many homes and business
houses have been flooded and fami-
lies driven out. Street car traffic has
practically been suspended in North
Memphis, one bridge being rendered
unsafe, while others are threatened.
The tracks of the Illinois Central
along Wolf river ARE under water and
trains are being run through the
flood.
Appeals are coming into the city
from all directions for aid by those
who have taken refuge on high points
along the river and who are now sur
rounded by the water. All the local
packers have gone strictly into the
rescue business, but their capacity is
completely overtaxed and they are
unable to respond to all demands that
are received. All day cargoes of
refugees and 3heir property have been
discharged at the wharf and there are
several hundred destitute persons in
the city who are being cared for by
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