Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-06
Flood Scenes on the Mississippi.

Flood Scenes on the MISSISSIPPI.
The following graphic account of
some of the striking features of this
springs floods on the Mississippi river
is taken from the Arkansas Gazette:
Some curious sights have been seen
and are still visible at times along
the railroads leading into Memphis
from Arkansas thru the flooded coun-
try near the Mississippi river. uu to
Sunday the Iron Mountain was the only
line that was open, but on that day the
4 Frisco got its first train thru. Pas
sengers on the Iron Mountain and
Choctaw trains quite generally go to the
| windows or platforms when they draw
linear Memphis in order to see the track
lin the flooded region. The water is now
below the rails. but pieces of driftwood
| against the rails show that the water
was entirely over the track at places.
| The Iron Mountain has used an inn
mense amount of stone in weighting
down it's track, and along the north side
of the roadbed thousands of sacks OF
earth have been laid and securely
packed.
| All the cotton platforms and freight
are being used as islands of safety
and contain tents for people and pens
for stock. At several points chickens
Were seen perching on the gable of 4
house How they got food was not
apparent one house near the railroad
was tethered to a big tree with a heavy
/ iron chain, which had been led out the
front door, the other end evidently hav-
,iN,,t 10
side.
AT one station on the Choctaw there
We're four mules. one horse, three dogs
six pigs, two cows. two negroes, and
four white men living on a big raft,
which had been made from cotton
platform and pieces of timber. The men
were living in small tent, and the pigs
had their hind legs tied one to an
other.
Probably the most interesting feature
Of the flood is it's effect on wild an
finals. An official of the Choctaw Rail-
road, who walked at night seven miles
west from the eastern terminal at the
Mississippi river the first day the water
got high enough to stop trains says
that at every few feet ne saw pair
of green eyes cleaning at him in the
darkness. These We're the optics of
snakes and various kinds of animals.
A passenger on a train saw rabbit
sitting on top of a fence post near the
railroad track. He mentioned the cir
cumstance. and was told by a railroad
official that the people in the flooded
country are now hunting rabbits in
trees. 1t is fact that the little ami
mails have scrambled from driftwood to
the branches of trees that reached
down to the water, and crouching there,
cold and frightened. may be knocked
into a skitf with stick. One negro
was seen who had the bottom of his
boat fun of rabbits he had captured in
this way.
On the first day the water got high
enough to stop the train service on the
Choctaw road, an official of that line
saw ten deer on the track near Edmon-
dson, which is sixteen miles from Mem
phis. Six of these deer were shot by
a negro, although this is the closed sea-
son. y deer was on the track near the |
bridge just east of Edmondson, and be- |
ing frightened by the approach of some
railroad men jumped into the water. |
The swift current bore him down
against the bridge, and the railroad
men lifted him out by the ears.
A mouse was seen afioat on small |
block of wood He was continually |
running round his little raft, as If seek |
ing some way to escape, and no doubt |
wondered what new kind of trap this |
was that he had been caught in.
A railroad repair party flushed a |
'possum which had taken refuge in a
hole that the water had washed out |
under the track. The little animal I
Jumped into the water and swan to a I
nearby tree, into whose branches he
climbed. In the top was big birds
nest, and Mr. O'Possum made straight
for it and ensconced himself therein.
True, it was a last years birds nest,
but with the small number of good
holes and hollows available for pos
sums in eastern Arkansas just now, Il
this one was not in mood to demand Il
that anything be charged off ON ac-
count of depreciation and wear and
tear.