The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-17
BY The MAD RIVER
LEVEE NEAR MEMPHIS is SWEPT
AWAY.
WATERS RUSHING THROUGH
WHILE ELSEWHERE THEY ARE
LEVEL WITH THE GROWN.

st. Francis Levee Was Topped by
the River, and swiftly a Mighty
Crevasse Was Formed-ThrOuEh
This the River Rushed 70 Inundn-
ate Crittenden County, Ark.-Men
Work FuriousIy TO Resist the
Water at other Weak Points.
River Is Above All Records.
Memphis, Tenn, March 1.-THE ST.
Francis levee gave way late this even
ing at Trices Landing, Ark, twenty
miles north of this city. and tonight
the waters of the Mississippi are rush.
ing through three-quarter-m ile-wide
crevasse in the embankment. with a
roar that can be heard for miles.
This is the first break that has been
made in the vicinity of Memphis, but
the facts that the water is still rising
at rapid rate and that three other
points on the Arkansas levee north OF
Memphis are in a precarious condition
lead to the fear that reports to-mor-
row will tell of other serious crew.
asses.
Gradually the waters crept up the
side of the levee at Trices Landing.
Sacks of dirt and sand were piled
along its top and temporary embank-
ments of earth were thrown up. The
rise to-day carried the water over a
foot higher sweeping away the tenn
porary embankments at Trices and
tearing the levee itself from its foun-
dation, giving a new channel for the
food.
Doubts About Other Points.
The break was of such extent that
the engineers, realizing the hopeless
ness of attempting to repair the
breach, abandoned it after the ends of
the levees at each side of the crevasse
had been reverted with sacks of sand
and stones. The situation, in the mean
time, had become critical at three 9TH
er points and tonight it is considered
doubtful if these places can be held in
the face of the rising flood.
At Pecan Point, Fogleman's Land
ing and ST. Thomas the food is abreast
the crown of the levees, and hundreds
of men at each place are working by
lantern lights to save the day. 1t will
be no surprise If a crevasse has de-
veloped at each place before to-mor-
row night.
The engineers of the ievee board
claim that the damage from the break
at Trices will not be as severe as would
have been the case had the crevasse
occurred at any othesspoint on the en-
banknef1t. From th3S point a draw
leads into the st. Francis river through
several bayous and lakes, and this will
hold the water together to a great ex-
tent and prevent its spreading out But
even under this favorable condition,
there will be considerable damage in
Crittenden county, Arkansas, form the
break.
Is Rising Rapidly.
The river at Memphis tonight shows
1877 feet on the gauge, and there is 10
slackening of the rise. This is an adj
vance of a foot and two-tenths in
twelve hours, or an inch an hour,
which is an extreme increase with the
river spread over so much country.
The break above here may make some
slight check in the speed of the rise
at Memphis, but there is every indica-
ton that forty feet will be reached be-
fore tomorrow morning.
In the city tonight the situation is
the worst that has so far been report
ed. In both North and South Mem
phis many homes and business houses
have been flooded and families driven
out. Street car traffic has practical
ly been suspended in North Memphis.
Appeals are pouring into the city
from all directions for aid for those
who have taken refuge on high points
along the river and who are now sur
rounded by water All the local pack
cts have gone strictly into the rescue
business.