The Van Buren press., 1904-06-11
A Disastrous Flood.

A disastrous flood has visited the Ar
kansas river valley and especially has
this section suffered The damage is
hard to estimate and 1t will never be
possible to definitely fix 1t.
AS heralded in our last issue the river
had begun to rise as a result of excessive Q
rains west last Thursday, and by Fri.
day the heavy downpour here added Its
volume, but even then no apprehension
WAS felt. BY Saturday morning the
conditions were becoming serious rs the
stage Of water was nearing the danger
line and was rising at an alarming rate.
By noon Saturday farmers living In the
bottoms below town began making
arrangements for getting their stock and
families to safe places, and it was we'll
they did, for within few hours the
water began overhowing the banks u
half mile below town and spreading
over the fields which that morning gave
every assurance of remunerative crops.
Dwellers In Riverside, still having In
mind the disastrous overflow Of 1893,
made hurried exit with their goods from
the threatened district and it WAS well
for them, for by Sunday morning that
addition presented the appearance of Il
modern Venice, and when the crest Of
the river was reached Wednesday there
were but a half dozen houses near the
railroad crossing that were yet tenant.
able
Luckily 80 far there has been no loss
of life reported, several parties were
reported missing but later were located
and in safety. But the loss to crops
will be immessurable Competent
Judges estimate that 80 per cent. OF the
river bottoms in this county have felt
the food and what will be saved from
the destroying effects Of the cold, aka
line water Of the river. compared to the
whole, will not be worth mentioning
To make matters worse than the effects
of the food Of 1898 is that the present
rise came one month later thus making
1t impossible TO raise crop OF cotton on
the overhowed land. Corn and other
feed crops are all they can expect to
raise, and nearly all are preparing to
begin work NJ soon AZ the water leaves
their land. What damage has been
done to the land 1t will be impossible to
estimate until the water leaves II, but
fears OF serious damage are expressed
by those who watched the flow OF the
current.
No reliable record OF the height Of the
rise Of 1893 had been kept, but those
most competent to do so estimate that
this rise lacked from IS to "a inches Of
the W mark. Wednesday the river
began falling slowly and At this writing
the worst is thought to be passed
Up to Yesterday morning the river
had fallen not to exceed 81 inches,
The late spouse Of Joe Torrant and
her demented sister asked for and were
given transportation to their old home
near Ozark, and Joe, to put It mildly,
Is happy,
Hon, Randolph Comstook was down
from Uuiontown Tuesday, In CONVERSE
tion with Others he was overheard 10
say that Lees Creek In that portion OF
the county did not get exceptionally
high at the time Of the heavy rise below
last Saturday,
Harry Cory came down from Long
1T, Sunday night and was practically
waterbound here for several days. On
the way down from Muldrow ho reports
the water on two occasions reached
high enough up on tho engine TO put
out the fires,
Warren q Furry agent Tor one OF tn,
NE insurance companies In which VIM
Morelock carried insurance, Saturday
received u check for tho entire amount
~ 900, carried IN It by him, Just eigh,
days after proof Of death had been sen
In This Ia promptneas,
Owing to the very unfavorabl |,
weather prevailing last Saturday III,
members OF the Mary Lee Chapter
U, D, c., concluded TO postpone III,
Confederate decoration day exercises
which had been nSed for the following
afternoon, until some future time,
Those Of our growers who have ha'
experience says that all potatoes IN IN
bottoms that have been covered by IN
overflow from the river will ba ro,'a,
In less than "A week after the wate
leaves them aud that n would bo jus