The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-04-04
ON RAMPAGE ARE
ALABAMA
RIVERS
Overflow is Greatest in 20 Years
and Damage is Wide
spread.

The Mobile Item says: Not since
1886 has the condition existed in
the lowlands of the Alabama and
Iombigbee rivers from the overflow
as is confronting the farmers and
cattlemen to-day. With hope enter
tanned less than week ago that all
probability of dangerous overflow
had been removed by clear weather
In the uplands, they are now expert
encing conditions the same as was
the result of the 1886 flood. Previous
to that time the greatest rise in
these rivers was in 1871, when the
waters covered all of the lOwlands
and a great area of uplands.
Happening at this time of season,
however, the results viii prove more
disastrous than those of previous
years because of the fact that farm
ers will be delayed in planting por-
tons of their crops. Some have been
destroyed, while the cotton crop will
he weeks behind. The severe change
In the weather the past few days has
also had its drawbacks, and added to-
the misery of those who have been
exposed to the. varying changes
through high waters, necessitating
the abandoning Of their homes.
Situation Very Serious.
The situation to-day is a serious
one in the inundated district, and
each hour adds to the damage from
backing waters, which continue to-
spread overland for miles. Since
Saturday fifty miles of lowlands,
which up to that time were well outI
nf hn1 Fvar0oca1 dot
ed territory, along the Alabama toI
100 miles. The change in thel
weather the past few days hasl
caused much suffering among resi-
dents of the districts, cattle ana livel
stock Reports from the interior to-
day is to the effect that pneumonia
has appeared among cattle and stock
and victims are plentiful. Especially
of blooded breeding stock.
Just what the extent of damage
will be in dollars is hard to estimate
That it will surpass that of 1885
men and others familiar |
with conditions now and then pre-
dict. News from Dixie, Ala, 1851
miles above Mobile, which was thel
only point where steamboats, could
land up to Saturday after leavingt
Mount Vernon, has been cut off from
communication by high
water. The rise in the river since
has flooded the district for
miles beyond.
Steamboats, Stop.
Steamboats, arriving here have
been compelled to discontinue SER
vice until a favorable change in thel
situation. Operators say that there
is no use of going out in the rivers, /
as every landing above Mobile for
100 miles is unaer water. Cattle are
peFishing each day and the supplies
Of farmers are almost exhausted. /
Cattle are without food and starving. /
There is no way of getting supplies
10 them by river steamer and many |
have to resort to roundabout ways to
nearby interior points to secure the
of life. Several steam
boats are caught in the overfowed
district without fuel to permit con-
tinuing their trip to this city. The
steamer Hard Cash is near Claiborne,
Ala, unable to secure fuel and with
her boilers cold. She will probably
receive sufficient fuel from one of
he steamers bound for Mobile to en-
able her to reach port.
Persons arriving here who have
Just completed tour of the inundat-
I'd district report the situation a Sc
'ious one, and the farmers and cat
.lemen in need of assistance. The
'eports as to rain to-day over the
upper watersheds of both rivers are
rot encouraging. Unless there is a
change for the better within the next
lew days some effort will be made
% relieve the distressing conditions
confronting cattlemen and stock
-aiseT's.