The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-01

pinA Rlufr. Ark, Nov. 30.--Reports
 of a sixteen foot rise in the Arkansas river above this point. have almost
 caused a panic here.
 With the steady rains of the past
 two days, and the rising waters laiSe
 sections of the river bank are caVihs
 in today.
 tically destroyed by high water . month ago and a two story warenouse owned by R. Nj. Knox Is on the orlnk of the caving banks. The Jenerson Hotel. A s1O0,00 structure and the Jefferson County Bank and court house are not more than thirty rect from the caving banks. A mass meeting was held at II o'clock and the discussions to the ad- visibility of cutting across a marrow | neck of land above town and thus dt- verting the river three miles rom l town was taken up. While this Woulo 1 throw the river away from the town, l the probable loss when the rise strikes | the caving banks, a majority oeclaFe'
 would not be worth keeping Pine | Bluff on the river.
 The proposed cut would be across l A horse shoe about 300 yards across | and if is believed could be completed before the crest of the rise reaches the | city.
 Mass Meeting of Citizens. Pine Bluff, Ark. Nov, SO--Featlhs that the already weakened banks oI l the Arkansas river would be unable | to withstand the pressure of the Water
 when the full force of the present ! r,ra raaches Pine Bluff, it was decided, | al q mass meeting of cttizens helo here today. to divert if possible. the 1 channel of the river by the cuttin | through of a narrow strip or lano where the river starts morse shoe bend" several miles north or this clty'
 This plan if successful. wnlie ieax, | ing Pine Bluff away from the man | channel, would eliminate. It IS oeneV- | ad the danger of an overflow which 1 would cause the destruction of large amount of property. 1., | The action of the mass meeting fol- | lowed reports of the coming or SIN l teen foot rise in the river, the crest , of which will probably reach Fine
 Bluff by Wednesday. and the siousn-
 ing off a large piece of the oank | which has been gradually caVlns III | for several months, following the re- | cent flood.
 l During the flood of October large
 warehouses were practically destroy | ed and today a great crack was ols-
 covered in the big two story ware house of R. M. Knox. which has been clinging on the brink of the caVing bank. That 1t is inevitable that this
 structure will go down is the opinion
 of building experts, and the safety or | the Jefferson Hotel. a $1O0,O0O struc- | tnre. and the Jefferson county bank
 and the court house Is feared as the
 river bank has been eaten to witnln | thirty feet of these buildings. The government river fleet arrived at Pine Bluff Saturday and large | force of men has been at work pre-
 naring for the construction of revet- ments. but 1t is said this work Will
 take two or three months.
 In cutting through the strip Of iand
 about 300 yards as proposed. 1t will he necessary to cut through a govern
 ment leyee, constructed several years
 aro. when it was thought that the river would sweep across the land. | While this would doubtless be in
 violation of Federal laws, the citizens | who participated in today's meeting. have promised to assume responsible | ty to the government and to property
 owners for any damage which might l ensue.