The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-02
PEE BLUFF IN GREAT DANGER Fate of Property Hangs In Balance RIVER A RAGING TORRENT Jefferson Hotel and Court House
 Sure of Destruction. The Entirs River Front is cracked and Unsafe Even for Pedestrians.
 War Department Refuses
 Request.
RIVER A RAGING TORRENT


 pealing as last recourse to President Roosevelt that permission be granted to cut through a government levee and change the course of the .Arkansas River, leaving Pine Bluff stigk and dry" but safe. every available man in this city will be put to woah strength ening already crufnbling banks until the crest of a 1s-foot rise passes this point. probably Wednesday night. in an effort to prevent an overflow which would mean the destruction of proper ty vauied at hundreds of thousands of dollars and possible loss of life. Whe- ther these efforts will be successful Is pfobiematical.
 The plan ssiSSssssd yesterday was that strip of land. several miles north of thIs city, where the river starts. a horse shoe bend.s be cut through. Btt Federal permission. through the Dv- pertinent of War could not be secured.
 Late today . message appealing to President Roosevelt was sent, but even should the necessary authority now be granted, 1t is thought the water Is rls- inG too rapidly to permit the successful carrying out of the plan.
 Reliancs to ward ofe the water is being placed in "fascine" mats, built of small pine and willow trees reinforced by mud and debris. which are being anchored in the river at p0ints along the banks considertd the weakest and where the force of the waters pressure wiil De felt.
 Slipping Hnte Ravess
 Tonight the river has passed tine 15- foot stage and at it's crest stage of 25 feet is anticipated. The flood stage fa g6 feet and with the banks in their present weakened condition, because of q |. ka Aar awaA q av.- ~E the past few days, the result when the fun force is felt, cannot -be foretold. That great property less win ensue seems certain.
 Tonight lsrge section of land thir- ty feet north of the walls of the c0ufa- ty cadf4 hOuse and JegRerso3 hotai, each valued at sl00s0e6. ss slowly disappsar- ing into the river, and warehouses along the bank which have already been partly wrecked are tottering and may fan at any moment.
 ' Shoald the water break through the bank what would be the result is or course largely a matter of conjecture, but. based on what has happened in past years 1t seems certain that several gfreets lined with business houses and a mile long, would be destroyed A pe- culiars combination Of circumstances mas caused this alarming situation. .The flVSf HSFe COtuSB sweeping 0uS south and the current strikes full on the bank of the heart of the city. Then the water turns at right angles and on 70 the east The force with which the cur- mt strikes Is difficult to tell. Those who are watching the river front can readily see how 1t is eating away the banks.
 To add to the seriousness of the sit. aation is the fact that the city of Pine Biun Is built upon quicKsand. This strata ot sand lies under some thirty feet of clay mixed with sand. The river current comes sweeping against the banks and, sucking at the sand, under mines the covering of clay.
 The operation goes on ceaselessiy and lnIess a way Is found to stop 1t. it win continue until the river eats away a circle large enough to distribute its food so the banks can resist Its force.
 An All Night Struggle. Memphis, Tenn, Dec. LA special i 70 The News-S -Scimitar from Pine Bluff. Ark, says.
 Following an all night struggle 1 lgainst the encroachments of the Ar- l tansas river citizens of Pine Bluff re- | lewed the apparently hopeless strug- gle today. ! The fate of property aggregating | .hree to five million dollars seems to | 'e in, the balance. All teams that can | 'e pressed into service have been -se- ,ured and are hurrying willow and | 'ine to the river bank. where hun lreds of men are working hard weav- ng mats and pushing these into the | iyer hoping to form a temporary bar fer against the flood. Unless this erYes to check the river, the Jeffer4 on Hotel. the court house and other buildings are almost sure of destruc- ion when the crest of the flood caches this point. To this sis added he strong probability that if these buildings go, and the river remains unchecked. nearly the entire business 'oTtion of Pine Bluff is in serious dan Ter of destruction.
 A section of land north of the court Iouse walls ten feet wide by 100 long 5 now moving slowly toward the 'riv- r. The kitchen of the residence of !. O. Brokway slid into the river last light. The occupants fortunately had imelyi warning. Several warehouses long the banks which have been artiy- wrecked, are totteFing and new ortiops may take plunge into the Iver at any moment.
 The entire river front is cracked nd unsafe for pedestrians. Secretary | ealed to by the citizens of Pine Bluff 0 change the course of the river. hose most familiar with the situa- ion believe this step alone can be of ermanent value in keeping back the aVages of the stream. The message ent to Secretary Wright was signed y Mayor Toney. County Judge Gould. resident of the Board of Trade, andI hairmAn of the Citizens Committee tell.
 A message from the War Depart lent today refused permisston to citi- ems of Pine Bluff to cut a new chan el for the river and property own rs must rely upon brush Nfascines" Q protect the river bank. It is doubt uI if they will give the protection eeded. The river is rising fast and
 rise of twenty-five or thirty feet Is xpected by Thursday. The flood taee ib twenty-five feet
 Citizens of Pine Bluff late today fred President Roosevelt to interceda ] behalf of this city to get permits lon from the Secretary of War to Ivert the channel of the Arkansas yer here. The telegram was signed