The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-04-11
MAIL SERVICE IS
/. HALTED BY FLOODS
Many Towns and Cities in Missis-
sippi Valley Isolated.
PLANTERS ARE BADLY HIT
SIX to Ten Feet Of Water Covers I'm.
mense St. Francis Basin--Levses
at Cairo Hoid--Looters
at Work.

Memphis, Tenn, April S.-The food
crest. rapidly going south. is leaving
behind II q wake of desolation which
VIII cost planters millions Of dollars
and leave thousands homeless.
For SO miles below Memphis the
land owners and renters are still des
perately working to hold back the
rushing river, but with scant success.
From six to ten feet of water floods
the fertile St Francis basin, the source
Of ostetenth OF the entire cotton crop
OF the world 1t will be days before
this wafer win have run of. and days
before the river viii have lowered to a
sufficient depth to allow the planters
90 rebuild their levees
Mail Halted From Ohio to Mountains
Washington. April S.-Interruption
10 the mails In the Mississippi valley
and throughout the middle west. from
the Ohio river TO the Rockies. is great
er today than II has ever been in the
history Of the country. according to
felegraphic reports coming 10 Postmas-
ter General Hitchcock
Most Of the cities and towns in the
Mississippi valley are isolated so far
rs mail communication is concerned
and the situation in the lower valley
continues to grow more serious Henry
M Robinson, railway mail superintend'
euf al New Orleans, reported by wire
that the volume OF water now moving
Out of the Mississippi in the lower
river LIS unprecedented and further
trouble Is expected before 1t has
passed OF into the Gulf OF Mexico.
Mail Pouches Carried on Cable
L N Mastfn, superintendent al
Omaha, Neh-, reports the same condi
tons with ice gurges IN the northwest
tributaries, the Loup, Platte and Elk
horn riTers
Sh0r1-snd trains and substitute mail
TRIMS are making short connections
throughout the valley In some places
ponchas Of mail are being carried
ACROSS open places IN the trackage by
cable frnm one shpTt-end train to an
other
Cairo Levees Are Intact
Cairo, H. April S.-Notwithstandin
3 heavy wtndstoTm accompanied by
rain and with the river standing at 81
fset, the highest stage reached, all
hEseB are standing the severe strain
and when inspected were found to be
substantial and intact, The great army
uf workers are constantly alert and de-
spite the rain are ready to make re-
pairs al a moments notice Two
thousand wwimen are thrown over
the Ieyee syBtsm and VIII keep regular
vigil Imtn an Danger is past Bust
ness VIII NOT be resumed in Cairo un-
N the river has fallen several fest,
which VIII be no doubt a week or
more.
Looters Are at Work
VEndals have been looting houses In
The flooded drainage district and Sher-
If Fraser has put on force Of depu-
ties with motor boats and skins to pa
troll The territory with instructions TO
shoot when necessary
The Alton naval reserves. 80 strong,
arrived in Cairo and viii assist In
protecting the levees.
A number of boats have arrived
rom the flooded district in Missouri
loaded down with refugees and stock,
which were landed at the hills near
wickIine, KY
Word from Hickman, KY is to the
effect that loo additional refugees
hzEe reached thai place, making $500
there all told
Mississippi is Receding.
St. Louis, April ESPECIAL: The
Mississippi river registered 43 7-10
feet at Memphis this morning. This
is fall of $40 OF a foot. The Cairo
Illinois is So $40, a fall of 10.
Weather bureau officials throughout
the flooded districts have teleghaphed
that the breaks in the levees in Arkan-
sa5, near Memphis are repairing and
will probably hold, and there will be
no further rise in the river. 1t will re-
main at its present stage, however,
for week, and it cannot be forecast |
ed just when the fall will begin.
Thirty Thousand Are Homeless.
Memphis, Tenn, April SPECIAL: |
Thousands Of square acres of rich !
farm country are flooded to date. Loss |
OF property and valuable land is esti- |
mated at $l0,000,000. Thirty persons |
have been drowned and 10000 more |
are homeless. This was the net re-
port today of the disastrous food
which for hesrly two weeks has swept !
the Mississippi valley and the end ID
not yet in sight, as the river threat
ems TO break through the levee at !
half a dozen points. The rich ST.
Francis basin in Arkansas and Tenn |
essee when this island ocean of water |
recedes will be yalueless for many |
years 10 come.
Caring For Homeless.
Hickman, April S.-The work OF car. I
ing for 5000 homeless persons oceu-
pied the attention OF Hickman today.
The breaks in the levees near Mem
phis relieved the flood situation here,
causing the river 10 fall eight inches.
Five hundred tents have been ordered
put up ON the hills back OF town and
the distribution Of clothing and ra-
/ ions has been started, There were
pitlful scenes witnessed on every
hand.