Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-04-10
THE MISSISSIPPI FLOODS
Hundreds of Miles of Country Inun-
dated and Many Lives Lost.
RIVER HIGHEST IN HISTORY.

TatHer OI waters BREAKS LeyeeS and
Sweeps Over Wide Stretch of
Territory. Causing Great
Damage.
Chicago, April THE flood area
in the Mississippi valley was widen
ed and heightened yesterday The
Dig government levee west of Hick-
man, protecting the Reelfoot lake
district of Kentucky and Tennessee,
broke late yesterday afternoon, and
it is believed, $50 square miles will
be inundated. This section is COM
paratvely thickly populated and loss
or life is expected. Much suffering
and property damage is certain. In
It's onward rush the Mississippi
reached a flood stage almost to
NatcheZ, Miss, and hundreds of men
were at work on the levees in the
newly endangered territory and
strengthened spots weakened by the
terrific strain. Six hundred and
eight miles of the Mississippi is SER
lously affected, that being the dis
tance between Columbus, KY. and
Vicksburg, Miss. The greatest strain
where the levee is liable to break
any time extends from Columbus,
ky., to Helena, Ark, a distance of
31S miles.
The flood death list probably was
brought to eighteen yesterday. This
is not positive, however, as reports
OF loss of life have proved inaccur-
ate in some instances and doubtless
persons have been drowned in re-
\
known. The property loss was esti-
mated last night at $1,50O,O0O. The
scene at the drainage district i'm
mediately north of Cairo, is appall-
Ing. Houses which were partly sub
merged by the breaking of the drain
age district levees were torn from
their foundations yesterday and last
night were on their sides or upside
down. A big church building is on
its side. The factories were sub
merged to the roof and in some
places the flood has entirely covered
the buildings. Not one pile of lum-
Der in the great mill section is stand
ing. Families driven from Urban
dale and Factory City have remained
the greater part of the time on top
of the levees protecting Cairo.
sMemphis, Tenn. April SIN the
wfae stretches of the Mississippi riv-
er's flooded acres there are three
striking pictures.
The northernmost is the 500
square miles of the Reelfoot Lake
country of Tennessee, where 1000
or more persons have been driyen
from their homes by the smashing
of levee in southwestern Kentucky.
In this district thousands of acres
of fertile fields are under water.
Scores Of persons are imprisoned in
upper floors and on roofs of houses.
A few miles south, in Arkansas,
three counties are under water. From
this rich bottom" country hundreds
of farmers and villagers have been
driven.
Flood waters swept over the fer
tile fields and thriving villages Sum
day with the breaking of the levee
on the Arkansas side north of Men,
phis.
Great numbers of persons maroon
ed on roofs OF houses and in trees
nave been taken out of the flooded
district in boats. Probably many
more water imprisoned persons are
in imminent peril. There are not
boats enough to perform the rescue
work required. Three Counties
Crttenden, Poinsett and Cross-are
flooded.
The scene south of these points
one with the might of a
giant stream on a rampage. Homes
that once marked the center of rich
bottom larm now float in a tor
rent that cannot be stayed. Bits of
wreckage carried along in the tawny
tide reflect the extent of the damage
in the valley above.
Attempts to cover the story
along the stretch of levees from
south Missouri and Illinois to Arkan-
sas have involved many personal
risks on the part of newspaper cor
A young woman news writer of
KY, half swan, half wad-
ed in imminent peril to get from her
home to the long distance telephone
in order that the first definite story of
the rescue of a thousand persons at
Dorena, Mo-, might reach the outside
world.
Cairo, H., April S.-Cairo is an
island city, surrounded by an ocean
OF water, the crest of which is ten
feet higher than the average level of
the city. In many places this wall of
water stands twenty feet higher than
the streets.
For four days Cairo has been with
out rail communication, and the only
entrance to the city now is by boat
from Mounds, nine miles away.
Almost $500, 900 has been spent
in fighting the flood at Cairo and the
drainage district. The city spent
$4,000 The treasury did not con-
tain this amount, but two local bank
ers volunteered to extend the city
unlimited credit.