The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-08

Because OF the ST. Clair loops
breaking Saturday n largo area IN
Crittendcn. Poinsett and Cross coun-
ties. in Eastern Arkansas. is covered
with water. The country affected Is
about ZOO square miles, but includes In
ITS area "A considerable numher OF high
points, slopes and ridges, which are
above tho water. For this reason no
fear tk felt b. those best acquainted
with the section that there will be-
loss of life, people living in the dan
ger zone having been notified by tele-
phone In sufficient time to get on high
ground.
Three Striking Pictures.
In the wide stretches of the AIissis-
sippi flooded acres there are three
striking pictures. The northcrnmost is
in the 500 square miles OF tho Reel
foot Lake country OF Tennessee. where
1000 or more persons have been driven
from their homes by'the smashing OF
a Mississippi lcVce III Southwestern
Kentucky In this district thousands
OF acres OF fertile fields are under
water Scores of persons who hava
refused to desert their homes now are
imprisoned In upper doors and on
roofs Of Hooded houses.
y few miles south in Arkansas TIRES
counties arc nnder water. From this
rich bottom" country hundreds Of
farmers and villagers have been
driven. Flood waters swept over tho
fertile fields and villages last night
with the breaking of the levce on the
Arkansas side north Of Memphis. To-
day great numbers OF persons ma
rooncd OF roofs OF houses and in trees
have been taken out OF the hooded dis.
tyict in boats. Probably many more
water-imprsoned are In imminent
peril. There are not boats enough to
perform the rescue work required.
Three counties, crittcnden, PoinsettI
and Cross, are Hooded.
The scene south OF these points i'm
presses one with the might of 4 giant
stream on rampage Homes that
once marked the centre OF rich bot
TOM farms now float In a torrent that
cannot ho stayed. Bits of wrcckage
Iioatine along in the tawny tide re-
Meet the extent OF the damage i'll thci
valley above.
From the standpoint cf the Northern
dweilcr. picture of a mississippi
Valley food is best expressed in fig
lres of possible life loss and stats
tics telling Of the number of squurcl
miles inundated. TO the valley planta-
ton owner u different picture presents
itself.
'Witn him inunda.!cn o. his farm by
torrent from the river overflow,
means erosion of his acres, setback
OF his crop and loss of lnoor.
Flood aSeSas Flight.
To the small farmer and "sottler
the coming of the Hood means Hight
Hundreds OF such persons have re-
fused. however. 10 leave their homes
and iii many instances such cases have
hccn death with throuEH force. There
have been reports of fatalities among
the poor whites and negroes who
risked their lives to save their mules.
Attempts to cover" the story along
the stretch of levocs from Southern
Missouri and Illinois to Arkansas have
caused many personal risks Ivy news
PAPER correspondent one of the most
daring exploits was successfully essay
Cd By young correspondent who
iioatcd on log of the crest of the
tide Wien the lcvce broke at Hick
man. lie made his way to Tiptonvinc.
Tenn. then tclephoned tho story of tho
light from the Heclfoot county 10
Memphis
Another news writer, a pretty young
woman of Hickman, Ky, half swan.
half wadcd. In imminent peril to get
from hor home 10 the long distance
telephone In order that the FIRST do
finite story OF the rescue Of Il thou
sand persons ut Dorcnu. Mo. might
reach the outside world.
or the striking frats of bravery
which stand out III the fight against
the Hood, possibly the most conspicu-
GUS has been that of the courcrs who
Ott III uuNdllCc oil inc lluS to WARN
Villagers and farmers out OF tho path
OF tue raging storIr.
The telephone has been brought
largely Into play. Patrols stationed at
menaced points have watched for ere
vases night and day. Tho moment a
break occurred the patrols hurried to
telephone stations ana warned tho pco-
pie,
Three breaks Yesterday.
Three breaks occurred south of
Memphis to-day. The fir levcc TO col
lapse was "2S mile post sixteen miles
south Of Helena, Ark. The flood
preached the embankmcnt carly this
morning. Late In the afternoon the
ievec at I-aconi;.. sixty miles below
Helena, went out, and tonight the lc-
Nec gave way at llcnrico, near I.aconia.
me water is pouring rapidly over
several h'rtired gauarc miles OF rich
farming lAnt.s.-
BY tomorrow st is anticipated La
comic circle will be completely mum
dated. Probably water from tho two
cFevasses Will join. flooding the entire
southern half of Phillips county i'm
Which is Helena and Dcsha county.
The overflow Will nnd its way bac,,
INTO INTO the Mississippi through white
Inhabitants Of the Hooded territory
Aad ample warning.