Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-17
MISSISSIPPI FLOODS.
Trying Times on People With Country
Under Water.
Under Water.


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High water time in the Mississippi
valley is one of fear and danger to
all that live in the lowlands along the
river from Cairo to the gulf stretcn'
saws the New York Evening Post.
The fight against the waters OF the
Mississippi, which is never ended Is
the fight of all those who have built
their towns and homes, and planted
their fields for hundreds OF miles
along its banks. 1.-The levee's got to
hold" is the slogan Of every one, and
the task of strengthening it calls out
every man in the bottoms. Armed
guards patrol the river. To tamper
with the levee Is to be shot, with no
questions asked afterward. High wa
ter talk is the one subject Of every
one. AS the saying goes. it's come
hell and high water"
For the terrible loss caused by a
break in the levees is too eat to SUI
fer from, except after the most des-
perate fight to stem the waters.
Watching the fevees is watcn 10
save life itself. A single stream
starting perhaps by crawfish mole
may get to considerable propor-
tions without detection; may grow
with the rush of water behind 1t, un-
til the crevasse can not be held. Then
comes the flooding Of farms and the
killing of live stock, and the low-
lands become a desolate flooded plain'
the river changed to a flowing sheet
of water sixty miles in width. Hun
dreds of thousands are driven from
their homes, and return when the
waters have receded, perhaps to find
that their houses have been carried
away, too. Planting is almost impos-
sible. High waters coming" Is
warning to all.
People who have seen only rivers
such as the Hudson, or other streams
with faster currents, but held In oy
firm banks, can have no idea or the
turbulence Of the mighty Mississippi
when the spring floods are upoa her.
1t may give some idea Of the stream
to say that the waters from middle
PENNSYLVANIA, Lake Winnipeg. and
Montana meet together more than
thousand miles to the southwark, 10
swell the flood and perhaps to over
wheim an Arkansas plantation. The
watersheds of twenty-seven states
contribute to the Mississippi's stream.
Time of the Spring Floods.
Small wonder is 1t that when the
spring thaw comes, the snow melts'
and the water comes out OF the
ground the rivers stage rises, often
to the danger mark; maybe IT
passes 1t and overflows or breaks the
banks, as it has done this week. Be-
fore the turbulence Of that river In
flood time the efforts Of man to hold
its current in narrower banks Tor
nearly one thousand miles by pro-
tecting levees seem we'll night hope
less indeed.
Thousands Of men are working des-
perately now, from Cairo down to a
point below New Orleans, in the hope
of holding the levees. 1t Is heart
breaking work 20 fight against the
water, whose efforts are ceaseless; II
never retreats, but must be forced
back. News of the river stages from
above is hailed as news from the
front in time Of war. "Forty-four
feet at Memphis, and the government
forecaster says that the crest Of the
flood is not yet reached"-this reads
almost like tidings Of disaster to the
planter in the lowlands in Arkansas
and around Greenville.
The common danger makes friends
of all who must help, lest all be lost.
The planter hurrying from his home,
where he has left his wife and chill
dren camping in the upper stories OF
the house, to the levee, where he Will
work with blistered hands at piling
sacks and shoveling dirt, by the side
of a laborer, meets some one on the
road.
"How's the water?"
"Forty-three feet at Memphis and
the rivers rising"
We'll hold her this time"
And the two pass on. These peo-
pie of the Mississippi lowlands are
plucky in their fight against the
mighty river. They are always con-
fident that sooner or later the fight
will end, and those men who have
wrested this land from the river, will
hold 1t secure for their own.
Scenes at High Water Time.
High water time is one Of the most
interesting sights that the Mississippi
offers. Boats bring in to protected
towns loads Of refugees from plan
tations which are outside Of levee
protection. Negroes leave their cab
ins on RATS, and float out chickens,
hogs, mules, and all sorts Of plum
der They crowd upon the levees
waiting for a boat to take them on.
Planters send their stock away to
safer pasturage. If they are able. The
river swarms with craft. Men are
for emergency work; lumber is ship
ped to build bulkheads and prevent
the caving away of the dirt. Trains
bring in thousands Of sacks to be fill
ed with earth and raise the top of
the levee above the flood. Steam
boats carry lumber, wheelbarrows,
skiffs, sacks and materials Of every
kind up and down the river to threat
ened places. Every one must do his
utmost in this time Of high water.
It is almost time Of martial law
The danger is too great to allow the
ordinary force to the local authorities
to suffice for the protection of the
levee. Up and down the bank OF dirt
which must be held, walk armed
guards, sworn in as the levee patrol
Their horses are hitched at q tree
behind the bank. saddled and ready
Day and night these men patrol up
and down, their rifles unslung. Per-
haps one man will guard a half mile
of levee-rarely more; and when
,bara iS dappar Of some one cutting