Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-09
Several Minor Breaks Reported
South Of the City.
GENERAL SITUATION IMPROVING
Thousand Persons Are Reported
Marooned at Wyanoke, Ark.
ELLIOTT CITY IS INUNDATED
People In Town Near Baton Rouge,
La, Driyen from Homes ny Break
In Leyee Along Athafslays
River.

| MEMPHIS, Teuns ApfH e--AnAicty
over the Mississippi flood situation cen
tered In the threatened reaches along the
Arkansas and North Louisiana river
shores this afternoon. The trend Of the
flood Is shown In the report Of the river
stages, which shows that the Mississippi
had reccded one. foot and two-tenths at
Memphis and had risen one foot and
one-tenth at vlcksburg this afternoon.
South OF Memphis today there were
minor breaks in the embankments pro-
tecting the Arkansas shores. and. while
these crevasses temporarily relieve the
strain on the Tensas and Yazoo dikes,
yet the water hourly works back into
the main torrent
In Mississippi. Arkansas and Louisiana
villages behind the leyees alarm over the
on-coming crest Is spreading. and hun
dreds OF villagers and farmers have fled
to tho highlands.
One thousand famished, thirst plagued
persons are marooned by tho flood ON
mounds. housetops and In q church at
wysnoke, Ark. according TO Mayor
Crump OF Memphis. who returned hero
today after an inspection twelve miles
south OF Memphis. Boats were sent to
their rescue. The refugees In the church
built up safety stages Of pews as the
waters rose.
Two hundred levee workers narrowly
escaped being swept away when the en-
bankment caved at Mile Post a. sixteen
miles south OF Helena. Ark. yesterday.
The town Of Modoc. near the break Is
twenty feet under water today. Modoc
practically was depopulated and those
who remained took to flight when the
roar OF the water gave warning OF Its
coming.
Hundred Reseusd from Barge.
The steamer Kate Adams was near
rModoc when the Ievee broke and rescued
those imperilied. A hundred or more
panic stricken negroes were taken from
government barge. Later motor launches
went into the flood and rescued q number
OF farm hands from the roofs Of their
cabins, from the trees and the peaks OF
knolls which were above the water.
The work Of caring for the refugees
from tho iowlands Is fast being system.
itized. Tents and supplies have been re-
eeived at the more important centers
and arrangements have been made for ths
establishment OF central relief head.
quarters at Helena.
New Madrid, Mo-. overflowed TO q
depth OF several feet Is nevertheless
dry" At least the "drys" won in a local
option election Saturday Voters came 20
the pools In skffs. In motor launches
and on RATS and when the rubber booted
election clerks completed their count II
was shown that the vets were beaten by
900 votes. Belated returns from the elec-
tion were received hero today.
Three Mississippi river steamers reach
ed Memphis carrying hundreds OF home.
less persons from the flood-swept lands
OF Arkansas In the Modere territory.
Many OF these report loss OF life in
several OF the small towns that were
Inundated when the embanlement was
preached.
stage of the River.
WASHINGTON. April s.-The weather
bureaus report on conditions on thu
Mississippi river this morning says:
THE stage Of the river at Cairo, Ill
Is $50 feet with q falling tendency. Tn
Mississippi is falling above Helena. Arr
with a stage at Memphis of ta7 feet.
fall Of 1.s feet from the high water mag
of Saturday. From Helena southward tlS
rise continues as previously forecasted
Elliott City Inundated.
BATON ROUGE. La, April s-cltises I,
OF two towns OF Louisiana have becoI[
flood refugees during the last tweu&
four hours. the crevssse in the west b
Of the Atchafalays river Saturday ni(6
having forced those living In Elliott cif
and Lottie to desert their homes. IT,
water already has inundated Elliott City
and today is moving toward Lottle, situ
sted between Baton Rouge and the river.
No loss Of life has been reported.
Gsyernment sends Supplies.
ST. LOUIS, No, April s-The Missis-
sippi river was So4 feet here today, q
slight fall In twenty-fOur hours. but the
water is still above the danger line. At
Hannibal the river was 10 feet. feet
above the flood stage. No 0sat damags