Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-08
LEvEES HOLDING STRONG;
RIVER AT MEMPHIS LOWER
Modoc, Ark, Submerged by Breaking
Of the Barrier.
IMPER1LED ONES RESCUED
Three Steamers Carry Hundreds of
Homeless Persons to
Place of
Safety.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, April S-Flood CON-
ditions throughout the Mississippi valley
showed some Improvement this morning
when sunny day gave further encour-
agement to those conducting the work of
rescue among the hundreds driven from
their homes by the high water
All levees i'm the fiood-menaced district
were holding strong and at this point the
river had subsided seven-tenths of a foot.
With upper district levees holding, how
ever. the strain on the dikes i'm the Yazoo
section increased, and men worked all
night on the embankments south of Mem
phis to bolster weak spots. The danger
at several points along the Arkansas
shore has not passed.
Two hundred levee workers narrowly
escaped being swept away when the en-
bankment caved at Mile Post "a" six
teen miles south of Helena. Ark, yester-
day. The town of Modoc. near the break.
is twenty feet under water today. Modoc
practically has been depopulated and
those who remained took TO flight when
the roar OF the water gave warning Of its
coming.
Rescued by the Kate Adams.
The steamer Kate Adams was near
Modoc when the levee broke and rescued
those imperi.ed. A hundred or more
panic-stricken negroes were taken from a
government barge moored to the bank.
Later motor launches went into the flood
and rescued a number of farm hands
from the roofs OF their cabins, from the
trees and the peaks OF knobs which We're
above the water.
! The kate Adams probably saved hun
dreds OF lives by taking refugees from
RATS and house tops. IN the midst or the
| rescue work the steamer sent skin to a
| woman who sat on the roor of her float
ing house. She sent word back to the
captain that she would not leave unless
he would consent TO take her dead baby
aboard the steamer. Accordingly soap
box was sent to the floating house. The
woman brought out the babes corpse.
placed 1t in the box and was rowed to the
steamer. The little body was brought to
Memphis and buried here today.
One of the Lee line steamers from the
Arkansas country that reached here to-
day told of a desperate flght with 4
negro who refused to leave raft on
which he hoated unless he was allowed
to bring his mule. AS last resort the
captain of the boat tied the raft bearing
the mule behind the steamer and towed
raft. mule, negro and all into Memphis
Three Steamers Bring Refugees. =
Three Mississippi river steamers reached
Memphis today carrying hundreds Of
homeless persons from the hood-swept
lands of Arkansas In the Modoc territory.
Many of these report loss of life In sew
eral Of the small towns that were inun-
dated when the embankment was breach
ed There is no chance to verify such re-
ports. but it is generally believed that
there have been fatalities IL Philips
county, Ark.
The refugees who came this morning
saved none of their personal belongings,
Many of them were almost naked when
they reached the river boats. The boat
captains and more fortunate OF the SUI
ferers divided clothing with the needy.
Relief of the Stricken.
The work of caring for the refugees
from the lowlands is fast being systema-
tized. Tents and supplies have been re-
ceived at the more important centers and
ARRANGEMENTS have been made for the es-
tablishment of a central relief headquar-
ters at Helena.
Cant. William r. Baker, 4th Infantry.
U. 8. A., stationed at Fort Logan H.
Root. will be i'm charge Of the Reelfoot
lake region with headquarters at lip
tonville, Tenn.
A relief train sent out from Forest City,
Ark. yesterday to rescue farmers IN the
overfiowed sections Of st. Francis ana
Crittenden counties returned last night
with 100 refugees aboard. but with the
mission only half completed. The train
could not proceed farther than the town
of Heth, twenty miles east of this city.
Beyond that point. where many persons
are believed to be marooned, only podts
can ne of service,