The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-05
MISSISSIPPI IS
STEADILY RISING
Train ServiceDemoralized and
Business In Many + laces
Suspended
MEMPHIS STREETS
ARE UNDER WATERa
Food Running Short In City
OF Cairo Where Immediate 81
Wants Are Supplied
By Boat

MEMPHIS. TENN, April 4.-TheI
giving away of levees at scattered
localities on the Mississippi from
Caro-. Ill, to Rescue Landing, Mi1ss,'
q distance Of several hundred mica
| today ADDED to the damage already
Ing down the country main waters
way to the Gulf of Mexico.
No further loss OF lie has bceus
reported, but the damage done by the.
| freaks at Cairo H.; hickman. KY
and lower river points has increased
the financial loss to more than nvA:
million dollars. Tonight the sreAk
stream Is slowly and steadily rising
with the crest yet to come. VtkiI-l
ance has been redouD led to prevent
further loss OF life; all possible re-
lief measures over this great stretcl1
OF territory are being taken by both
ederal and State authorities. whIlo
the area of distress Is rapidly widen-s
ing.
, lain service throughout the great
central valley Of the country Is do
moraltzed, and business In many To-
calities Is suspended.
Tonight the great levees north and:
west OF Memphis are still holding. 70
the surprise OF river men, who. fAnal-
liar with the food phantasies. pre-
dicted last night that the great earth
works could not resist the enormous
pressure OF water against them for
another twenty-tour hours.
Large basin In Danger.
Although theie is a great deal of
suffering and damage along the en-
Tire reaches Of the great stream. per-
haps the most critical situation ex.s
lists with respect to these levee4
known to river men as the St, Fran
| cha Ieyees. 7 hey protect vast arcas
of territory. Should there BE- -
break, the entire st. Francis BASIN
which lies entirely In the state o.
Arkansas. and Coz ers several coun-
ties dotted with hundreds Of popu.
lous cities and towns would be Hood
ed Already d part Of this territory
is covered by backwater from small
stIea tributary to the Mississtppas
Memphis Streets Flooded.
In the city of Memphis the sifuae
ton has changed little within thu
East twenty-four hours About twen-a
ty blocks in the northern section or
the city. populated largely by ne
groes, are COY cred with ws.-.r to -
uepth Of from seven to twelve feet
Water Is backing up into the streets
in many sections Of the city through
the sewers. causing some Apprehen-9
sion on the part of the health att-;
thorities. The gas works have been
closed down for two days. and thu
city's electric light supply Is nov
threatened by the encroaching water1ks
Cairo Without Trains.
The breaking OF the two levees juse
north OF Cairo early today added ~
the financial loss in that district. and
put stop to train service into the
city. The Mobile and Ohio. whtah
runs along the low-lying country ~
the south. has been out Of COMMITS
sion for two days. and the tlinCeM
Central was hit today. Tho lives oE9
several hundred men working on IL
Ievees were endangered by the breaks
but the workers were rescued by tHSD.
Food Is running short In the city 90
Cairo, and arrangements are neinG
made to supply the immediate wants
by boat. An army quartermASt91s
with a corps Of assistants. will aSs-
rive tomorrow. They will furntaA
supplies to the needy. making Their
way down the river in boats -
ianufnks wherever u dtstres sfgnxf
seen. A supply Of tents will also ~
taken along for distribution.
Hickman In Distress
Tho situation at Hickman. Ky
shows no improy ement. The Naalleg
willie, Chattanooga and st. Louis RAilSl
road, which transfers its trains acrCa9
the river here on ferryboats. Ii out ~
business Gasoline boats are makiM~
trips across the river In Missouri an
up and down the stream. night alt6s
day. bringing In. refugees. nearly 4ll
OF whom Are In q pftiable stats ~
exhaustion. Every house In the tow
has water on the first floor. and mA1X
are unfnhabitable. u
The. task OF caring for tho refugees
Is difiicult. A number of hospttaE
tents have been erected on the cur
rounding hills. and several Of thai
are filled with patients. The huMss
ness section Of the city Il practice IT.
obliterated. BIZ 4 4
The levee on tho Tennessee 1t6oS
Of the river below Hickman bt04Q3
during the night. flooding the fanxos!
Reelfoot Lake section. This 0xpA
flooded an area OF fifty square mn5
and the damage there will be a4asA3
nous. ss Sa|
Al New Madrid. Mo-. al bustnse
In suspended, The water Is from Az
to eight feet deep In all dowrtoN
stores. All 0ue-story residences hnae
been vacated. and the courth0N!
churches and public buildings - 1)
!. ing used to house th0 homeless & II IL
~-----~--- sSSss S54
MRS. CHARLES PHEIH