Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-09
Mississippi Falls at Memphis
but is Higher at Vicks-
burg; Alarm is Felt BY
People in Far South.
GREAT SUFFERING
IN ARKANSAS TOWN
One Thousand are Marooned
by Floods on House Tops
and Other Places Of Safe
ty at Wyanoke.

over the Mississippi flood situation
centered In the threatened branches
along the. Arkansas and North Louis
lana river shores this afternoon. The
trend OF the food Is shown in the re-
port OF the river stages. which shows
that the Mississippi had receded one
foot and two-tenths at Memphis and
had risen one foot and one.tenths at
Vicksburg this afternoon.
South of Memphis today there were
minor breaks in the embankments
protecting the Arkansas shores and
while these crevasses temporarily re-
lteved the strain on the Tensas and
Yazoo dikes yet the water hourly
works back into the main torrent
In Mississippi, Arkansas and Louis
lana villages behind the levees alarm
over the on-coming crest is spreading
anad hundreds Of villagers and farm
ers have fed to the highlands.
j One thousand famished, thirst
plagued persons are marooned by the
floods on mounds, house tops and in
a church at Wyanoke. Ark, according
to Mayor Crump of Memphis, who -e-}
turned here today after an inspection
i twelve miles south OF Memphis. Boats
A were sent to their rescue. The refu.
gees in the church built up safety
stages of pews as the waters rose.
Memphis Encouraged Today.
/ Conditions in the Mississippi valley
showed much improvement this morn
ing when sunny day gave further
encouragement to those conducting
the work of rescue among the hun
dreds driven from their homes by the
high water.
All levees in the fiood-menaced dis
Itrict were holding strong and at this
point the river had subsidized seven.
tenths Of foot. 8
With upper district levees holding
i however, the strain on the dikes in
the Yazoo section increased and men
worked all night on the embankments
south OF Memphis to bolster weak
spots. The danger at several points
along the Arkansas shore has not
passed
Arkansas Town Flooded.
| Two hundred levee workers mar
rowly escaped being swept away. when
the embankment caved at Mile Post
l24, sixteen miles south of Helena,
Ark, yesterday. The town OF Modoco.
| near the break. is twenty feet under
water today. Modoco practically has
been depopulated and those who re.
| mained took to flight when the roar
OF the water gave warning Of it's COM
ing.
| The steamer Kate Adams was near
Modoco when the levee broke and
rescued those imperiled. A hundred or
more panic-stricken negroes were
taken from a government barge. Later
motor launches went into the food
l hor NJ 70 or,r,
1 from the roofs of their cabins. from
trees and the peaks Of knobs which
were above the water
The work of caring for the refugees
Of the lowlands is fast being systema-
tized. Tents and supplies have been
received at the most important CEN
ters and arrangements have been
made for the establishment of CEN
trail relief headquarters at Helena.
| Captain w. A. Baker, Fourth In
fantry, u. s. A., stationed at Fort
Logan H.. Root, will be in charge Of
| the Reel Foot lake region with head
quarters at Tiptonville, Tenn.
| A relief train sent out from Forest
| City, Ark, yesterday. to rescue farm
ers In the overfowed sections Of st.
Francis and Crittenden counties, re-
| IuIuCU last A6At WIN tAVu AOAu6CSS
aboard but with the mission only half
completed. The train could not pro-
ceed further than the town of Heth,
twenty miles east OF this city. Beyond
that point, where many persons are
believed to be marooned, only boats
can be Of service.
| Three Mississippi river steamers
reached Memphis today carrying hun
dreds Of homeless persons from the
food swept lands Of Arkansas In the
Modoco territory. Many of these re-
port loss Of life in several of the small
towns that were inundated when the
embankment was preached
There Is no chance Ito verify such
reports but it is generally believed
that there have been fatalities in
/ Philips county, Ark.
Town Under Water Votes Dry.
/ New Madrid, Mo-, overfowed to
depth of several feet, is nevertheless
/ dry" At least the "drys" won in To-
cal option election Saturday. Voters