The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-06

Hickman. KY. April with a roar
that could be heard for miles, the
mississippi River food burst through
the government levce nve miles west
OF Hickman late to-day, and tonight
is racing over several counties in
Kentucky and Tennessee toward
Rcelfoot Lake. BY tomorrow 100
square miies OF farming lands in Full
ton County, Ky. and Lake and Ocean
counties. Tenn, Will be an inland
sea. Grave apprehension IS felt for
The safety OF farmers in remote sec
tons of the sparsely settled country.
Tho water. whom it came through.
tore q gap sixty feet in width in the
levee. and the swirling current is fast
eating away the carthwork and
wild the breach.
Tho Reelfoot lcvcc. as IL is gcncr-
ally known. has been regarded
danger point for a week. and strenu-
GUS efforts had been made Ia hold
the Hood. Farmers. with business and
professional men. have w-rkut almost
continuously for An"ersl days and
nights in gangs with government
laborers.
Untl to-day when the waves,
driven By high WIND, began to beat
against the banks. X was thought
the hight would be won. The BATH"
was ct It's height at the end. When
the collapse came the workers were
compelled to run for their lives. a
number making their way to lick
man afoot. while others. maroonod
beyond the break, were rescued IN
Easolene launches.
The Reelfoot basin. over which the
water is forming q blanket, Ia made
up OF small farming communities The
farmers homes are generally frail
structures, and with the great rush
of the food are being swept away as
chaf before the wind. 4 number OF
the residents had abandoned their
homes and with their families,
SOL ht safety IN the towns on the
hills, but others. more optimistic as
10 the ability OF the protecting wall
20 hold back the raging waterway.
remained on their lands. When the
crash came efforts were made To COM
rnunicatc with the scattered villages
by telephone but with little success.
Considerable live stock is still in the
1owlands.
Thu property damage will be large,
but farming operations will not be Sc
riousiy hampered except that the crop
will be retarded. Because of the un-
usually heavy rains of the early
spring. but little of thu ground mas
been titled, and the deposits left when
the foods recede Will add to the pro-
Effectiveness OF the land.
Should the water now through the
break in such volume as to force
Ucelfoot Lake from its banks, besides
the county of Lake. the greater part of
Obion county and "a portion of Dyer
will he inundated Obicn River will
lake up the water of the lake and
empty the surplus into the Mississippi.
"..lO Lao nf To
rider" outrages several years ago is
IN the path of the overflow.
At 10 o'clock Tonight the crcvassc
I'm the Reelfoot lcvce was 80 yards
In width and steadily widening with
the waters rushing through The gap
with mighty force.
TIL" Reelfoot levce extends about
hftY miles, from Hickman 10 Upton
VILE Tenn. w. 'hc break oeurrt,i
the land slopes sss~-..a:iy To the Ten
hessee limo and then Is practically
level. Cotton and alfalfa are the
principal crops raised In tho over
Howed territory.
Substantial relief came to-day FOR
the refugees of the Hood being shell
tered in Hickman. One check FOR
$4,000 was sent by Louisville: May
field sent several carloads Of bed
ding and clothing and three wagon
loads OF provisions AMI bedding came
From Fulton; two from Union City
and one from Woodland Mills
Tents have been arranged in two
villages for whites and negroes. Ra-
kltna arc apportioned systematically.
The refugees range IN age from In
Snnts a few weeks old to men and
women infrm with their years. Tho
health OF the refugees is good Only
kne. woman. is seriously i'll she
Continued On Second Para)