The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-04-11
NARROWED Men HAVE
u. t,NARROW ESCAPE
Cairo, Ill, and Memphis, Tenn,
Are in Imminent Danger of
Water - New Breaks Con-
stantly Reported-Rescues
From House Tops.
MASHINGTON. hi. O Snecfnl

WASHINGTON, ID. c. Special.
High waters still prevail through
out the entire lower MississippI
Valley, and the river will con-
tinuc 60 rise in the vicinity of
New Orleans until May LIST, SAYS
the chief torecaster OF the Wea-
thor Bureau.
& special bulletin to the bureau
says the Mobile and Ohio
iCNCc. three miles from Cairo, Ill.
broke at 2:3O O'clock Friday morn
ing. The lcVce was 125 feet long.
The bulletin adds that 500 men
were inpcrilcd by the breaking
Of the lcNee and property worth
$4,000 900 wiped out.
According TO the Weather Blu
rCau, the river at Cairo is $50
feet high today, rise of two
tcnthS OF n foot since last night.
This is Ia feet higher than over
before, and there will be no re-
ccSSiOn of the waters for several
days, says the fOrecaSter.
At Memphis n height of 43.4
feet is reported, a rise of eight
tenths of a foot since last night,
which explains the previous high
record by 81 feet
CAIRO, ILL., Special This
city is threatened with destruc-
ton as result Of breaks
i'm the Ievees along the banks of
the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
which allowed an thrush of water
that filled the majority of streets
TO depth OF fourteen feel.
The breaks, which RESULTED
from the pounding of the flood
ed rivers, which. bound the city
on two sides. Occurred just before
uaybreak[ and while hundreds of
men were working desperately TO
save the bulwarlIs from Crumbllng
beneath the food assaults.
Four hundred men, working to
save the Big Four Railroad Ievee,
were marOOned when the break
occurred. They were left stand
ing on the top OF the embank-
ment, part of which had already
been torn away by the flood.
"A steamer was sent from hero
TO rescue the men and began a
battle with the swift and treach-
erous current TO reach the chi
bankment without creating coun-
ter-currents and eddies that would
cause the levee to crumbIe into
the water before the helpless Ia
bOrcrs can be taken of.
The first break occurred when
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
leVce, protecting the northwest
end of the drainage district, gave
way.
The drainage district, which Is
north OF the city proper and Is
protected on all sides by Ievees.
forming an added protection 10
Cairo i'm case OF flood, is given
over largely TO market garden
ing.
Thor. ~ a ,,,,,,,t- - x.
in the district, and these already
have been washed loose from
their foundations and are float
ing in the flood. threatening TO
hammer away at the leveeS pro-
tectinS the city "a they are tossed
about by the current
a number of factories, also To-
Gated i'm the drainage district,
nave been inundated and put out
of commission
The break i'm the drainage dis
trict has allowed the weight of
the floods from both the Ohio
and Mississippi Rivers 10 attack
the north wall of the levees that
protect the city proper.
Inc currents racing through the
district, and the north wall has
become a new danger point.
Railroad communication has al
ready been cut of, and the sit
uation Is highly critical.
The loss from the flood today
was estimated at $4,000. 900.
Nearly every ablc-bodied man i'm
Cairo and 1900 imported laborers
struggled along the seven miles of
IeVceS that protect the city i'm n
last desperate effort 20 check tie
flood today.
The wafer is still rising rapidly.
and, IL is feared, some other walls
will give way.
Inc little steamer returned at a
with all accounted for. Two Ieve
,atchmen were directly in front o
ne crevasse when the water brolx
through. They were knocked off tbei
Get and had a narrow escape from
eath. No loss of life has so far beer
eported. The drainage district con
inns over 5000 acres.