The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-04-11
FLOOD WIPES OUT
ARKANSAS TOWN
Great Lake, Twenty Feet Deep,
Covers Site Of Modoc.
SCORES SAVED BY STEAMER
Hundreds OF Homeless Are Landed In
Msmphis--ovsr Thousand Ma
roonsd on Housstops at
Wyanoks, Ark.


Wyanoks, Ark.
Memphis. Tenn, April "a break
In the leves at Helena, Ark, shot q
Hood Of water 20 feet deep into the
valley Of Modoc, Ark, completely de-
populating the town and washing out
even the strongest houses In the val
10y. .. g..
The great mass Of water formed a
lake, hemmed In on three sides by the
hills, and fed from the fourth by the
river
The steamer Kate Adams was near
Modoc when the levee broke and res
cued those imperiled. A hundred or
more panic-stricken negroes were ia
ken from o government barge. Later
motor launches rescued a number Of
farm hands from the roofs OF cabins,
from trees and peaks Of knobs which
were above the water.
Thousands Marooned at Wyanoks.
One thousand or more persons are
marooned on mounds, housetops and
in church at Wyanoke, Ark, accord
ing to the statement of Mayor Crump
OF Memphis. who returned to Mem.
phis after an inspection Of the food
situation IL miles south of Memphis.
Boats are being rushed to these ref,
ugees, who are In sore straits. They
are hungry and without drinking wa
ter. The refugees in the church built
| 20 x,yif h.
rose.
Three Mississippi river steamers
reached Memphis carrying hundreds
Of homeless persons from the food
swept lands Of Arkansas In the Modoc
territory. Many of these report loss
Of life In the small towns that were in.
undated when the embankment was
preached. There is no chance to vert,
fy such reports, but 1t Is generally be-
lieved that there have been fatalities
in Phillips county. Arkansas.
49,. Refugees Lose Everything.
The refugees saved none of their be-
longtngs. Many Of them were almost
naked when they reached the river
| boats. The boat captains and more
fortunate sufferers divided clothing
with the needy. a.
= Flood Strikes Louisiana.
Baton Rouge, La, April 9--Citizens
Of two towns In Louisiana have be.
come food refugees, the crevassss in
the west bank Of the Atchafalaya river
having forced those living In Elliott
City and Lottie to desert their homes
The water has already inundated
Elliott City and Is moving toward Lot.
tie, situated between Baton Rouge and
the river
Congress- Aids Sufferers.
Washington, April 9-Following the
receipt Of appeals for help from Mound
City, Shawseetown and other towns In
Illinois which are suffering from foods.
congress- agreed to make the $3.50. 900
appropriated recently for use in the
Mississippi valley available also for
the Ohio river food regions. This
will also relieve Cairo, H.. from an
embarrassing situation brought about
by the restrictions placed on the use OF
the money.
Cairo stu Cut or.
Cairo, ILL.,, April 9.-The river Is sta
donary at 81 feet, and residents, al
though the city is entirely surrounded
by water ten feet higher than the
general level Of the city, are much en-.
couraged. The army OF men watching
and working on the levees will con-
tinue, however, until the waters sub
side. Refugees from other flooded dis
tricts We're brought here In a half
starved condition. Railroads are still
without connection to Cairo.
Man and Two Tots Die.
Sherbrooke, Que. April 9-The sud
den rise OF the Coaticoke river at
Compton caused the death of three
persons. Edward Poulin was driving
Mrs. George Veilleux and her six chill
dren TO party when the food unex.
pectedly swept over the road and left
them all struggling In the stream.
Poulin and two of the little ones were
drowned.
St. Louis, April 9.-Special: The
Mississippi river food is moving down
the river and a rise of 60 OF q foot
is reported at Vicksburg and a rise
of 40 feet at New Orleans. The riv
er Is still rising at Cairo.
Town in Danger.
Memphis, April Especial: Oseola,
Arkansas. a town of 5000 population
is in danger of being swept away by
the flood No further breaks are re,
ported in the st. Francis levee. Goa
| snuora nniIaC nf tarPitnry 10 ttnndad