The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-01-26
By ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Vicksburg, Miss, Jan. ga torrent
two hundred feet wide and many feet
deep, is tonight rushing through a
crsvasse in the Beulah levee, about a
hundred miles north of here, on the
east banA of the Mississippi. The
water is rapidly inundating the low
lands, destroying crops, and forcing
hundreds Of families with their live
stock to the hills. Engineers estimate
that at least one thousand square miles
will be inundated.
Fifteen hundred men. four hundred
of whom are state convicts, are work
ing day and night to tie the ends OF
the break, but they are constantly
widening
The levee broke early today. 1t re-
suited from a settling of the founda-
tion. Major j. A. Woodruff, United
States engineer, Is in charge.
Alarming run1ors were in circula-
tions today regarding the condition Of
the Ievee at Filters Landing. and Ma
jor Woodruff has dispatched a steamer
there for inspection. Up to a late hour
tonight no loss of life had been re-
ported.
The waters from the new Beulah
crevasse are expected to flood a sec
ton of farming land covering an area
of sixty miles in length and from five
to fifteen miles in width, extending
South to point Just north of Vicks-
burg, and east beyond the tracks of the
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad
This railroad probably will be placed
out of commission between Greenville
and Vicksburg within the next few
days. I
Last night the river was two feet
above the water stage but the river
was rising rapidly and when the new
foundation settled this morning, the
big dirt embankment went out with a
roar.
1t is not believed possible to close
the crevasse now and the government
and state levee workers Will turn their
efforts to the task of saving the levees
at Filters and Lake Jefferson, where
the increasing floods are considered
threatening.
WARNINGS TELEPHoNED.
Vicksbrg, Miss, Jan. 25.--News Of
the crevasse was telephoned to all
of the towns, villages and county seats
In the threatened section and runners
on horseback were dispatched to the
plantations lying just south and east
of the break It is not believed any
human lives will be lost, but 1t is
feared thousands Of head OF live stock
Will be drowned.
An area extending almost fifty miles
south and from to 15 miles In width
is expected to be flooded. This ter
ritory embraces some of the most fer
tile lands in the south.
The riverside division of the YaZoo
and Mississippi Valley railroad will
be put out of commission between
River Junction and Greenville and the
floods may endanger tho main hne of
the road between Vicksburg and Green
vile.
Today's crevasse is at the head of
Lake Beulah, 20 miles north Of the
city of Greenville in Washington
county. The river stage Is almost ten
feet lower than on June II last year.
when one Of the most disastrous breaks
in the history of this section occurred
at the same place, therefore the city
Of Greenville is not considered in dan
ger and much of the highlands of the
delta which were inundated last sum
mer probably will not be submerged.
Crop preparations in the section,
which will be flooded were well ad-
vanced. Planters who lost their entire
pect of having their lands submerged
for several months, at least while a
recurrent spring rise would keep the
flooded section under water until late
in the summer.