The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1913-02-01
THE RIVER IS ON RAMPAGE
Breach at Beulah $50 Feet Wide Now
River Rising There Efforts to
Tie Ends Unsuccessful.

Rosedale. Miss. Jan. 20. The
break at Beulah is about $50 feet
wide and still caving. The volume
Of water is increasing in the over
flowed territory gradually. but
there is no loss of life or stock yet.
4 Ii the levee continues to cave at
the rate of so feet a day, or even
f25, it is certain that conditions
| will grow worse rapidly, and the
people. it is pointed out, should
not become overconfident. While
the water has spread slowly SO far,
the increase may become very much
Emore rapid.
/ Efforts to tie the ends have been
unsuccessful, but they have retard-
ed the caving to some extent.
The Peayine train, running from
Clarksdale to Greenville, still is
going as far as Beulah and return
ing to Clarksdale at night.
The river at this point is rising
about half foot in twenty-four
hours now, while last year it begun
to fall rapidly just after the break
on account of the crevasse there
and number of breaks above and
below on the Arkansas side.
This is point that may have
been generally overlooked when
estimating the damage which may
accrue this year.
| ANSWER GOVERNORS GRIT
ICISM.
GreenvilIe, Miss, Jan. 20. LIN
reply to the criticism made by Gov.
Brewer on Chief Engineer W. j.
Shackelford of the Board of Miss
lssippi Levee Commissioners. the
members of the board yesterday
issued the following statement:
I'VE, the Undersigned members,
constituting the Board of Misslss-
ippi Levee Commissioners. do here
by state that w. j.. Snackelford,
the chief engineer employed by
this board. was in no way RESPONSE
bic or to blame for the break IN the
ievee at the Beulah crevasse,. and
that the work was entirely under
the supervision of the United States
engineers and was a United States
government contract, ana tnat all
the statements made by Mr.. Snack
elford in his reply in the Memphis
Commercial-AppeaI of Jan. q are
true and correct. We make this
statement for publication as a SIM
pie act of justice to the engineer in
order to correct the wrong impress
sion given by the Governor s unjust
attack. 1t is our Intention to have
this statement placed upon the |
minutes of the board in the form
of resolution at its next meet
ing.
Signed by G. r. Smith, presi-
dent, Bolivar county; ]. C. Brooks.
member. Bolivar county; j. T. |
Atterbury, member, Washington
county; ]. D. Smythe. member,
Washington county; G. M. Baggett,
member, Sharkey county; M. M.
Soiars. member. Issaquena county. |
COMMISSION CONDEMNED. |
Shaw, Miss. Jan. 20. -Resolu-
tions condemning the Mississippi |
Board of Levee Commissioners, and
holding that their alleged failure |
to properly expedite the work of |
closing the crevasse Of last spring at |
Beulah, Miss, was responsible for
the present overflow, were adopted
at a mass meeting here tonight of
residents of Shaw and the surround
ing country, the greater part of
which is now under water. The
resolutions urge that an inyestiga-
tion be ordered.
In a statement several days ago,
Gov. Brewer charged that there
had been unnecessary delay in clos
ing the break in the levee. The
mass meeting commended that
stand taken by the Governor.
10 a reply to Gov. Brewer, Chief
Engineer Shackelford denied that
there had been any negligence on
the part of himself or the board.