The Cairo bulletin., 1913-03-23
Cond tion Existing a Year Ago a.
This Time, When Fight With
Water Was at Climax.
RIVER GAUGE READ 54 FEET
And City Was Passing Through Peri
cd of Most Disastrous High Wa
ter Period in History.

The Easter of 1918 is upon us and
with it comes memories Of the L..-,~f
Of 1912, Cairo and its citizens Will
never forget this same period last
year although the seascl was three
weeks later, how the flood waters OF
the Ohio and Mississ ppi rivers were
menacing lives and propeSty~-how
the citizens of all classes worked hand
in hand to save the city from disaster
how their efforts were rewarded 1t
seemed by an act of Providence and
the city's levees withstood the strain
Easter last year came upon sun
day, April 7th, three weeks later than
this year. Upon that date the Ohio
river registered 81 feet on the loca!
, guage, the highest ever recorded.
Three days previous on Thursday,
ATril 4th, the break In the M. and Q,
, leyee occurred which caused the back
water Of the Mlssisslppi 10 rush fntT
the Drainage District like mill race,
inHndating hundreds of acres of land
and damaging property TO the exteni
of thousands of dollars. On Thursday
afternoon this water was supplement
ed by the admittaEce of the flooded
| Ohio through the break which oc'
Cured in the Big Four levee
1t was when the waters had flooded
the Drainage District that conditions
| became alarming to the residents OF
Cairo and it seemed like the first re-
alization of the real peril. Residents
! began the movement of their house
| hold goods'to the storage warehouses
| for high and dry place should the
water invade the city through the
| crumbling OF the levees.
The week before Easter, usually
the busiest in the year for the mer-
! chants assumed a sepulchre like
| quietness, so absorbed were the resi-
dents in working on the levees, and
| discussing the flood conditions. Fam
lily after family had left the city. and
as they are the real inspiring notes
| In the musical rythme Of good bust
| less, mercantile interests were para
| lyzed. Merchants, with their coun-
sers stacked full of new 1912 spring
| merchandise were forced to move the
bright crisp stocks to the second and
third floors to be neglected until ma
| ure's wrath had been spent, and
pn ii'i1ts asa'n - an,e normal.
The Illinois C,itfa' bridge ap-
lproarh was the scene If Cairo's it.2
East:- Sunday rrom' made, AMI At
was 3ct "a ts'!;iant IS are usta,'
such occasions The .sy was VI
lrs,tl tnr sIhs1inv aAt warm wiia
the ,.mtersiurr regi:t, ring 81 o.
grces, q. in co.,: i, rte with the
st1rs ~ the II. er
Citizens gather on the bridge ap-
proach, gazing upon 4 vast araa +
water, covering the Drainage ~,
tri1 on :.r Ifrth ahd -;Ietchin2 -
to the luw lands OF tue Mississippi "a
the west and south an; the 0A;o on
the east. Cairo was id island oa'
from :, o. couli gaze upon the 'As'
strrt h II ' 4, s'ai witt 'ts attendcul
scruse ~ eisaser au1 Isolation
Refugees from the Drainage Dis.
tTict were encamped in tents and i'm
rrovised huts along the sides of the
approach having an unrestrictet
; view of their erstwhile homes partly
submerged, their furniture ans
household belongings floating aroun(
In the water. and their domestic pet,
marooned on house or tree top,
await.ng succor.
1t was not a dress occasion for tn;
majority of those who were out o
, doors. although a few of the fem
ninity who braved the impending dis
aster of food to remain in Cairo
twere 10th to let the occasion go b,
without displaying fashions dictate
, in attire.
II The majority had no time to thfnl
of the conventionalisms of style
|, Other things of greater importane
! found expression in their efforts b
protect the city, and to work for it
redemption from the ravaging higl
! water.
The display of militarism did enli