Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-01-29
Predicted Arkansas River Will Reach Higher Stage
 Than Ever.
CREST OF FLOOD
 EXPECTED TUESDAY
Water Slowly Creeping Into East Pine Bluff and Territory Adjacent to Old Lake Bed-AH Leyeps Hold
 So Far.

With something like inches of rainfall in the 60 hours which ended about o'clock last night, the greater part of which fell yesterday, from 2 a. m. to D. m., and with the ad- vance stages of the big Arkansas river flood already in sight here, nothing has developed to cause weather bureau officials to anssnu thelr forecasts for stage of 29 feet or more here, except that the fore- casts issued yesterday indicate that the crest of the flood will not reach Pine Bluff until Tuesday.
 Up and down the river, in the ter rltory adjacent and tributary to Pine Bluff, there was little if any harm d2ne by the river up to late hour last night. Everywhere, the levees are holding. although at some points fears are expressed as to whether the levees will hold the great mass of water due to come down the river within the next two pr three days.
 Back water in the city is gradual. ly and even rapidly spreading over a larger area, and expectations are that by tonight serious inconven- venience and much loss of a minor nature will have been suffered. | The heavy rains early yesterday again caused the flooding of the base- ment of the high school. and thers was no session again yesterday at that institution. @ l The same sort of trouble is being, felt at the union passenger station. T where al pump, was kept in opera- tion virtually all of yesterday. iii the effort to bail out the baAement,
 Situation Is serious.
 "The situation Is serious" said Mayor simon Bloom last evening. "but no man can. tell exactly how serious 1t will become."'
 The city officials are keeping in 4 close touch with the situation, as are l also officials of the federal govern ment, and of the Cotton Belt railroad. Fears that there will be flooding at the shops of the company are begin ming to be felt. and precautions are to be taken 8
 It is believed here that the river may not reach the 29 foot stage fore- casted. but it IS generally admitted by experienced river men, who have been studying the rainfall and report ed gauge reading at points up the river, that the 2S foot mark will be reached, at the least. This will be 1.10 foot higher than the mark reached on June 1 of last year, and will be sufficient to prevent the operation of cars on the East Second avenue line, and perhaps on the East Sixth avenue line also. l~s N River Rising Rapidly. | The river here rose rather rapidly yesterday, and was expected to rise. even more rapidly today, as result o: the approach of tho crest of tho flood, and the continuance. of heavy rainfall through this section of the state in particular. .s6s s.3 The official reading yesterday here showed a stage of 14,3 feet. at o'clock yesterday morning. At & O'Clock yesterday afternoon, the came gauge showed 24.64 feet. . rise of .34 of foot in eight hours. It was believed during the early part Of tho day that the heavy rains locally were keeping the river It atand. and that the rise during the afternoon was caused by combination of continued rains and water from the north. It was believed also that when the | gauge IS TehU At q. m. tOu2y. IL VIII show stage of 25:50, or more. BY tonight 1t Is expected the river will pass the 26.50 stage, and by Sunday evening 1t is expected to be about 2S, if not higher.
 ! The combination of conditions, the |higher water in the Mississippi which IS holding back the wAters rom the Arkansas the continued heavy rain- fall: the fact that the ground is al, ready water-soaked, and that every low place is filled; the approach of the crest of the flood; this combina- ton is working havoc here and in this section.
 Plum Bayou Levse Safst
 The Plum Bayou levee is in the finest possible condition to do its work of holding back the flood waters, according to Jesse R. core. at Plum Bayou. N r. There Is absolutely no trouble. and no danger of trouble" said MT. Core last night. over the long dis- |tance telephone.
 The river will have to riss six feet to get over the top of the levee. and such rise Is not anticipated, even by the most timid and fearful of per- sons. Five feet or leas. is the maxtz mum rise expected.
 (Continued on FAsA &l