The Mena weekly star., 1920-05-20
f[00D WATERS
 DO VAST DAMAGE
XalIeyH of Caddo and Cossatot Rivers See Crops, Farms and Roads De- stroyed-Many Graphic Stories
 of Destruction.


 vief counties by the extraordinary heavy heavy ;'s rains !!sis the first of the week.
 Reports which have been delayed in reaching Mena show that the greatest 1oases have been in the valleys along the Caddo and Cossatot rivers in Montgomery and Sevier counties and along Big Fork creek and the head of the Cossatot in Polk county.
 Until more complete information can be gathered it is impossible to cor ree<If approximate the extent of the losses GO Farmers and stockmen, but enough has been learned to know that ln pl&ces heavy damages have occur cd that will result in much distress.
 Polk county was unusually lucky in fScapin& much of the destruction wrought by the deluge that began Monday and lasted until Wednesday, Tine seefiea of the county that suffered most is believed to be the valley of the Cossafot between Shady and Gill; ham Springs, but the full extert of the 1osses suffered will not be known un. tll more Attenuation is gathered.
 Arfie Lawrence of Shady was in Mena Friday and gave a graphic story of the destruction wrought by the flood of, the Cossatot. The river reached the highest stage ever known In history and the water marks left by tho last rise are higher than the oldest resident can remember, The gin and mIli of Griff McCauley at Gillham Springs Is reported to have been wash ed away and one span of the bridge at a5<sA!.s> ak75<ssA!.>:s> Springs is also reported gone.
 Possibly the greatest damage was to fesm lands along the river and from fhe measer reports which have reach cd the county seat it is evident that many hundreds of acres of good bot tom land have been washed away In most cases the growing crops were carried away at the same time, which adds to the misfortunes of the residents in the valley. because it will be impossible at this late time to re- place theHl
 The farm of G. L. Hunt is said to have been washed so badly and left in such ruined condition he has an nounced hts intention of abandoning 1t. At Buster Parsons home the water rose SO rapidly 1t flooded the house and the family was forced to s0ek shelter nD the mountain side. All the chickfyns at the Parsons place were 4<ezeae4 4<.a team of mules is miss i1lK, though 1t is not known whether they Were carried away in the flood or escape4 Into the mountains.
 I'M mn 5m7Tn farm near Cold Springs, and tie farms of Jasper and Thomas McC0uIey and James Watkins are among fbose that are said to have suf- fefed tue heaviest losses from wash Ing. In some places gullies from ten to twenty rods wide were washed thru the fertile soil down to the bed rock.
 Wiley Lawrence who lives at Wat CTS. came to Mena by way of Opal and added to the story of flood damage along HIe Fork creek. He has great dlffieuIfY in getting to Opal because of tho deep holes washed In the roads, aome q which are deep enough to hide horse fn Big Fork creek was re- ported fo have risen two feet higher than ever before known.
 Knfu ands fin the vicinity of Big Fork 1n4 Opal are in places suffered much from washing and many farmers will 1oso a large portion of their early planted corn and cotton.
 Mr.kand Mrs. c. D. Baker and Mir. and Mrs. John Bratcher who reached Mena Friday morning reported seeing evidences Of much destruction in Mnnte0mery county, but only a small s...s..:.t A ..s pselk county. It required 9 day tn travel from Mt. Ida to Big Fork by auto
 They spent the night at Big Fork and came to Mena in few hours. Their car had to be pulled out of holes on six different occasions between Mt. f5sa and Bis Fork in addition to being toWed for several miles at the rear end Of wagon Five of the six times mule power was required in Montgom- cry county and once after crossing the Polk county line.
 The roads in Montgomery county are practically washed away according to Mfr. Baker, being one deep hole or gully after another. The newly built eofefnment road thru the forest is afnost ruined
 Iha rainfall at Mt. ida where MT. Hakof h8d gone to assist in the open i1G o{ tho new office of the Stuart IHl4 Gou16any, was such as to be 6I<M0Gd an ! water spout and the de- 6c6ndInx flood worked havoc to the hiII 1fms and valley lands ike. # TIT Hafor told of one man who es- z!!zzz.A A!4 zarm had heen damaged to {E& 6l<6nf Of $2,000 and reduced the HEl1f1< price of the place by that <l161nt. IA the party travelled from
 f I16 though Womble to Big Fork j6a6 mn many evidences of damage ty Che Hood to farm lands but did not a(oD to rather details of the losses. They dld not see so much damage af- k6r reaoIlIne Polk county.
 A IF EAsy, special representative Tor the Ae<na Insurance company who had been at Womple on business enant fb4 night at the town when the {Lo4d mn the worst. It was a night of (fIx1t and terror for many of the resldeuf6 Of the little town, who were rousad ff0m their beds when the Cad 6o xfxer oxerflowed the banks and o0uneIIed them to seek shelter on
 [& 61a6es were washed away at
 &11GI8 and portion of the road
 10&pt down stream-
 68 x1rds of railroad track was 116x66 MY by the flood. Womble X(l|I E@ Tikhout railroad communica- M 6k least two weeks, accord
 1<fqice between Mena and
 3IuEI6 06s been halted for the past t01 16y6 <he furtherest point reached 66IUT 01&1 Another attempt was