The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-04-05
TOO STRONG
FOR The
LEVEES
Mississippi River Eat
ing It's Way Rapid
ly Through Big Dam
at Old Town, Ark.


Helena; Ark, March S1.-The
! situation at -Oldtown. arkansas,
where the Gazing in of the first
! line Of lewees OF the Mississippi
River began yesterday. was describ-
ed today by government engineers
as critica:. Two more: feet caved
in early today and q strong cur
rent from the Mississippi is side
IS said to be eating its way under
the lereee on the Arkansas side.
~ Memphis, March Se.--Heavy
rains in the. territory between Cairo.
ILL.,. and Memphis yesterday and
last night viii delay the arrival Of
sfile cfest Of the Mississippi river
flood at Memphis until Saturday
Il easai,a s. the United States weather
i.sreau here announced = tonight.
sssa7s rainsstli Will also bring a maxi
mum stage of 4a ores here.
H Scott. forecasteE announced
and wiz proiong the passage of the
crest in this part Of the river.
The sloughins Oft OF the ap-
.proaclles to the old front levee at
Old Town. Ark. two mules south OF
Helena. for short distance was
the only levc. trouble of import
anee reported during the day.
The cave IN at Old Town was dis
covered before more than 90 feet
of the approach had slougiled and
prompt measures prevented the sit
alton from becoming serious, Maj.
il Kerr United States engineer
in charge of the levees in the White
river district reported tonight.
/ Telephone messages from Helena
tonight said the situation there was
well in hand and ssfies work of re-
inforcement progressing rapidly.
Werkmen HiII keen on the job
all night and Major Kerr said that
by morning she leyee as hat point
should be safe. sIslIess the. swift
curreEt off this pofnr Should cu..
into the old leveeS at some other
place. -:
Leyee engineers here say that
the next IS hours vii pro baby de-
terlnine wIletllee or lsstg serious le-
ree trouble viii degei5 between
osceoIa, Ark ,uifers the crest OF
The flood passed this ,tsgrnfng. and
the Mississippi line to s
O'clock Old ToMa the only
point reporting any saup.e,
yIcksburg, Miss .starcn so.-
Showint; a rise of foitr.tenths of a
foot since O'Clock fsais morning
the Mississippi rirsr Had reached
the stage Of 47.s feet eshere tonight.
Reports from all polnssin the third
Mississippi river dissssst to head
quarters here stated ta water was
well up. on the leyees sassut that no
weak points alonss thSsxstem had
developed. ~
Helena. Ark. March so.-Scver-
al hundred men are working to-
night in a driving rain by the light
of improvised torehesSto reinforce
with sand bags the section OF the
front ieree approaches at Old
Town. below Helena. which began
sloughing away into the river early
today. The downpour of rain is
weakening the embankment am,
unless there is a change in, the
weather serious trouble is feared
tomorrow. A nine mile current
driven from the Mississippi side
of the river is sweeping against the
front levee and according to re-
ports received here tonight less
than sosir ieetof the crown of this
levee remains for distance of 80
feet.
Workers say that this strip will
probably not be widened unless tn :
sublerees Of sand bangs fail to
hold back the flood waters swept
against them. The roar of the cur
rent as it strikes against the shore
here can be heard spme distance
away. Levce workers late today
cut down trees and attempted to
place them in the ~ri@tr in front of
the lcvec to break the force Of the
current but they were quickly
swept away down the river.
Efforts OF the workers tonight is
directed to preventing the casing
away of the earth under the ban
uuette. T. this can. be done the
Icvee will hold. they say.