Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-25
MISSISSIPPI FLOOD
At CRITICAL STAGE:
10000 HOMELESS
of Lower Valley
Quit Work to Join Vast
Army Fighting to Keep
Levees From Breaking


Preparations for the crucial week in
the battle against the flood waters of
the Mississippi river are underway
from Cairo to Vicksburg Saturday
with higher stages of the river than
have occurred in the history Of the
United States weather bureau pre-.
dicted for nearly. ali points below
Cairo during the next two weeks.
Every available man and team and
every piece of levee building machfn-
cry in the entire central sector OF
the river will be at work tomorrow
in the effort to prevent a break in
the line of entertainments.
Thousands of men are car
rying on the fight at half dozen or
more points in the central river
stretches where trouble developed or
weakness threatened Saturday 9TH
er thousands will be added to the
forces. Reports from Mississippi
Arkansas and Tennessee points to-
night said farming operations in the
threatened regions will come to "A
virtual standstill Saturday, in order
that every man possible can be added
to the flood-fghting army.
With the most serious situation
presented at Fulton Lake, south CT
Arkansas City, engineers tonight
said that they had hopes of holding
the levee there, but admit that the
fight will be hard one.
Ten miles of weak levee have Gle,
veloped in Bolivar county, MISSISSIPPI
pi, reports received tonight state. At
several points in this stretch the
water is reported running oyer the
embankment and sand boils have ap-
peared at several places. The Yazoo
and Mississippi Valley late today ran
special again to the threatened
point, with 500 negro iaborers. Tive
more trains will arrive tomorrow
morning with an additional 1000.
and the expectation that by Monday
morning 5000 men will be at work
on this section. Every plantation
owner in Bolivar and part of Wash
ington county has sent men and
teams to the threatened section. The
American Legion posts in the two
counties have taken over the work
of guarding the levees and feeding
the thousands of workers. Tele-
graphic orders for 100000 sand
bags to be shipped by express to
this section were dispatched to New
York tonight, and it has been decld-
ed to top this entire section of levee
Gazing of the river bank outside
of the levees near Tunica,\ Miss,
last night and today has brought the
river at that point to within 100
feet of the center of the embank
ment. Hundreds of men are at
work there tonight, constructing a
dixie, which L. c. Franklin, presi-
dent of the Yazoo- Mississippi delta
levee board says will defect the
swift current at that point and prob
ably prevent further caving of the
banks. He declares the situation
there is we'll in hand.
South of Arkansas City where cav
ing has occurred, more than 1000
men are working night and day
Strengthening and topping the levees.
J. w. Summerlin, president of the
Tenas leVee board announced spe-
cial trains tomorrow will bring in a
thousand or more additional laborers
from Louisiana points and he be
lieves that the situation is under
control.
South of Hickman, Ky, where
caving outside the embankment
squareIy against reel foot levee,
which protects $4,000 acres of rich
farming land, a call was issued to-
night for every available able bodied
man, mechanic, business or profess
sional, to report for levee work Sum
day morning. All teams in that part
of the country have been requisi-
toned for the fight on the flood
waters.
10000 ARE HOMELESS
IN FLOOD DISTRICTS
VICKSBURG, Miss, April 23.--
Approximately 10000 people. forced
to flee their homes in the lower
Yazoo basin because of flooded
streams, are in destitute circum.
stances, army officers and officials
of the Vicksburg board of trade es.
timated here Saturday night.
Relief measures now being taken
by army officers and various civic
organizations are devised to provide
food, clothing and shelter for this
number.
Approximately $4,000 people,
forced to flee their homes when back
water from the Mississippi and other
streams overlooked their property, or
destruction of thousands of homes
and the inundation of all low lands
in this section appeared imminent.
are quartered here or at nearby
highland towns, it was estimated. Z.
Five thousand more are reported
in almost destitute circumstances at
points in southeastern Arkansas.
Relief measures, heretofore con-
fY-in dc nd
CARNATIONS will be placed on a sys-
tematic basis today with the arrival
of Captain John A. Gilman, U. S. a,
from New Orleans. He will have
charge of the work and will be sta
toned here.
Food, clothing, tents and other
supplies will be supplied by the gov
eminent.
Several tent cities are springing
up tonight to house the flood ref
ugees.
Red Cross doctors and nurses win
cooperate with army officers in san
itation measures and in caring for
i'll refugees.
Measures for caring for refugees
are being made for a period of at
least five weeks.
10000 ACRES. OF LAND
FLOODED IN ILLINOIS
MCCLURE, Ill, April 22.-Another
levee of the East Cape drainage dis
trict gave way this afternoon and
waters from the Mississippi rushed
over hundreds of acres of cultivated
land, completing the inundation of
10000 acres threatened when the
first levee break occurred in this Sec
ton eight days ago.
Today's break was the seventh in
this section since a week ago yes
terday. All residents of the East
Cape district had made their way to
high ground before the break oc-
Cured. The levee on tag Missouri