The Monroe journal., 1922-05-02
AWFUL FEELING WHEN The
.i MAD WATERS ARE FLOWING
Mrs. Hargett's Friend Who Lives in
Greenvile, Miss. Gives Vivid
Picture of Horrors Of Floods
ASKS PRAYERS FOR WORKERS.
ENGINEERS AND LEVEE BOARD
The Ashcraft- Huske Wedding and
Mems Bible Class Come in For At.
tention Of the Writer.
By Mrs. Knox Wolfe Hargett

By Mrs. Knox Wolfe -Hargett
We have been somewhat censured.
or called down, for our enthusiasm
in writing so much concerning this,
our Mems Bible class; and it was by
a Methodist preacher too. | guess he
meant il for good, as he thought it
might become tiresome, or monoto-
nous to outsiders. This boosting is
what I'm with them for, to tell the
world the progress of this particular
class. If the public tires of hearing
the tramp of these christian soldiers,
they are seed that fell among the
thorns anyway, and We will tramp
over them and go Marching on be-
FORE Maybe they will do better
some day.
We have all been reading about the
big Mississippi River threatening to
break the levees, and the menace that
surrounds the cities along her banks.
/ wish to give my readers partial
description of this terror from a
letter we received a few days ago
from our friend, Mrs. Maggie Stur-
divant, who lives in Greenville, Miss.
1t runs thus: For over two weeks
we have been expecting an overflow.
When we lie down at night we don't
know but what the water will be
creeping in on us before daylight.
For a few pretty days of sunshine,
the people have been optomistic, hop
ing the levees would hold, but today
dark clouds and rain have caused our
spirits to droop. 1t looks as if an
other wet spell has set in, and if so,
we are afraid the levees won't hold;
the rain softened the soil, and makes
them more liable to slough. The
levees on the Greenville wharf are
considered safe, but many weak
places above us, and below us, and
should these break we would have an
overflow from back water. The river
is over 50 feet high here, foot higher
than X has ever been before. Ten
miles above here there is stretch
between 5000 and 1000 men have
been at work day and night, strength
ening the levees with thousands and
thousands of sacks filled with sand
and earth. Yesterday the news from
there was good, but don't know
how much damage today's rain will
bring. Sometimes they think that
they have boil stopped, then a great
wave of the river will sweep it into
the water.
twenty-five Miles Wide
"They say the river is % miles
wide at a weak point at SCOTS, and
just across the river is Arkansas
City, in Ark. and they are having a
mighty fight TO prevent break. All
up and down the rivers of Missouri,
Ohio, Illinois, Wabash, White, Ar
kansas, and other rivers, thousands
and thousands of men are fighting to
hold back this mighty flood. Green
vile is built right on the river, and
from the levee on the north to that
on the south there is low protective
levee built up around the town. OF
course there are roads in all direc-
tions leading through these levees,
but are all closed now except just a
space wide enough for one car to pass
through. Bags are lying filled at
each road ready to close it entirely
should a break occur anywhere.
Guards have watched for a month,
and i seems that everything has been
done to prevent disaster. Someone
informed me weeks ago that the state
of Mississippi had $l,000,000 avail
able in funds, and our city, Green
Vile. had 100000 sacks, and they
had ordered 100000 more, which
are coming in every day. All of last
Saturday, as sat at my window sew
ing. saw truck load after truck load
of sacks passing on the way to the
wharf. The main wharf where the
boats land is just five blocks straight
uo the street from us. Last night |
thought | heard water running
through the street. | went to the
window and found it raining. 1t is
an awful thought to know that a
mighty river 50 feet above low water
mark is rolling by you with nothing
to protect you from il but hill of
dirt and sand, placed there by man.
The levees are not built right by the
channel, but far back so that the wa
ter can spread. Neither are they per-
pendicular, but sloping like a hill. The
only hill one sees here, too.
"The river is higher at Vicksburg
than here, but this city is on bluff.
We were to have a protraeted meet
ing here by divine of note from
Florida, but postponed it, and the
prayer circles were turned into prayer
meetings for protection against this
mighty flood. Members Of the Amer
lean Legion have taken charge of the
kitchen department. Feeding all of
these workers is quite an item in the
service, and they have called for vol
unteers in this work. The ladies Of
fered their service but | don't think
they will be called.
Il see from the papers that Dallas
and Fort Worth have their streets
flooded. l thought Of Dick Wolfe,
and enjoyed his letter to you, and /
know how his mother feels when she
reads something from you in The
Journal. Greenville has had three
overhows in the past. Never over
to 6 feet according to location. They
tell ME this back water never comes
in a rush but you can see it coming
in the distance, creeping in on you