Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-04-21
LARGE AREAS
INUNDATED IN
SEVEN STATES
Levees Crumble Before
Swelling Tid e OF
Mississippi and Ar
kansas Rivers

NEMPflIS. Tenn, April, 2l.-(Pl--
Death. famine. and pestilence rode
the waters today on the ever-in-
crcasinE tide Of the greatest flood
in the history Of the Mississippi
Valley.
Thousands NJ square miles of fer
tile soil lay inundated. Damage TO
property had already reached mn un-
estimated figure in the millions or
dollars. Thousands Of persons. driv-
en- from their homes wv the waters.
were suffering for food. clothing and
shelter. while others who had hravcd
the flood 10 stay in their homes.
had psrishcd.
Seven states-ArkaEsas Missouri
Illinois. Kentucky Mississippi. Tenn
essee and louisiana were battling
against the encroachmcnts OF the
river
Texas was receiving a quantity OF
water from western tributaries.
Arkansas. through which several ma
ior tributaries were rising above
and casting aside All barriers. was
the worst affected IN the group,
where danger points had Develop
ment AZ points in Illinois and Mis-
sissipri. which were not apparent
yesterday.
The outlook throughout the valley
was far from bright az 0verhanging
skies and rainstorms wre forecast.
The crest at 81 Louis was believed
reached until last night when fore
casters saw new waters in prospect
as the result Of rains in the head
lands. 81 Louis is considered the
northern boundary Of the danger
area.
The most critical situation in Ar
kansas was M Clarendon. where the
Whit and Case rivers come torethe-
er break in n levee there vcxfer-
dav caused widespread deHoln'inn
and rendered MANY homeless with
little food or clothing The only
communication 20 the town is the
telephone which had not gone ont
today and over which reports of the
suffering were rclaycd 10 The A.
sociated Press and % the outside
world.
Wind and transforms swept over
the western and southwestern por-
tion OF the state early today, pour
ing part Of a torrential rainstorm
into corner Of Texas near Texar-
kama. A cloud burst which struck
Texarkana AZ midnight, had loosed
three inches Of precipitation within
half an hour and was continuing
Unconfrmcd reports there told or
wide area over which the storm
moved
* Francis river vaIldy IN the
northeastern portion WI Arkansas
was IN the path M "A gigantic vol
umc of water flowing through "A gap
IN the dyke at New Madrid. Mo.
N was estimated that more than a
million acres NJ land will be inur-
dated from this break alone.
AT Little Rock, in the central por-
tion Of the state, a deluge yesterday
flooded many streets and continually
levees. The danger Of losing the
source Of the city's water was al-
leviated late last night when en-
gineers successfully built q barrisr
around the pumping station. Little
Rock reported six moredeaths Ia
that vicinity yesterday. bringing the
total number to we'll over "A score
" known dead as a result or the
flood
Pine Bluff experienced one 0t
the heaviest rainfalls Dn record
yesterday and awaited record crfAE
IN the Arkansas river, while thr
main attention there was coneHn-
trated upon the care Of hundreds OK
refugees who have sought safety
from the wter menance IN the city.
LeSees Giving Way
Two more levees broke yesterday
In the Pine Bluff sector. The Plum
Bayou dyke and the English levee
parted. dcluging thousands Of acre
and driving farm tenants from their
farms.
Armed guards we're patr0llinR thu
levefH on the Red River In both
Arkansas and Texas after IA break
yesterday near Lewisville, Arkansas.
Another danger spot near Te1arkmnh
Was NJ Garland City where N breAk
threatened to flood $4,000 acres in
three counties
II was estimated that 400 square
miles were inundated in Arkanras
and Texas a. the result of hreak
along the Red River and back water
where there were no protecting
levees.
Epidemies had broken out yester-
day in two refugee camps in Arkan-
sas. Mumps and other contagious
diseases was offering a new menanca
TO the sufferers
Organized relief. agencies estimat-
ed the number of homeless i'm the
flood throughout the valley at 5O.
600 and up. The organization nf
relief stations was Immediately
started after the issuance W M rall
Tor financial aid by the American