Year: 1874

OH, anu muC0 ulSlT8bS anu buuSIlHS III
every part of the country.


The Southern Floods--.Great DestItu.


tiOn and Suffering.


memphis (May 81 Correspondence OF Chicago


Times.l


There is now not the slightest doubt as
to the great destitution among the inhab-
itants of the flooded country along the st.
Francis, White, Arkansas and Mississippi
Rivers, as we'll as along the Ouachita,
Yazoo, Tallahatchie, Yallabusha, Sun
flower and Red Rivers. twas hoped that
the water had reached its greatest height,
and that with few days of fair weather
a decline in the vast lake ofthe Mississippi
would set in, but these hopes have been
dispelled. I am told that Clarendon, Au-
gusta, Desarc and Jacksonport as well as
the other smaller towns on White River,
have been completely inundated by the
last flood, and that it came upon the citi-
zens so suddenly and Unexpectedly that
many had no time to get their stock to
place of safety, and lost that, as we'll as
everything else that would float. Barns,
fences and out houses were carried away
by the angry flood, and In one instance
an entire dwelling was taken from its
foundation and lodged against tree,
fifty yards or more from where il started.
Strange TO say, none of its occupants
were injured. Three or four small places
above here, including Ashport, Osceola
and Fulton, have at last succumbed to
the water, and in all the streets now
nothing can be seen but skiffs and canoes.
On one plantation below Fulton there are
half dozen negro dwellings located in a
low place, and in each of these is one or
more families cooped up in the second
story, the water being nearly to the cell
ing of the first, and there they remain,
with scanty supply of food and no pos
sible chance to get more unless the water
subsidies, as the current is too strong for
a skiff or raft to reach them. Their case
is no worse, though, than hundreds of
others below here, who have been driven
in some cases to the tops of their houses,
where they remained for days without
food or shelter and exposed to the
cold and rainy weather. Refugees
from below continue to arrive here
daily by boat, and all give the most pitt.
able accounts of their sufferings. One,
lady, came up yesterday from a point
seventy miles below, on the Mississippi
side, and tells sad story of the sufferings
of her own family. The high wafer
broke through the levee in front of their
place. The unexpected food forced her
family at once into the second story
the dwelling, and allowed not moments
time to lay in provisions or remove the
stock. Two days ago a passing steamer
was hailed from the house top, and, round
ing to, approached as near to the half
floating dwelling as the timber would
permit The husband then first took his
child in his arms, and half-swimming and
half.wading for over hundred yards
made his way to little hillock, told his
story to the Captain, and he sent out
yawl, which brought the child and its
mother to this city to buy food, the father
remaining with his three other children.
To add to her misery her small amount
of money was stolen on the boat; but she
will be provided for. When she started
up the water was so high in her house
that the children were sleeping on shelves,
and the cooking stove was raised upon
the dining table.


There are no supplies in that section,
and even if there were the people in most
cases have no means of reaching them.
The strong current of the rushing water,
with the timber and heavy drift, render
it hazardous, if nor impossible, to propel
crafts, and all the poor souls can do is to
remain in their houses. Owing to the
isolation of the country there, as well as
aloug the different streams named, the
true condition of the inhabitants is not
known to the public, and their suffering
will not be known until this great deluge
subsidies. Then we fear it will be found
that many have starved to death in their
houses. Many homes in the bottoms, far
from railroads or the river, have been de-
serted, and hundreds are thus left without
food, clothing or shelter. In many in
stances entire settlements have been cut
off from all communication with the up
land country by the rapid rise of the
water, and are compelled to remain in
churches and halfsubmerged homes,
with but a scanty allowance of food. No
provisions are TO be had, for none can be
purchased or got to them.


The swift current has stripped the plan
tations of stock, wagons, farming imple-
ments of every kind. To sum up, | might
say that the whole country south of here,
along the valley, is submerged Planta-
tions are devastated, the inhabitants inn
prisoned by the deluge, and, without food,
are undergoing fearful Affections. This
is the situation between here and Vicks-
burg and only a parallel to that below
there. The water at the city last night
was forty-five feet eight inches above low
water mark in the river, and had found its
way through behind the rear of the ele-
vator, covering the railroad track, and was
foot deep in some of the stores. Delta,
just opposite there, is only saved from
being washed into the river by the almost
superhuman efforts of its Inhabitants -
men, women and children working to-
gether, night and day, to secure the levees
and keep the top above the water.leyel,
The entire Ouachita Valley, from Camden
down, is one vast lake. There, too, the
suffering has been great, and the worst
has not yet come. w r
In most all of the Louisiana parishes
distributing committees have been organ
lied to attend to the proper distribution
of food and supplies, and at the different
landings below here l am informed the
same course is being pursued. 1t will
take some time, however, to get these
committees organized, and there will be
great suffering before a perfect system of
distribution is arranged. This should not
deter or delay single contribution. Any
thing in the shape of clothing or food
would be acceptable, and in donations
sent here for distribution your reporter
would suggest that they be addressed to
the Howard Association, as we have as
yet only soliciting committee. The
Howards will attend to the shipment by
boat Of anything sent, and the boats have
all signihed their willingness to carry
free of charge and distribute all that may
be sent. ett -


A GOOD f1y paper is made as follows