TERRIBLE FLOODS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 294, 8 June 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE FLOODS

THOUSANDS HOMELESS IX AMERICA. The following telegrams which the Xew York Evening Post received at the beginning of the flood trouble in America give some idea of what is meant by the Mississippi, breaking down the levees.— Fair skies over the valleys of the Mississippi and its tributaries offered false hopes to the thousands of people made homeless by the greatest rise in history of mid-continent floods. Government forecasters at river points and in Washington said they could hold out no promise of a cessation in the constantly rising Water above Cairo, 111. While there has been little or no rainfall the last ten hours over the area from Cincinatti to Vicks'burg, the rush of freshes in upper rivers continues to swell the flood which is overflowing the shores of ten States. The levees south of Memphis are holding, but with the Mississippi expanding every hour, the menace is increasing. Conservative estimates of the damage so far places the losses at 2,000,000 dols. and more. At every river point the stage this noon sets a new record. The greatest value of Government flood forecasts has been demonstrated. While hundreds of homes have been inundated or swept a.way, the life loss so far stands at only eight. So far the flood has made 7000 homeless, and 8000 others have fled from threatened homes, EXCITEMENT AT CAIRO. Cairo, April 4.—The collapse of two levees has deprived this city of train service, and caused it to be almost surrounded by water. The first embankment to give way was the Mobile and Ohio levee, which protected the drainage district, which 'is now under from five to fifteen feet of water. The lives of 500 workmen were endangered, and property valued in excess of 5,000,000 dols. was submerged when the Mississippi tore a crevace 125 ft long in the dyke. The levee broke after more than 3000 workmen had fought for five hours to fill a depression 710 ft long and sft deep. Five hundred men were fighting on the 3ig Four levee in an effort to stem the rise of the Ohio. Fearing this dvke would not hold under the strain, a tug was ordered out with a rescue party on board, and brought the workers in. The levee broke at a point near the bridge junction. The river overflowed the "Y" levee before reaching the Mobile and Ohio embankment. Two levee patrolmen, who were directly in front of the crevasse, narrowly escaped death. The waters hurled them from their feet, and it was with great difficulty that they reached the embankment. The territory flooded is north of Cairo, and comprises about 9000 acres.. It is estimated that the number of homes, business houses and other structures flooded in the drainage district is nearly 1000. Men who never wielded a shovel orpick in their lives shovelled dirt from l flat cars into the bulkhead along the Ohio levee in the city. Men who have never done heavier work than wield a pen, pushed flat cars along the levee wherever engines were not allowed to run.

Schools have been dismissed until after the flood, and small boys manfully forked yesterday at filling sacks and shovelling dirt off flat cars. Nearly every able-bodied man in Cairo is aiding 1500 imported laborers, who are strung along the seven miles of levee, lighting to prevent the flood engulfing the city. FLOOD LOOSED ON TOWN. Hickman, Kv., April 2.—A swift and muddy current eight feet deep sweeps through the business streets and factories and tenement districts of this town to-day following the breaking of the Mississippi river levee last night. From hill to hill the river flows this morning, covering farms and flooding stores and factories. The railroad tracks are on the bed of the broad stream. Two thousand persons are homeless. At daylight caring for the refugees began. They were temporarily sheltered by residents of the highlands last night, and the tents shipped by the State military will arrive to-day. Organisation of the commissary is giving concern. Much of the food supply was destroyed in the rush of water, and tliere are not enough provisions 011 hand to last the refugees through tiie week. ihe west end of the levee went out about 9.30 last night at a point where it was supposed to be strongest. Men, who had been working in relays for four days, to reinforce the levee, stood by their posts all day in a driving rain. Ihey had built the levee up with sandbags fully a foot above the surface of the river. Some of them had gone home to rest, and most of the inhabitants were in bed when the crash came. The patrol instantly sounded the warning lire-alarm signal agreed upon, tlien sprang into the boats, which had been moored for this emergency since the light against the Mississippi'began, and rowed across the lowlands 011 the crest of the flood. All the workers and those whose homes were endangered reached the bill in safety, but there was much distress among the women and children before they "were housed for the night. Washington, April 4.—President Taft to-day directed the Quartermaster-Gen-eral of tlie Army to furnish rations to flood suH'erers. Hickman, Ky., April 4.—With pitching of tents sent here by the State and Fed" eral authorities, and distribution of food to between 3500 and 4000 refugees, the flood suffering lightened here to-day. Water in the business section is about three feet deep, and six more stores were abandoned to-day. Refugees continue to arrive from all directions—in boats, afoot, on horseback, and i nvehicles. They number over 3000. The river at Cairo this morning stood at 53.0 ft, a rise of two-tenths since yesterday. The previous high record at Cairo was 52.2 ft, made in 1883. At Memphis the stage was 43.4 ft, a rise of eight-tenths since yesterday. The previous record at Memphis was 40.3 ft. At Vicksburg the river stood at 47ft, a rise of five-tenths since yesterday.