The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-19
PROV NEW ORLEANs.
Terrible CatastrOphes Along the LIE
Vees--.Grand anu mOrgRnGa LeTee.
BrOI<en..-NiueP Parishes Likely 10 b.


NEW ORLEANS, May 10.-We learn
from reliable gentleman, who just ar
rived on the steamboat Sonora, that
during storm on Tuesday night the
wind veered to the north, and the rain
fell in torrents from midnight till day
light on Wednesday morning. During
the night there was a temporary rise OF
the river of about seven inches, and the
waves, dashing against the soft and re-
Gently erected embankment, washed
over and carried 1t away. Previous to
the storm the water was within five
inches of the top of the levee.
Our informant was at the lower part
of Grand Levee at the time of the cre-
vase, and he states that the alarm and
excitement OF the inhabitonts was in
tense. They were endeavoring to es-
cape in sSiffs, RATS, canoes, carts, and
by every other available means.
While the excitement wns Mt its
height the news arrived that the great
MorganZa Levee had also given way,
thereby greatly extending the area of
destruction. Asthe levees are new, the
breaches extended in both places very
rapidly, and in the course of few
hours the water spread over a wide ex-
tent of country, and still swept on
ward toward the Gulf of Mexico.
The whole of that fertile territory eX-
tending from the river to Berwick's
Bay will undoubtedly be deluged, and
the destruction of property will be be-
yond computation. Planters who have
been endeavoring by almost superhu-
man exertions to build up their bro
ken fortunes, are again sent forth from
their homes by the pursuing waters
eXileS from the Eden they so love. In
calculable distress must follow this
terrible visitation of the angry flood,
and for a season at least the most beam
tiful portion of our fair State will be
trackless waste.
The State Engineer has given up the
broken levee in despair, and until the
river falls in summer, the alligator will
course over fields which few days
since were putting on their spring
smiles of promise. Other leyees below
those which have broken, are in n doubt
full condition.
Al the last great overflow eleven par
ishes were submerged, but as the break
on that occasion was much earlier in
the season than on this, 1t is to be hop
ed that the deluge of this year will not
spread over such a wide extent of coun-
try, and that it will not cover more
than nine parishes. Be this as it may,
the calamity will be sufficiently wide
spread to ruin thousands upon thou
sands of our people. We trust that a
generous hospitality will be extended
to the wonderers who SO suddenly had
to turn their backs upon their homes.
THE LATEST.
Mr., Williams, State Engineer of the
Levees, arrived in the city this morning
and has reported the condition of the
new crevasses up to yesterday after
noon to Mr.. Durable, President OF the
Board of Leyee Commissioners,
AT Morganza, he says, the gap is
about 400 feet wide, and quite deep, not
less than ten or twelve feet water rum
ming through. 1t is not caying rapid
ly, and an effort to secure the ends of
the remaining portion of the work will
probably be made. The place where
the leVee gave way is Immediately in
rear of the break which occurred in the
old levee, and where there was no OBJ
stacle to keep the waves from dashing
upon the new embankment with I'M
broken force. The water washing over,
the torrents of rain that were falling,
and the violent shocks of the waves,
caused the land side of the levee to
'tslide," and so weaken it that success
full resistance to the immense pressure
ofthe stream was rendered impossible.
AT noon OF yesterday, Mr.. Williams
proceeded from Morganza 70 Grand Lee
wee. The latter levee Is about four
thousand feet long and perfectly
straight, and consists of fresh earth
piled upon the base of the old levee,
which was not washed away. He was
informed that there were two small
breaks IN THIS levee, DuJ on reach1nS
the spot found the greater part of 1t
gone, and an unbroken stream of water
twenty-five hundred feet wide rushing
through into the fertile and cultivated
lands which stretch away for miles in
the direct course of the uncomfortable
flood. The water at this break is not
so deep as at NforganZa, it is judged,
from the TACT that IL is violently ruff1ed,
not smooth and strong, and it is thought
thatthe remains Of the old leyee, which
had become firm and compact still
stand.
An immense volume of water is flow
| ing through these breaks into a section
which is probably under better culti-
walton this season than any other por-
ton of the State. 1t is expected that
within two or three days the flood, JOIN
ed to that from the Chinn and Robin
son crevasses, will inundate nearly all
the Terrebonne and Lafourche region.
A greater calamity, in the present i'm
poverished condition of our people,
could scarcely have occurred, and we
anticipate ere long heart-rending ac-
counts of devastation, suffering, and
perhaps death. Truly are the people
of Louisiana sorely afflicted.