The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-06
twenty-five Hundred Houses
Inundated.
Robbers and Plunderers Rioting in the
Deserted Dwellings.
Half Million Dollars Worth Of
Property Destroyed.
Politicians Responsible for tho
Disaster.

NEW ORLEANS, June 8. 1871.
Six square miles OF fertile ground, 100 building
squares thicky populated, and 400 squares more
sparsely settled, but highly cultivated In small gar
den patches, have been laid under water by the
break OF the canal.
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED HOUSES
have their ground doors under water, aud moro
than tnat number OF families are tonight homeless
aud desolate The canal ruas from the heart OF the
city TO Lake Ponchartrain. There Ia always navi-
gable channel ten or twelve feet deep, ana river
steamers ana schooners pepetualy pass and repass.
Successive
CORRUPT LEGISLATURES
have turned the whole ieyec system or
the state to q private eYee company, thereby
bringing about the Bonnet Care crcvasse;
have transferred the whole drainage system Of the
city 1rst to one bogus company and then to an
other equally Irresponsible, thereby excluding the
CITY from all chance OF sefprotecon, and have also
leased this important canal to private company
on condition that they kept the evees in repair.
"Reconstructed legislatures are responsible for
the two first named Jobs The democratic Lc1isla-
ture OF 1866 Is responsible Tor the one whose bitter
fruits are now being felt. sN
The break began to threaten Hogan avenue
on Thursday night The Canal COMMISSIONERS
had sold TO certain persons the light to
remove dirt from the levee TO I'LL up vacant
lots. on Friday morning one OF these men
was at work with his cart carrying away tho
leyee at the very point where the weakness was
manifested. colored man, Lucien FereyJean by
name living close by, begged him to desis'. for an
east WIND was blowing ana the waters OF the lake.
swollen by the Immense torrent pouring IN from the
Mississippi by way Of the Bonnet Care crcvasse.i
were rapidly backing up TO the CITY, lie was driven
wa nv
CHAsM EIGuTy-FIyE FEET WIDE
was opened In the banks. and Lucien FereyieaM
made perous escape out oil his bedroom window.
Almost at the same instant another break occurred
a mile and half nearer the city, where the canal
company had allowed the Jackson Railroad TO take
out earth to III up between the crossties OF coal
line. This break was stopped without much din
Guilty. The main contest was with the Hogan ave-
nue. chasm. The City surveyor and his assistant.
Mr. Pearson, with gang of hundred laborers
worked day and night Piles, nanked by sand bags
and barely four inches apart, were driven ten feet
into the ground, and the canal dredge boat was
kept constantly ut work pilng up earth. Driving
OUT to the scene OF disaster this afternoon your
porter found
A WASTE or WATER
far as the eye could reach broken only by the tops OF
trees and the lines Of houses and streets The Marine
Hospital ana the Hotel Deu, with their unhappy pa
tents, were surrounded by water. Cattle hogs and
goats hudded together on the bridges and high
grounds which every now aud then were sapped
and fell in. TWO dogs howed dlsmally from the
roof OF a shanty, where they had renamed unrc-
ieved two days ana night. ttle-coored boy
had Just been rescued in small sailpoat from
high fence TO which he had been cllnging for hours.
Ia some Of the streets the water was five feet deep.
Gangs Of naked lads waded and swan from house
10 house, robbng and destroying and rulians In
skifIs and on rafts broke open chamber windows
and
ROBBED THE RUINED PEOPLE
OF the scan,y furniture left them. The foreman OF
the Republican newspaper saved his wife and babe,
ana went lack in 4 boat to his house only TO find It
empty.
WAS II A suiCIDEp
passed an undertaker's cart jogging janniily
along. Its mission was soon male apparent: Tor by
the canal side, opposite the crevasse. lay the
hldeously swollen ana dis6ruered body OF Mr.. G. A.
Frenet late Vice President and Cashier OF the Union
Bank He had been found drowned in cornneid,
close to the break over his death there hangs n
mystery, which perhaps his prospective removal
from Office may account for
Thus far no lives are known to have been lost by
the hood though three deaths have resulted indirect-
ly from ths cause-onc from bite OF Il snake while
escaping, one from being upset from a vehicle INTO
the swollen GOOD, and Mr.. Freret as already stated.
One curious fact. showing the force or the hood,
mas be mentioned. An old dredge boat sunk mt the
lake end OF tho canal fifteen wears ago. which all
prior storms have left undisturbed, was raised ny
the torrent and carried four miles up the stream
ana hurled against the mouth OF the crevasse.
AT the present hour eignr O'Clock =. NJ the break
IL ef,ecually stopped the water on the overlooked
side being nine inches below the surface Of the
canal.
the damage done. Invested OF the cxaggcrations
than four to
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
suits VIII be entered against the canal company to
make good the damage
Mayor Flanders called special meeting OF the
Council this afternoon to take measures for the re-
lief OF the distressed. committee OF three adj
illustrators was appointed 10 distribute provt-
sions From 5000 to 5000 loaves OF bread day are
being made in the city bakeries Tor gratutous dis
tribution among the sufferers. committee VI
leading citizens Is acting with the Council.
The overflow directly from the lake, in the GEN.
thy road quarter has caused heavy loss Ia the
destruction OF many fine market gardens. Tne
Mnneburg and Pontchartraln Railroad nom Gent.y
station Is still overnowed. The water IN the lake
Is recediDg slowly.
train came through from Mobile yesterday on
the Chattanooga Railroad. passenger reports
about four miles Of the road under water. A pas
senger over the Jackson Railroad who came IN this
morning, reports that the road IS under water for
seven miles north OF Pass manchac
sH0J I.lEOJeH THE HeAar