The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-05-30

spectfully state that we are in q desperate con-
aition, only few of US having few days ra-
tions. and they have been furnished by the own
ers of plantations who have not enough left for
their own families long. The water stands as
high as four feet above the floor of many of our
homes. Some of us have had to move out and
herd with others as best we can. Over all the
plantations the water stands from three to five
feet. Ihe leyees all broken, fences gone,
drowning and starving. Our friends, the white
people, have done all they could, and can do no
more. We can see nothing but starvation and
death to many of us, unless good people win aid
as and that soon. ~
The commissioners appointed by the Gen.
eral Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church North in 1872 ito bear fraternal greet
ings to their Southern brethren, visited the
General Conference of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church South, in session at Louisville,
| KY, on the Sth, and were received with great
cordiality. The utmost harmony and good
| feeling appeared to prevail during the meet
ing. and the expressions of good will made
| by the commission as representing the senti-
ments of the Northern Church were received
with hearty applause.
The Relief Committee of Louisiana report
| ed as follows to Governor Kellogg on the
| 9th:
| 'tFrom the 2sd OF April to the sth of May, ff-
| teen days, we shipped to the overfowed districts
$50, 42S ratons of breadstufs and 3j3 4O1 rations
| of meat, of which the Government supplied 162,
1873 rations of breadstuffs and lis, s25 ratons of
meat. The shipments made in excess of receipts
| from the Government were proceeds from private
contributions. We have been far from supply
| ing the demands on us. We estimate, from the
best Information we can gather, the number of
| sufferers in Louisiana alone at 56, 500 persons.
The calls are increasing as the distress becomes
greater Tom the exhaustion OF supplies In the
hands of the people at the time of the overflow
A T16a I - Al 17+l- =
Of the whole overflow from Cairo to the Gulf.
! the greatest damage appears to be in the La
| fourche, Terrebonne and Attakapas districts
| of Louisiana Larger eXtents of territory,
| further north, are under water, but the land
is not so valuable and so much damage has not
been done. The districts named are under a
! lake one hundred and fifty miles wide and two
hundred long. The suffering is intense be-
cause of the density of population, and petit
tions for relief are constantly received. This
is rich sugar country, and the crops are ut
| terly ruined for years to come. The lake is
| fed by the Morganza and Hickey creyasses.
A large number of lives have been lost, and
men heretofore in good circumstances are all
most ruined. They are living in garrets,
and the country presents the widest scene of
| utsOIdtlOu. :
4 A fire, which was caused by two boys
lighting cigar in an unoceupied house, re-
Gently destroyed the entire village of Ridge
way, Iowa, with the exception of one brick
house. Loss about 100000, and thirty to
! forty families rendered homeless.
| Weston, the celebrated pedestrian, COM
menced five-hundred mile walk in New
York, ON the morning of the 18th, and accom-
piislled his first 115 miles in % hours, so min
utes and 5S seconds.
| Two new and alarming erevasses at Friar's
Point, Miss, were reported on the 10th. 1t
was thought that the town, beside large and
rich section of cotton lands adjacent, would
be inundated.
/ A Connecticut paper manufacturer, named
Hudson, has testified before the Committee of
Banking and Currency that he offered to sup
ply the fiber paper used by the Treasury De-
partment at forty-ive cents per pound. The
Government now pays seventy-fye cents per
pound for this paper.