Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-05-01
THE MISSISSIPPI FLOOD.
GLOOMY ACCOUNTS FROM THE OVER
FLOWED DISTRICTS
Five Million Acres Involved.
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE RE-
QUIRING ASSISTANCE.
New ORLEANS, Apri!

NEW ORLEANS, Apri! %.
Captain Blanks, in z letter to a member
of the relief committee, says ~ have
Just returned with the Ouachita Belle from
Camden, Trenton and Monroe, through
the overfowed district of North Louisiana,
and see that efforts have and are being
made TO relieve the suffering occasioned by
the overflow.
| have also seen a tabular statement
which WAS presented by you to meeting
Of citizens from the overtlowed districts,
held in the Senate chan Der some time last
week. From personal knowledge and di-
rect information obtained from others with
in the last few days, am satified that said
estIua.. &c. ~ fer ton low. AS you have
been requested by three different public
meetings, held in the oyertlowed districts
of Louisiana, 20 represent their wants and
conditions, now present you q statement
of the localities and
NUMBERS NEEDING HELP
At once, 80 thai you may present them 10
the Governor and committee on distribu-
ton appointed by lis Honor the Mayor {:
Lower Black River, 800; Marder. exclud-
ing that part of Concordia parish on Black
river. 500 /; Wilson's, on Black river, 400 !;
Trinity. excluding Teusas Bayou. Little
rive, |, 200 Harrisouburg, including Bayou
Louis, 1000; Starb's landing. including
Braine landing, 300 Carter's landing, 400;
Bunker Hill, between 0uachita and Bayou
! Bpuf, 500; Columbia, including Frank
| lin and Ouachita or Bpuf, and between
Ouachita or EPuf river, 1900; ST. Adams,
| including the bottom on both sides, 1,5O0 (;
Hopewell and Waco, including Buck
| Swamp NJ to the Ouachita line, 1000 ;
Munroe, l.50O; total, It, 600.
| At the iowest estimate this rumber may
| be said 10 be in actual want, and may have
| been under water some two or tavee weeks.
They have lost all their hogs, and nearly
ali their cattle are lost or starving. The
people themselyes have neither money nor
credit, 10 place to go TO and nothing TO do.
! But thin estimate by no means discloses
the number Of those residing on the small
BAYOU and creeks which have been over
! flowed by back water and floods OF rain.
/ The people have generally been on land,
| but have lost much of their stock and i'm
movements, and are
OUT OF PROVISIONS AND MONEY,
And the prospect Of making crops is 30
discouraging that none are willing or able to
advance them supplies. Those, too, must
suffer or receive assistance. II these be
added the number needing help is not short
of 25, 600 people n the district referred to.
The Times says the extent OF the damage
which has resulted from the great overflow
is Just beginning to be fully understood.
That it was vast was readily conceived,
but that it should involve 5, 900, 900 of acres
and population of l7S, 900 was apparently
beyond reasonable calculation but such
is really the case. IN the cotton regions
| il is now ascertained that nine of the largest
and richest parishes producing cotton have
| been inundated
The parishes Of Carroll, Aorehouse,
Richand, Madison, Franklin, Tensas,
| Caldwell, Concordia and Catahoula are al!
overaowed and embrace fully 2,lo0,O0O
TIE amount of cotton land in these par