Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-26
The Ouachita valley.

MONROE, La, April a, 6 p. Mt is
impossible 10 give an idea of the extent OF
the overflow here. The water is higher
than ever known. The town is an island
two aud half miles long by half mile
wide from which there is no exit except by
boats or swimming. From the crossing OF
the railroad and Desard street back, is one
wide sea. Boats come and 90 from Oakley.
The people living in the rear have been
driven in. All vacant house are taken and
several families are living in the courthouse.
Business is almost completely suspended,
but the houses are open. Fully one
thousand people in town have not rations
for three DAYS nor money to buy one.
Stock of every description is gathered in
the town and starving. On Desaird Island
almost all the plantations are under water.
Of one thousand acres Capt. Phillips has
out only about one hundred and fifty. OF
what has transpired below We know no
thing.
Pardoud's home place is two feet sub
merged in the yard and no passing below.
Trenton is under from Crosley's residence
up beyond the business houses of the town
from six inches at the foot of the principal
street at the river bank to eight feet in the
rear. Cotton is brought in and goods sem
out of Claiburne half mile in flats. At
Heads and Standifers residences the water
is two feet deep in the yards. On the river
bank front, the fences are nearly all
washed down. One could run a steamboat
down Cotton street. The river rose one
inch last night. II has rained slowly ever
since daylight and is sill raining. There
are no crops to speak of, and not five days
work done along the river fol four weeks.
In the hills the land is washed badly and
what has been done toward making crop
has been labor thrown away. What the
PEOPLE are to do God only knows.
GEO. w. MCCRANIE,
Editor of the Ouachita Telegraph.
The Distress I'm Detail.
NEW ORLEANS, April 25.-Capt. Blanks,
in letter to a member of the Relief Com
mittee, says: have just returned with the
Ouachita Belle, from Camden, Trenton,
and Mourtoe, through the overfOwed district
of North Louisiana, and see that efforts are
being made to relieve the suffering Occa-
stoned by the overflow. | have also seen
the tabular statement which was pre-
sented by you to a meeting of citizens from
the overflowed districts, held in the Senate
chamber last week. From personal knOwl-
tuZt anu uliCCJ dCANCu hDll
others within the last few days, am satis-
fed that said estimate is by far too low.
As you have been requested by three differ
ent public meetings held in the Overf1owed
district of Louisiana tore present their wants
and condition, now present you state
ment of the localities and numbers needing
help at once, so that you may present the
same to the Governor and the committee
A,- fr;A a1 hxrI IIic
the Mayor.
Lower Black river, 800 destitute. Mar
dis, including that part of Concord parish
river, 400. Trinity, including Tensas
BAYOU, Little river, 1900 Harrisonburg,
including Bayou LAWS, 1000. Harb's
Landing, including Braine Landing, 500.
Carter's Landing, 400. Bunker Hill, in
Guiding both sides of the river and swamp,
Balavan, Ouachita and Boef, 1,5OO. Co
lumbia, including Franklin and Oneal's,
between Ouachita and Boef river, 1000;
including bottom on both sides, I,5O0.
Hopewell and Waco, including back swamp
up to the Ouachita line, 1,5O0. Monroe,
1,500. Total, Il, 600 now, at lowest esti-
mate.
This number may be said in actual want,
have now been under water for some two
or three weeks. They have lost all their
hogs and nearly all their cattle are either
lost or drowned. The people themselves
have neither money nor credit, no place to
60 to and nothing to do. But this estimate
by no means discloses the diStresSes of
those residing on the small bayous and
creeks who have been over1owed by the
and floods of rain Tbav nan
orally have been on land, but have lost
much of their stock and improvements and
are out of provisions and money, and the
provisions for making crops are so discour-
aging that none are willing or able to ad-
vance the supplies. If these must be added
the number in need OF help is not short of
10000 people in the district referred TO.
The Cotton Fields.
The Times says the extent of the dam
age which has resulted from the great over