The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-05-01

and dry, walked up next morning to
wade out of their houses. And just at
this crisis the river rose four inches in
twelve hours-the back water coming
In by feet.
The rain ceased Friday, the oath.
The Highsst Water
was at noon on Sunday, the Goth, after
which both river and overflow began
to fall, but prior to which the most
serious approximations were felt OF the
inundation OF the entire city.
From. Bry's mill, where the water
was higher than the bank, the bank
gradually rose to this Office, where it
measured IL inches above water, and
on to the foot of DeSiard street where
it measured %! inches. At the railroad
Of Gerson's store 10 inches.
The overflow now covered Washing
ton street and lots on il, to within three
squares of the river; DeSiard street to
Hall street, and on the lower limit
of Harris Addition was up to Sixth
street. At Bry's mill, the river water
(levied out) was above the bank. At
Mrs. Carson's, above town, and Mr..
Layton's, below, the front gates could
not be opened with dry feet. The
whole Of the depot was under water,
and the Cemetery submerged about
three feet. The river, confined by the
bank and levees, stood at five feet
above the overflow, and at over fifty
feet for low water. The river road was
swimming at Layton's lower corner,
and above near Gerspact' g mill. Boats
came and went from O'Keiiey's store,
in rear, along the Bastrop road, to Mrs.
| Richardson's residence on the DeSiard,
or landed at the Mcclure place, at the
front gate. On Bristle Ridge only a
few little knobs were out, and
the people living there had all left.
Stock were standing knee-deep in water
on the highest ground, and feeding on
the bushes and branches of trees. Par
soud's yard was two feet under water,
and in his quarter, in front of which
tho river broke the levee, the water
was four feet deep, and some of his
cabins were washed down, the negroes
going to the Clubhouse. Down the
Catalpa lane, between his fields, the
current ran too swift for a boat, and was
nearly swimming to n horse.
Below Pargoud's we have no intelli.
| ~ ko h,,k fh.a< n
age done by the food has been rs great
as that done here. On Boeulf river, in
which direction the waste waters here
have gone, the overflow must be
disastrous beyond all comparison, as
that section of country was filled with
stock, nearly all of which has doubtless
been drowned.
The Scene in Monroe.
At Bry's mill nearly fifty boats were
built for the overflow and others were
made all over town. The sea beyond
Five Points was dotted with crafts of
all kinds, filed with people going in
every directiun--some fleeing from
home. with the boat carrying their
poultry, their bedding, cats, dogs, pots
&C.; others going out to see the waste
and ruin, or with gun in hand to kill
the deer gathered on the dry places.
All conversation tended to one topic,
and that topic was water-how much
it had risen, who was under, how it
looked, what this or that one had saved,
etc, etc.
The stock had gathered mt first far
back. AS the water came i'll, so did
the stock. Cows without calves, and
calves without mothers, filed ones
ears with lowing and bleating, and
bells of every tone jinglcd in strange
discord all over town. On one vacant
square we counted fifty head of stock.
Now and then a COW, or some advent
urous horse would burst through an
cnclosurc-the open places being grazeol
down oven with the ground-or climb
the courthouse steps and help himself.
Horses ran Mt will, their owners indif-
ferent to their fate. Mr.. Rob't Endon,