The Republican journal., 1874-04-30
The Flood.

impossible to give an idea of the extent OF
the overflow here. The water is higher
than was ever known before. The town
Is an island - miles long by ID 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 60 from Oak
leys. People living in the rear have been
driven in. All the vacant houses have
been taken, and several families are living
i'll the Court House Business is almost
suspended, but houses are open.
Fully 10000 people have no rations for
three DAYS nor money to bay. Stock Of
every description is starving. On Desard
Island almost all the plantations are under
water OF 1000 acres belonging to Capt.
| Phillips, only about $50 remain uncovered.
nothing about. At Pargound's home place
the water is two feet deep in the yard, and
there is no passing below there Trenton
is under water beyond the business houses
of the town.
Cotton is brought in and goods are sent
ont to Clarbourne, a half-mile distant. On
the flats at Hedds and Standfers, the water
is two feet deep in the yards On the
river banks the front fences are nearly all
washed down. A steamboat could be run
down Cotton street The river rose one
inch last night 1t has rained slowly since
daylight and is still raining. There are
no crops to speak Of Not five days work
has been done on the river for four weeks
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 alone knows
THE NUMBER OF SUFFERERS - 900
A report made to the Governor OF the
number of persons washed out of home
are nearly as far as could be ascertained
was l l, 800 from which it is estimated that
at least q, 900 are needing help, for many
along the creeks could not be reached
THE ENTENr OF THE OVERFLOW.
NEW ORLEANS, April -. The Times
says the extent of damage which resulted
from Il great overflow is Just beginning to
be fully understood That was readily
conceived, but that it should involve
1000, 900 of acres and a population of
l1S 600, was apparently beyond reasona-
bic calculation but such is really the case.
In the cotton regions it is now asccrtained
that nine ofthe largest and richest parishes
producing cotton have been inundated
Parishes of Carroll, Morehousc, Richland.
Madison, Franklin, Fensas Caldwell, Con-
cordia and Catahanla are all overlooked,
and embraces fully two and a half million
acres. The amount OF cotton land in these
parishes in actual cultivation is ascertain
ed to be 25O. 600 acres besides loo, 900 acres
in corn. These estimates include only the
1ttn
farms and all estimates for cattle. hogs
and gardens. The population of these
nine parishes is 20, 1874 whites and "a ,O33
blacks according to the census of 1870.
In the sugar producing parishes aScer-
tanned facts discover an equal if not great
Ell amount of ruin and suffering. These
parishes are Point Coupe, East Baton
Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Herville, As
cension, Assumption. St. John the Baptist,
Louisiana, Fourche, St. James, st. Charles.
Lone Bonnie and Plague Mines. The over
flow on these parishes covers nearly ), $780,
600 acres titled and untitled including a
production of so, 600 hhds of sugar besides
4 large product of rice and the crops of
small farmers of whom there are many
hundreds who have lost their stock and
pretty much everything else they pos
sessed
The population of the parishes accord |
ing to the census of 1870 was 90, 36S whites
and - 241 blacks, making a total of l22,-
600, from which must be deducted the
population of F.. Baton Rogue as only a
small portion of that parish has suffered
from the overflow That deduction being
made the parishes named contain popu-
lation Of 103 500 In all the parishes
named it is believed more than % 1000
people are now in actual suffering for
necessary supplies of life, and in less than
60 days a number Of those whose crcum-
stances will require alienation will in
crease to more than 10000.
CALL FOR AID
A dispatch from Vidalia, Concor,iia Par
ISL, says a public meeting assembled to- |
day Five thousand people of this section
their suffering tor food A
was appointed to procure sup
plies The mayor of Trenton telegraphs, |
I'VE are all overtiowed Send US $4,000 |
rations by the Owachita Belle, if possible.
The colored population in particular are
in distress" Large quantities of provisions
We're shipped to the sufferers to-day The
relief committee have fairly got to work
Demands upon it are much greater than
was expected and is increasing daily as
the water from the creyasses continues
spreading. Another great rise is coming
out of the Red and Ouachita rivers
Mayor Cobb OF Boston, to-day telc-
graphed Mayor Witt to draw at sight for
so 600, making $50 900 contributed by |
Bostonians for the overlooked
Mayor Wilt yesterday reported $50, 900
in the bank to the credit of the relief fund |
TIE RIVER FALLING
New ORLEANS, April % The river is
falling now and is now two feet below
high water mark. Five to seven days
mails are due from northern, eastern and
western cities. The New York mail of the
18th and Of the 2oth have been received.