The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-05-01
THE TERRIBLE FLOOD IN LOUISIANA.
Great Distress Among the People.
Provisions and Money Being Sent to
their Relief.

their Relief.
For several days lhe telegraph
has furnished us accounts of the
great overflow of the Mississippi in
the Ouachita Valley, and of the
suffering among the people. Aid is
being raised all over the North for
the unfortunate sufferers. 1t was
expected that the flood would abate
before this, but the latest advices
from the afflicted region show that |
it was still increasing. We give |
the latest associated press dispatch |
e5.
Monroe, La, April 25.-It is |
impossible to give an idea of the |
extent of the overflow here. The |
water is higher than ever known.
The town is on an island two and q
half miles long and a half mile
wide, from which there is no exit
except by boats or swimming.
From the crossing Of Railroad and
Desard street back ia one wide sea
of boats coming and going from
Oakley's. People living in the rear
have been driven in. All vacant
houses are taken and several FAM
lilies are living in the court house.
Fully one thousand people in town
have not had rations for three days,
nor money TO buy with. Stock of
every description is gathered in
town and starving. On Dard Is
land, almost all the plantations are
under water. OF 1000 acres owned
by Capt. Phillips, only about $50
are not inundated. OF what has
transpired below this week, moth
ing is known. Pargoud's home
place is two feet submerged in the
yard, and no passing below. Tren-
ton is under from Crossly's resi-
dence up beyond the business hous-
es of the town from six inches to a
foot of the principle street, and cot
ton is brought in and goods sent
out to Claiborne, a half mile, in
fats. At Heads aud Standefer's
residences the water is two feet
deep in the yards. On the river
bank front the fences are nearly all
washed down. Could run n steam
boat down Cation street.
The river rose an inch last night.
1t has rained slowly since daylight,
and is still raining. Not five days
work has been done along the river
for four weeks.
| (Signed) GEORGE MCCRAIN,
Editor Ouachita Telegraph.
ESTIMATES OF AN EYE WITNESS.
New Orleans, April 25.-Capt.
Blanks, in letter to the Boston re-
lief committee, says: 81 have Just
returned with the steamer Ouachita
Belle from Camden, Trenton and
Monroe, through the overlooked
district of north Louisiana, and see
that efforts have been and are being
made to relieve the suffering caused
knowledge and direct information
derived from others within the last
few days, l am satisfied that your
estimate of the suffering in this Sec
ton is far too low, and present
you the following statement of the
localities and numbers needing help
at once: On the lower Black riY-
er, 500; On Mardis, including thai
of Copcordia parish lying on Black
river, 500; Wilson's, on Black river
400; Trinity, including TensoI
Bayou, on Little river, 100; Ham
sonbRrg, including Bayou Louis
1000; Storbs landing, including
! Braine landing, 800; Carter's land
ing, 400; Bunker Hill, including
both sides of the river and SWAMP
Bataven on the Ouachita ant
Bonef, 1000; Columbia, including
/ Franklin and Ouachita or Bone
and between Ouachita and Bone
river, 1000; Stalbans, including tht
bottom on both sides, 100; Hope
} well and Waco, including Blacl
swamp up to the Ouachita line, l,
600; Monroe, ,1,500; total 1l,600
At the lowest estimate this humble
NAV be said to be in actual want
and many have been so for days, a
they nave been under water SOM
two or three weeks. They hay,
lost all their hogs and nearly al
their cattle are either lost or starV
. ing. The people themselves havu
, neither money nor credit no plac
to go to, and nothing to do. Blu
this estimate by no means disclose
the distress of those residing Oh
small bayous and creeks, who haV
been overlooked by back water ant
} floods of rain. They general!
have been on land, but have los
much of their stock and improve
> ments, are out of provisions ant
t money, and the prospects for max
ing crops are so discouraging tina
none:are willing or able to advanc
them supplies, and they too mus
suffer or receive assistance. ]
these be included, the numbe
needing help is not short of 20.00
people in the district referred to
: WHAT THE TIMES SAYS.
The Times says the extent of tn
! damages which has resulted from
the great overflow, is just begin
} ming to be fairly understood. Tina
/ it was vast was readily conceived
but that it should involve five mil
lion acres, and a population of IT'S,
600, was apparently beyond calcu
lation. Yet such is really the case
The article then gives a state
ment of the condition of affair
both in the cotton aud sugar dis
= tricts, which was telegraphed nortI
> by Mayor Wilt of this city a da,
or two ago, giving the names of tn,
overlooked parishes, the number O
: acres submerged and the popula
| ton as previously stated in all til
7 parishes named. 1t is believed tina
more than $4,000 people are nov
actually suffering for the necessary
, supplies of life and that in less thai
Z sixty days the number of thos
whose circumstances will requir
assistance will increase to NOR
than $4,000.
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
Mr.. John X. Glow, of st. Landry
parish, in a note in re ference to tn
above says that in addition to tn
parishes north of Red RIVER, thosl
I south of that stream, lying betwee
Atchafalaya and the Mississippi
= previously mentioned, all lowland
west of Atchafaylaya, containing
population of over 10000, mostl,
the laboring class, are submerged
and the people suffering for food
SHIPMENT OF PROVISIONS.
New Orleans, April 25.-Larg
( quantities of provisions wer
e shipped to sufferers to-day. TIL
relief committee have got fairly t
work the demands upon them ar
much greater than at first expected
. and increasing daily, as the waite
, from the creYasse continues spread
ing.