The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-29
THE FLOOD.
A Half Million Acres Inundated
and $4,000 People
Starving.
Statement of The Particulars OF
the Great Disaster.

Statement of The Particulars OF
the Great Disaster.
New ORLEANS, April pa dispatch
from Vandalia, COncordia parish, says
n public meeting assembled here to-day;
5000 people in this section are repre-
scented as suffering for food. A COM
mittee has been appointed to procure
supplies. The mayor of Trenton tele-
graphed ave are all overiiowed,
Send us 5000 rations by Ouachita Belle,
If possible. The colored population in
particular are in Distress Large
quantities of provisions were shipped
to the sufferers to-day. The relief
committee have got fairly to work.
Demands upon them are much greater
than was at first expected, and increas-
ing daily, as the water from the crew
asses continues spreading, Another
great rise is coming out of the Red and
Ouachita rivers. Mayor Cobb, of Bos-
ton, to day telegraphed Mayor Witt
to draw ut sight for $4,000, making
$4,000 contributed by Bostonans for
the overflow. Mayor Wilt yesterday
reported $4,000 in bank to the credit
of the relief committee.
Captain Blanks, in u letter to mem
Der of the relief committee, says:
have Just returned with the Ouachita
Belle from Camden, Trenton and Mon
teith, through the overlooked district
of north Louisiana, and see that efioi II
have been and are being made to re-
lieve the suffering occasioned by the
overflow. | have also seen tabular
statement which was presented 10y you
to the meeting of citizens from the
overlooked districts, held in the senate
chamber some time last week. From
personal knowledge and direct infor-
nation derived from others within the
last few days, am satisfied that said
estimate Is by far too low. AS you have
been requested by three different pub
lie meetings held in tie overflowed dis
trict of Louisiana, to represent their
wants and condition, ] now present
you statement of the localities and
plumbers needing help at once, so that
you may present the same to the gov
ernor and committee OH distribution
appointed by his honor the mayor:
Lower Black river, 800; Mardis, inclu-
ding that part of Concordia parish on
Black river, 500; Wilson'S OH Black
river, 400; Trinity, including ten little
rivers, 200; Harrisonburg, including
bayou Louis, 1000; Starbs Landing,
including Braine's Landing, 800; Car
ter's Landing, 400; Bunker Hill, inclu-
ding both sides ofthe river and swamp
Batavia, on Ouachita and Boeuf 1900;
Columbia, including Franklin and
Ouachta or Boeuf, and between
Ouachita and Boeuf rivers, 1000; St.
Adams, including the bottom Oh both
sides, 1850; Hopewell and Waco, in
Guiding Black swamp up to Ouachita
line, 1000; Monroe, 1900; total II 500
Now, at the lowest estimate, this num-
Der may he said to be in actual want,
and many have been so for days, as
they have now been under water for
for some two or three weeks. They
have lost all their hogs and nearly all
their cattle are either lost or starving.
The people themselves have neither
money or credit, no place to go to nor
nothing to do. But this estimate by
no means discloses the distress of those
residing on the small bayous and
creeks who have been overflowed by
the backwater, and also by the floods
caused by rain. They generally have
been inland, but have lost much of
their stock and improvements, and are
out of provisions and provisions
making crops are so dscouraging that
none are willing or able to advance the
supplies. They must suffer or receive
assistance. If these be added the num-
Der needing help is not short of 10000
people in 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 5000 600 of acres and popula-
ton of 1884, was apparently beyond
q reasonable calculation. Vet such is
really the case. In the cotton regions
it is now ascertained that nine of the
largest and richest parishes producing
cotton have been inundated. The
parishes of Carroll, Morehouse, Rich
lulus NtuUi-OIly IlubNtIit, iShsdSi tui'-
well, Concordia, and Catahoula, are all
overlooked, aud embracing fully 300
600 acres. The amount of cotton land
in these parishes, in actual cultivation,
is ascertained TO be 100000 acres, be-
sides 100000 acres in corn. These esti-
mates include only large places, leav-
ing ont hundreds of small farmers and
all estimates for cattle, hogs and gar
dens. The population of these nine
parishes is 1884 whites and 54,033
blacks, according to the census of 1870.
In the sugar producing parishes, as
certained facts discover an equal, If not
a greater amount of ruin and suffering.
These parishes are Pointe Coupee, East
Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, her
Vile, Ascension, Assumption, La
fourche. st. James, st. John the Bap-
tiste, st. Charles, Terre Bonnie and
Plaauemines. The overflow in these
parishes covers nearly 100000 acres
of titled and untitled land, including a
production of 100000 hogsheads of
sugar, besi,les large product of rice
and crops of small farmers, of whom
there are many hundreds, who have
los. their stock and pretty much every
thing else they POSSESS. The popula-
ton of these parishes, according to the
census of 1870, was 50,35S whites and
72,2il blacks, making total of IL, 6O6,
. 4 n -