Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-05
THE FLOODS.
Disaster, DestitutiOn and Dis.
tress.
People Living on Rats Twenty
Miles from Land.
Whole Towns Submerged.
$4,000 Rations a Day Needed
in Louisiana Alone.

MEMPHIS, May 3.-Several steamers
from below arrived to-day, but they bring
little additional information concerning
tlle overflow. The pilots of the City OF
Vicksburg report the country back of Aus
tralia inundated, probably from Hushpuch-
ana creyasSe. DIR. Tibbetts' plantation.
Just below Lake Providence, and Vester's
and fuckers plantations, Just above, are
oyeraowed. it is also stated that back
OF Burchs lake there is much suffer-
Ing and destitution not heretofore re-
ported Throughout the inundated region
stock is huddled together on the tops of
leyees or narrow strips of land, and those
not starving are gradually
Killed by Buffalo Gnats.
The pilots Of the John Kilgour report
water falling along the coast below Natchez.
put 1t should be borne in mind that the suf-
ieringS OF the people will not end with the
S Seeline Of the winter, as very many Of them
Mississippi and Arkansas.
MEMPHIS, May 4. Advices from Prem
tss, Miss, state the leyee broke Saturday
night one and a half miles below there;
asO at Glencoe sixty miles below, while
another creyasse is hourly expected at
hides. The water is pouring through the
ceyasse at Catfish point which is now
hundred and fifty yards wide. The private
bvee at Walnut Bend, Ark, is also broken
hundating Falls, Fargason's and other
ich plantations, the two named having
over eleven hundred acres ofeOttOnplanted.
Appeals came from below Napoleon for
more supplies for sufferers. The relief
committee are busily engaged in filling
orders.
Louisiana.
New ORLEANS, May 4.-The Relief
Committee report officially to the Governor
that up to date they have been distribute
ing 10000 ratiOns a day, and that in
their judgment $4,000 rations daily for six
ty days will be required to relieve their
pressing wants. Government clothing
arrived to-day and was stored in the
United State warehouse subject to the
order of the Governor. There is no abate-
ment of the creyasse overflow. The fol-
lowing extracts from letters to the Gov
ernor show the condition of those living in
the overlooked districts:
Edgar Fazend, manager Belle River
Assumption Parish,
says: In this section Of the parish there is
a population Of about 1000 whites and
blacks destitute of the first necessaries of
life, living on RATS and house tops with no
Of any kind and the nearest
and twenty miles. All their cattle and
horses are drowned and the water still
rising about six inches in "a hours.
Mrs. o. \. Briggs writing from HeSperia
plantation,
Madison Parish,
avs: "Pennit me 20 call your attention to
he sufierings of the freedmen on my planta-
ion, ITO in number. We are submerged.
Merchants are not extending aecommoda
ions; credit is exhausted, stock is de-
troyed. Women and children come TO me
md | am without means TO help them or
myself" The BrGskear NelrS says:
"Brashears
las an average of feet water; near feet
n front Of the tOwn. Only three acres Of
Try ground in the place. Goods stored in
he railroad depot. Space not so occupied
s used for public market. Averca plan
alton on Bayou BOef has coo acres of cane
nd corn under water. On the Bayou
}oef from Brashears to the railroad fifteen
plantations are under water. In Chene,
i've plantations are under water, with a
lumber of small plats of dry ground occu-
lied by swampers. Shooters, three planta |
ions and twenty families in distress, ask |
NJ assistance to transport them TO the high |
ands. They are now living on RATS on |
weet Bay Lake. Fifteen families are |
CODED ont on Black Lake, and sixteen |
antilles on Laurs. The following is re
arding
The Towns.
Charenton-All the front and portion |
the business part of the town is under
-ater. Franklin-Market-hOu Jail, ship
ards, cOOper-shop, warehouses and /
Tharves are submerged, and water extend
lg to the base of one of its hotels. Centre
lille, Pattersonville, the front of the latter
nd the business portion Of the former are
nder water. On Bayou Teche are forty
limitations, 1900 acres of cane and corn,
ntirely destroyed and $1,000 acres sub
lerged. From the Teche down, upon
fteen plantations 5000 acres Of cane and
orn are destroyed.
Forty Dollars and a Mule.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, May Capt. Mark
heck, Of the steamer Geo. W. Cheek, con-
rmed the report of planters along the
yer above Napoleon, that the negroes have
cen driven from their homes by the over
ow and refuse all offers of employment
ON planters who wish to hire them, say
lg the Government is going to furnish
lem ratiOns and they don't want to work.