The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-28
THE OVERFLOW.
SUFFERING LOUISIANA.

THE PEOPLE STARvING-LOSS OF STOCK
CHILDREN REPORTED DRowNED-PITIFUL
LETTERS TO GOVERNOR KELLOGG.
NEW ORLEANS, April 23.-The state au-
thorities receive letters daily from persons
in the overfiowed sections, asking for pro-
visions, etc. The following extracts from
them are fair specimens. A letter dated
Simmsport, Averilles parish, addressed to
governor, says: "Please send me some sup
plies, as 1 have a family of nine children
to keep up and feed. The water is three feet
deep in my yard and all over my place. 1t
is utterly impossible for me to get any thing
for my family to eat without calling on you
for assistance. Please, for PHYS sake, do
not fail to send me some supplies by return
steamer" The following extracts are from a
letter to the governor, dated Big Bend,
Averilles parish: 1.-THE whole OF Bayou Des
Glaizes and the Red river front is entirely
overhowed. All of us are bankrupt, with
no money and no credit. The COM
mission merchants have all shut down
on us. They have no provisions and many
are, in manner, starving. The water
is all over the country, and still rising. The
cows that are not drowned are dying for
want of food. Sheep and hogs are drowned
by hundreds. Take this matter into con-
n,
done for u.s." The governor to-day received
a letter from Charenton, st. Mary's parish,
which SAYS: Among the many sufferers by
the recent overflow, are those who have
lived on the east side of Bayou Teche, on
Bayou Chenez, Bayou Pigeon, on the shores
of Grand Lake and Lake Chicot, all OF
which districts are now submerged, leaving
some three hundred families in a state
of utter restitution. General NJ.
jeff. Thompson. chief state engineer, re-
turned to-day from the upper coast. He
states that the storm, which commenced on
Thursday of last week and continued until
Sunday, caused the crevasses on the west
side OF the river to increase rapidly in width.
The crevasses near Port Hudson, at Long
wood and Virginia plantation, is now three
quarters of mile wide, though only about
three feet deep, the levee being very small
one, from three to four feet in height.
The crevasse heretofore reported as hav
ing occurred in Morgansea Bend,
below Texas Landing, is what is known
as the Van Pelt Morgansea Levee, between
the original Morgansea Levee and Grand
Levee. The break is now about four thou
sand feet wide in the new levee, which was
about thirteen feet high. The flow of water
front, and dense growth of cotton wood
between the tive levees. In the old levee
there are four breaks, aggregating about
eight hundred feet. The Hickey crevasse
below Baton Rouge is now $50 feet wide
and seven deep, and the water is
passing through at a rate of nearly eight
miles an hour. General Thompson reports
another crevasse at Lake Side, Plantation
! Pointe, Coupee parish. He stated that about
| twenty sugar plantations have been covered
| by the water from Hickey, and that
HUNDREDS OF POOR FAMILIES
living in the bayous have been drowned out
The Bonnet Care crevasse is now 700 fee
wide and 10 feet deep in the center, wher
the levee is gone, and the water is cutting
channel through. The MeCunnel crevasse
below Baton Rouge, will probable be closet
in a few days. Though the breaks are small
/ the water from them has already covered
/ many large plantations, and driven out th
poor people living behind them. Their
were no mail trains on either the Jack
son or Mobile roads yesterday. Bridge
them two days. Northwestern mail
now due by Jackson road are coming b,
boat from Vickspurg. A gentleman wht
reached this city to-day from the Florida
parishes, states that the Taugepotcheon anC
Amite rivers were swollen by rains from
Thursday to Sunday, completely overflow
! ing their banks, and spreading over TIT
country on either side for miles. The PEG
pie are fleeing to the highlands. 1t Is esti
mated that the water is three feet higher
than ever before known. The Amt,
| river rose very rapidly. Several chill
dreu are reported drowned in streets
of Port Vincent, which was overflowed. Tit
fiat country of St. Helena, Livingston
Longipation, Washington, st. Tammany
and East Feleciana parishes are flooded fol
miles. The times says that a gentleman
from the upper coast gives a most appalling
| description of the condition of the people
who live in the district overfiowed by
| he Hickey crevasse. He says tina
not less than twenty splendid suga
plantations have been submerged from
4 that source already. That, however, wa
nothing compared to the sufferings of TIT
people. On Sunday last the gentleman
witnessed a large number of persons wadint
through the torrents of water which passed
through that break. Among them were wo
men in water up to their arm pits, holding