The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-25
!, a EcrFabEc CRlamIty. .f,T,..I...
THE RIrER-FRoNT OF, A, LOUISIANA TOWN
CAVES IN, DESTROYING THIRTY HOUSES.

CAFE ES IN, DESfkOl M IHlAI rhOISEs's =
tFrom the IberTille tLa.9 South Az; s +
!. Our town was visited with q most terri
BILE calamity on the evening OF the 17th ul-
timo., About = p. III. % crash was heard on
the riyer.front Mt the, head Of Main street,
and the people, living near the leyee, Who
rushed out Of their houses, TO see what was
the matter, discovered that one, bali .oi, fhe
brick warehouse Of Mr.. "A. ,Caneza haifallen
into the river, and the leyee had also; gone
down. A short time aiterward we arIiYed
upon the scene. when the remainder OF the
building went into the river. !. ,...t .sffl.i
The Planters warehouse, occupied by
Mr. GustaYe Roth, was the next to co.. In
this building was lot of sugar and molas-
ses, but BY great exertions this was rolled
out and fortunately saved. 4 Il .agi
In q short time the building occupied by
Mr.. Laboye as cake-shop began to totter,
and before everything could be taken out it
went over in the river with loud crash.
The night was very dark, but by the aid
OF a lantern we wended our way along to-
ward the mouth Of the bayou, where we
found the levee caying in oil the way up to
the point at the bayou. Every one living
on Front street were moving their goods
and chattels. Attempting to return, we
found q yawning gulf OF water in place OF
the road over which we had just travelled.
We then came into Bank street, and on
going around to the head OF Piaquemine
street we found it was there the cave had
begun. 1t was now about 1s O'Clock, mid
night, and we left the scene. Early on the
following morning we again visited the
scene OF disaster, and we found that the
row OF houses on Front street, consist
ing of some ten or twelve, were on the
brink OF the cave, about to topple over. The
people were tearing down their houses and
endeavoring to save the lumber. Eight
houses fell into the river, and about dozen
more have since been torn down, aud be-
fore the leyee is built over thirty houses
will have disappeared from the most popu-
lous portion Of the town. This is doubly
unfortunate, as the greater portion Of this
property belonged to poor people, who have
been deprived OF their homes by this sad
disaster. ..F"@st. In il
This cave will necessitate the building Of
q new levee about 1880 feet IN length; and,
as now laid off by the State engineers, will
deprive large number of poor people Of
every vestige Of home. ~ .., .... -
On Tuesday night last, just after dark, a
cave occurred just above the mouth OF the
bayou at Slaughter's Landing. On Wednes-
day night another large slice went down,
and on Thursday the cave had extended
into the mouth OF the bayou. The steamer
II. F. Sharp was lying in front Of the first
cave, and was loading with lumber. She
lost all her ropes, and drifted down about
half mile before steam could be raised to
bring her ashore. Nothing now remains OF
the former bunk, from Slaughter's ware
house, above the bayou, to the head OF
Plaquemine street, in the town OF Plaque
mine, except narrow point directly in the
mouth OF the bayou Plaquemine.