The Opelousas courier., 1882-04-29
Scenes along the Courtableau
o. Times. Democrat

SeGJieu iFOul WaSillnSU0n &c
Port Barre, a distance of /:
miles. The same description
will answer for each place and
section. Nearly all of the small.
er places and houses were aban-
doned by occupants, but occasi.
onally people, white and black
would be seen peering out OF
upper or from above improYised
floors. Very frequently cattle
and horses would be seen stand
ing listlessly mp to their knees
in water, upon some bridge or
higher portion of ground. Sell
dom a movement Or a sound
iii this solitude of watery
waste, except the distant re-
port of firearms where some
brutes were at work re-
m~orselessly slaughtering the
frightened and drowning deer,
and the occasional meeting of
a barge or a fat boat filed with
refugees with theirfamilies, stock
and plumber, seeking the high
land at Washington. The last
sugar plantation before reaching
Port Barre is thatofElbert CAN'T,
on the strip Of land lying be-
tween the bayous Sauchette and
Courtableau. He has 5000 acres
in cane down deep in the water.
The buildings are still occupied
and the stock was still on the
place. It seems incredible that
these people. living so near the
highlands, and the high water
having been creeping upon them
for three weeks and over, giving
ample warning and time, had
not takeng measures to save
their stock and secure much
other property now badly dam
aged or destroyed. The only
excuse ventured is that they did
not think the waters would rise
so high. Their memory only
went back to the flood of 1874,
and perhaps that of 1866, and
their imaginations were not suf-
ficiently vivid to contemplate a
rise of four additional feet.
Another circumstance to their
partial excuse was the rapidity
of the extra rise as dispatched
to the Times-D Democrat, a rise
of from four to six feet in six
days having occurred. This
came SO suddenly as to render
futile their slow preparations.
AS matters now stand it seems
as Ifs portion of this stock
could be saved; especially that
On RATS and artificial elevations.
But there appeared little move
ment to this end. The stock
seem abandoned to other chan
ces than those afforded by hui
man aid.
All along our course dead car
casses were in sight. At least
Q hundred could have been
counted in a distance of ~ miles.
III this number were in sight
from the deck of a passing
Steamboat, through a section
Hooded to a depth of from two
to ten feet, with constant cross
currents, what must haveAbeen
tue proportion out of sight?
The Bayou Teche has it's
source In the Courtableau at
thls place. Port Barre was sup
posed to have been located on
higl ground. It has. never be-
fore been oVerfowed. The wa
ter II four feet above the 1874
mark. AT one point about thir- !
ty rods back of the landing, a
track ct land about 10 by 100
feet remained uncovered. This
was croWdedaAgith cattle, horses,
sheep, hogs and goats. The
church further back, with floor
still some inches above the wa
fsr, was filed with refugees.
Opposite Port Barre the water
" up to the caves Of the cabins,
and many of them had hoated !
oF from the foundations, and
we're anchored to trees by ropes. .
a short distance below Port
Barfe q fine large buck was dis
covered on the left bank. deep
N tle water, peering out from
anlOng the branches of the will !
'q'Rs, with its large, frightened
yves, human III the intensity !
Pa despair of their expression.
sudden exhaustion of steam
eaIsed It I'd turn aud rush and
sWlmaWay. Still furtherdown the
sin-house on Dubourdieu's place
'Fas filled with coIored people, !
sAa lts roof covered with goats,
spgs and chickens, the water
aelag four or FIVE feet deep oyer
4zsH Nlnnn