Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-30

| MAJ
Will Not Work.
NEW ORLEANS, March 29.-The Times
Democrats correspondent reports from Mus
son, Louisiana, that the beautiful Fordache
Marengo and Crosse Tete country has been
desolated by vast sheet of water pouring
over it from four crevasses. The Key and
Trinity sugar plantations also went under
from the back water. On Sunday night
Pine Tree levee, on the Mound plantation,
gave way, and on the Wednesday following
the Marengo back levee broke In five places
Other breaks are reported, and the loss of
crops alone will exceed half a million dol
lars. Two hundred square miles of land,
occupied by four thousand people, are COW
cred with water, only three plantations
the Mound, Shady Grove and Augusta par
tally escaping.
ST. LOUIS, March 29.-The government
steamer George Barnerd, loaded with $50, 900
government rations of meal and bacon, and
about fifty tons of food and clothing con-
tributed by charitable citizens, left here last
night for Memphis, Helena and Vicksburg,
In charge of Captain Mullins, US A.
General Beckwith has just received a
report from Lieut.. B. H. Randolph, of the
.
the latter sums up the situation as follows :
In the district from the Red river to the
Arkansas line, about fifty miles west of the
Mississippi, there has been no loss of life
except few children on the Black river,
and there IS no actual starvation or
destitdtion at present. The supply of ra
| tions judiciously husbanded will satisfy all
pressing needs until April 10sh, when,
! should there have been no improvement in
/ the Situation hafOrn fhof Safa mil
exist general destitution among white and
black. Should the flood fall decidedly by
April 10th, l think there will be
needed only half rations of bacon
and meal up to May 1st.
| for 5O,OOO.persons, who constitute the class
OF small farmers, white and black. If there
is no change for the better before the 10Th
OF April, there will be about Is 900 persons
without food or credit. Should the water
fall decidedly by April 10th, the probability
is that planting can be done by May 1st,
and with this prospect the planters will pre-
| fer to feed their own hands, whereas, If the
water continues to rise, the whole system
OF credit and working will be upset.
The commission merchants will decline to
| advance to country merchants and planters,
and the latter will not be able to feed their
laborers. l can't too strongly recommend
that all issues be discontinued Immediately
| upon the subsiding of the water, so that
| planting can begin"
NATCHEz, March 29-The river is sta
tionary, with slight tendency downward.
The back water in Vadalia is receding
slowly, there having been fall of one inch
| in twenty-fOur hours. A better feeling Ia
beginning to pervade the planting commu-
ty at the prospect, and hopes are enter
tdaed by them of making q fair
crop. Information has reached this city of
the destruction Of the Ralston gin, near
Lake st. John, In Tensas parish, La, by
which 12O refugees lost their lives. This gin
was one of the largest in North Louisiana,
and was packed to over1owing with
negroes from the adjoining plantations.
The steamer Natchez brought down to this
city large number Of colored refugees, a
quantity of stock and a small amount of
rations. The refugees have been focking
here from miles arounp, so that Natchez is
crowded with them. Many have been offer.
ed work at fair wages, but they refused it
preferrtng to remain in idleness while the
government feeds and provides for them.
NEW ORLEANS, March 30 The river is
| stationary. The relief committee will re-
quest the cotton seed oil mills to discon-
| tinue crushing until the demand for seed
for planting purposes from the oVerhoWed
| districts has been supplied.
The Times Democrats Troy, La, special
| reports tho water three feet ten inches above
tuO 1Ott uDOu. Ou6 VI Gu6 UOaGS
by General York, the State commissioner,
to relieve cattle is supposed to have gone
down during the storm on Monday on Cata-
houla Lake with one hundred head of cat
tie. The hills of Catahoula parish are
crowded with people and cattle, and huts
are built Of pine poles to live in. A general
exodus to the hills has set in.
The Iinles-DeraOcrGt'S steamer Susie con-
tinues the work of removing people and
stock from the overfowed section. The
water continues rising at the rate of three
and half inches day, and in many places
has reached the caves of the houses, com
pelling the people living In lofts to move
out. On Monday at the Lindell place, some
twelve miles down Black river, the high
wind, which occurred in the morning, had
unroofed portion OF gin house in which
twelve families were living and
nearly ovsrturning the building. 1t would
seem that the climax of their woes
is fast approaching. Every day there is
storm and wind, and the waves it creates
endaUgers every overflowed building. Gen
eral York is exceedingly anxious about the
situation, and says: GAS the lack of trans
portation is severely felt it is not improbable
that will soon have to chronicle considera-
BILE loss of life. The waves dashing against
che sides of the houses shake them to their
foundation, and when they are almost float
ing they cannot stand it long. On my trip
to the Gaynors plantation, four miles below
Troy, the Susie left the river, and, steam
ing out through the road, was soon running
over broad plantations and fields. The
houses away from the river were much
lower than those on the banks, and as the
boat ran down the lanes and through
quarters but few had their ewes above
water. In each gin house left there were
nearly one hundred negroes, besides lot of
stock, and when the boat passed the women
would rush to the windows to see a
steamboat in a field, shying around cabins
and getting out of the way of trees in the
fields. The boat ran two miles and half
inland, aud over the Story, Cottonwood,
Grover, Preston, Vernoy, Omega, Elba,
Star and Herman plantations, arriving at
last at the house of Joseph 8. Gaynor, on
the Omega place. Every cabin was de-
serted along the route, refugees having
been taken in the the gin houses. All
these plantations are among the most
productive and yield as much cotton as any
In the State. Mr.. Gaynor reports that dur
ing the last eight hours the water has risen
two inches. He has over two hundred
people on his plantation, and necessarily
feels much concern about them, as none of
the negroes will leave until he tells them to-
1t Is away from the river where the suffering
Is seen, and though there was none on the
Gaynor place, owing to the prosperity of its
OWhCI, foG bu6T6 were u6IRHOOrluR places,
where stock was upon scaffolds waiting for
the floats to come.
NEW YORK, March ga Telegram repor-
ter was informed at the Cotton Produce and
Stock Exchanges to-day, that the effort to
organize movement in behalf of the suf-
ferers from the Mississippi overflow, had
been abandoned. About 81, 800 has been
contributed by down town business men for
the benefit of the sufferers.
-
The New York stock Market.
NEW YORK, March 80 Share specula-
tlon opened weak and Ma14 per cent. lower
than pestard avia ol0afnO Y,rioas p.uI