Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-03-13
THE SOUTHERN FLOODS.
Immense Pecuniary Loss to the
Planters in the Submerged
Districts.
Government Aid Invoked and Granted
the Suffering People.
NEW ORLEANS, March IL.

| NEW ORLEANS, March IL.
| In reply to a telegram from J. Floyd King
and ]. John Ellis, Louisiana Congressman,
asking for full and authentic accounts of the
destruction in Louisiana by the overflow,
Col. Thomas L. Airey, President Of the Cot
ton Exchange, has sent the following:
| 1.-The Chief State Examiner informs me
that the overflow in Louisiana covers a large
portion of the rear lands of East Carroll,
Madison, Tensas, Concordia, and considera-
BILE areas in West Carroll, Morehouse. Rich
land, Ouachita, CALDWELL Franklin and Cata-
houla, and is caused by the Mississippi river
water escaping through the broken levees in
Chicot and Desha counties, Arkansas. Be
low the mouth of Red river large territory
is now being overfowed in Pointe Coupee,
Avoyelles, st. Landry, West Baton Rouge,
Lafourche and several other parishes, and
the opinion is expressed bv competent auth
critics that this overflow is likely to increase
| in depth and extent. Pointe COupee crevasse
will add much to the overflow of parishes be-
low the mouth of the Red river. There is
also much overflow along the Red river bot
TOM and in every parish on the Mississippi
| long stretches OF defective and imperfect
levees require repair, and in some cases en-
tire rebuilding. The extent of the damage
and suffering it is impossible to estimate at
this juncture. The annual product of cotton
alone. in the parishes named, is fully 100000
bales. valued at Sl5, 100000. The outlook
is extremely discouraging."
Bayou Sara special says: A crevasse
will flood every place on False river from
Waterloo to Vincent plantation, a distance
of 16 miles, ten places, causing loss of
about 1000 hogsheads of sugar besides great
loss of stock and property. The chances are
that all of the grass of Tete county will/grOw
under At last accounts the water was on a
level with the levee, and this sudden increase
will certainly go over it.
The river remains stationary at 10 inches
below the 1874 mark. The only levee news,
| today, was a report of the successful closing
of the break in Hermitage levee in St.
Charles parish, La, near the red church.
The break was caused by rice 1ume. 1t is
now stated that many plantations in West
Baton Rouge parish are protected by back
levees, which will prevent an overflow from
the POInte Coupee crevasse.
New YORK, March H.
A Memphis dispatch states the whole coun-
try from Cairo to Vicksburg is submerged,
and thousands of negroes are living and doing
their cooking on the roofs of their cabins.
WASHINGTON, March H.
The secretary of war has received a tele-
gram from Gov. Cullom of Illinois, as fol-
lows:
'tNot less than 1000 persons, mostly col
ored, living in OverfOwed lands in Alexander
county have lost their property, and are suf-
fering from the high waters. l have directed
Robert Wilson, my commissioner at Mound
City, to aid them. Will you forward rations
as before to 1000 persons in addition to Rob-
ert Wilson, Mound City, Ills?"
A.
1000 additional rations be issued to Commits
| sioner Wilson.
A telegram has also been received from
Gov. McEnery of Louisiana as follows:
"Recent breaks in the levees in Pointe
Coupee parish inundating large district of
country, and in Bayou and Lafourche, makes
large population destitute. The commits
| sioner appointed by me in New Orleans to
receive and disburse rations, telegraphs that
| 100, 900 rations are needed Immediately.
respectfully make the requisition for said
| amount"
The secretary telegraphed Governor Nc
Emery in reply:
"Your telegram is received. Instructions
have been issued by telegraph to the COM
| missary at New Orleans to purchase and de-
liver to the commissioners already appointed
by you, $1,000. Please instruct commission
| els " Su'iSe INC ny tcieBidpIi, uOt ldteT t1an
Sunday evening, of the number of persons
needing relief as accurately as the estimate
can be made, and probable date of exhaustion
of the subsistence just ordered"
LITTLE Rock, March H.
The waters are reported falling in the over
flowed districts, but the stories of the suffer
ing continue to come in. The number of the
distressed is consequently increasing.
| MEMPHIS, March II.
The river here fell one rch today and now
marks 50 feet and 10 inches on the guage and
two inches below the highest point reached
this season. Twenty thousand rations for
the Tennessee sufferers arrived this morning
to be distributed on Monday. Capt. Lee, of
the army, reports that the country is SUBJ
merged for miles. Many people are starving
because they cannot be reached
New ORLEANS, March L.
Nothing new from the levee. The river.
today, shows the highest record of the season
but is row falling.
MEMPHIS, March l2.
The river declined about an inch TODAY
The government steamer Emma Etheridge.
with surveying party on board, arrived at
noon and will depart tomorrow for an in
spection of the breaks in the levees. She
will also take supplies for the needy. Big
Hatchie river has overflowed its banks and
caused some damage to the railroad
bridge on the Louisville & Nash.
vile line, 40 miles east of Memphis, near
Brownville. Passengers had to be trans
ferred and no trains will GO out on the road
tonight. Lieut.. Vedder, detailed for duty in
Arkansas to ascertain the extent of suffering
caused by the overflow, arrived this morning
from Little Rock. He estimates that the
government will have to provide for 10000
destitute people in Arkansas for 60 days from
the Goth inst, as suffering is on the increase
and will continue long after the waters have
subsidized.