News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-13
LIKE A VAST INLAND SEA.
No spot of Land Visible on the Black
Rtver-Water in the Fields Six
Feet Deem

A New Orleans dispatch says:-The
Times Democrat steamer Tepsas
arrived at Delhi, La, on Friday. On
the way up the steamer picked up
several families who were in search of
high ground. After reaching the mouth
OF the Black River the entire country
presented the appearance of a vast
inland sea, not spot of land being
visible anywhere. Only the chimneys
and roofs of houses were to be seen
above the flood. The occupants had
long since removed the stock and house
hold goods to high lands further up
the river. At least eight plantations
on the Black River have nothing to
mark their locality but housetops. The
water in the fields is six feet deep. and
the only means of communication is by
boat. Rats filed with frightened
cattle, and poultry huddled together on
the housetops, caused the scene to be
one of utter desolatIon, and difficult to
describe. After leaving Troy and en-
tering the Tensas River no land was
seen until we reached the Bayou
Macon hills, distance of
elghty-eight miles, and trip
through this section of the State was
more like sea than river voyage.
Along the Tensas River very little ae.
tual suffering for want of food prevails.
The stock has generally been sent to
the hills. Prominent planters said that
they were opposed to the issuance of
Government rations, as there was no
destitution along that river so great that
the people could not relieve 1t. and ra-
tions would demoralize the laborers.
Some laborers have already refused to
assist in saving stock, saying that the
Government would send them rations.
Other planters, however, said that un-
less the Government furnished rations
there would be great destitution among
the colored people.
The Black and Tensas Rivers and the
Bayou Macon are rising rapidly, and
fears were entertained that the stock
scaffolded along those streams would
be drowned. The loss of stock is esti-
mated at $50, 900, and of fences 800, 600.
Ffty-eight thousan l people live along
these streams and cultivate hundred
thousand acres Of land. The overflow
In Concordia Parish extends from the
Black to the Mississippi River, dis
lance of thirty-fv miles in Tensas
Parish, from the Tensas River and
Bayou Macon to the Mississippi, dis
tance of thirty miles; in Franklin Par
ish, from Tensas west to the Ouachita
River, distance of ten miles in Madi-
son Parish, from Bayou Macon to the !
River, distance of thirty |
five miles; in East Carroll, from Bayou |
Macon to the Mississippi River, ten
miles in the upper portion of franklin
Parish, west Of the hills of Tensas,
which skirts the Bayou Macon, the |
flood extends to the Ouachita River, a |
distance of fifteen miles. The Tensas
River since Saturday has risen five feet,
and is still rising at the rate of eleven
inches in twenty-four hours, and the
Bayou Macon is three feet higher than
n 1874. The unprecedented flow is
accounted for by the breaks in the
evees at Milliken's bend and Good (
ich's Landing. {
The Louisiana Commissioners have ]
.sked the Secretary of War for 500, 600 :
more rations, to be delivered at once.
The creyasse of the Mound planta- I
ion, Bayou Gros Tete, east bank, is re- 1
ported to be doing great damage to the
ugar plantations in that district. The s
'verfow at Bayou Gros Tete is caused s
y water from the Point Coupee {