The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-04-01
Another Crevasse.
Disastrous Break in the Arizona Leyee
near the Ascension Line.
No Hope Of Closing the Breach.

No Hope or Closing the Breach.
Manchac aud New River Doomed to Inun
dalton.
Last Saturday night, near the hour q
midnight, q crevasse occurred III what i
known as the Arizona or Lapeyroleri
levee, on the east bank of the river il
the parish of Iberville about two mile
above the Ascension line, opposits tn.
store Of Mr.. J. II. Caryille. The soil i.
light and sandy at this place, the leve
is large and situated III a bend of tb,
river where the current strikes the banl
with great force, hence it is not to b,
wondered at that the gap should hav,
increased rapidly iu its dimensions ant
that torrent of water was soon passing
through which drove all distinctions
from its path. Mr. Carville's store was
swept from its foundations and carried
back through the adjacent fields into the
woods, and it was with difficulty thai
his wife and children were removed
from the building before it started upor
it's voyage. Tho Store and contents were
totally destroyed and other buildings in
the track Of the rushing food met sim
liar fate.
The ends Of the broken levee crumbled
away at the rate Of ten Or twelve feet al
hour. It is estimated that fifty or sixty
feet Of the enbankment gave way at
first, and by Monday morning the break
! was 400 feet wide aud increasing con-
stautly.
A gentleman who visited the scene on
Wednesday says the crevasse is five or
six acres wide, and as the average depth
of water running through is not less
than IL feet, some idea of its immense
volume may lie formed. It is veritable
cataract and the roar Of the rushing
waters is almost doafening.
A very large, fertile and tl,ickly popu-
lated area of country will be inundated
by the Arizona crevassp, including the
Manchac and New River sections of
Ascension, inhabited by several hundred
farmers, who will suffer greatly by the
disaster. The damage to crops and
destruction Of stock will be great, and
many poor families will have to be
furnished with the means Of subsistence
while the food lasts. A majority of the
people Of these sections are removing
most of their stock to places of safety,
but there are large numbers of cattle
and hogs roaming at large in the woods
that will be drowned or driven away
and lost.
The waters Of the Arizona crcvassc
will join those Of the Landry and Bonnet
Care breaks and together they will
cover all the hack country and portions
Of many plantations fronting the river
between Bayou Manchac and Now Or
leans on the east bank.
No attempt will be made to close the
Arizona break, as it would be sheer
waste of time, labor and money which
can be better employed in relieving the
suffering and want which will be caused
by the inunlation. Measures looking to
the snccor Of those in distress ought to
be taken at once in Iberville, Ascension
and St. James. Our own parish will
probably be more largely affected by
this overflow than any other, both as
regards the extent and value of lands
and the number of people
rendered destitute; therefore it behooves
our people who have been fortunate
enough to escape overflow to do what
lies in their power for the relief of their
less fortunate fellow citizcps.
The OVERFLOW ON New RlvER-As
we stated last week our advices from the
New River section of the parish relative
to the overflow were very meagre and
Numerous rumors were
in circulation, but experience caused Us
to regard most Of them as exaggerated
and unreliable. Yesterday, however, we
letter from an excellent friend
living on upper New River, which con-
seys the following succint report of the
of affairs in that section:
NEW RIVER, March 30, 1882.
l.. E. BEsrLEr, Donaldsonville
friend Bent4cy-Lower New River at this
time is mostly under water and in few
days more the whole country will be. The
water from the Kenner crevassc ia now on
my place and that Of the Lapeyrolerie is
coming at double quick and is now at tho
Dutch Stores. When the two meet there is
no telling what it will do. The excitement
through the country is very great, and ev-
cry one is busy building a boat of some kind.
The people have driven their stock to hig;,
places. Many families are suffering from
the want of provisions, their credit being
stopped at tho stores. As for my part,
can stand it little while.
We beard OIL Thursday that the water
was rising in New River at tile rate Of
two inches az hour, and in the course Of
another week no doubt all but the very
highest portions of the entire country
betw cen the head of Bayou Manchac
and the mouths of New River and tue
Amite will he inundated.
THE LANDRY CREvAssE.-Notwith-
the vigorous efforts made to
the closing of the crevasse
at the Julien Landry place, the break is
stlll omen and the water continnea To