St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-25
HOMELESS And NAKED
Fugitives From the Flooded
Districts Picked Up by
Government Craft.
Ruin and Desolation Complete
Along the Pointe Coupe3
Front.
Heavy Rains Enhance the
Horrors of the Situation
at Bayou Sara.
An Ineipient Fire Develops
Into a Holocaust Through
an Explosion.

BAYOU SARA, La, April M.-Ruin and
desolation meets the eye on every SIDE
in Pointe Coupee parish. The de-
struction is complete. Not plantation
is left above water, not a levee un-
broken, while hundreds of families are
homeless. Thousands of head OF stock
have been drowned and from meager re-
ports received from the interior 1t is
quite probable human life has been sac
rificed to the food. Standing on the
deck of the relief steamer Dacotah as
she passed down within fifty yards or
the flooded district this evening, the full
extent of the disaster could be seen.
between broken levees, through
which the water rushed with
ungovernable fury, were scores of peo-
pie, both white and black, some with
babies in arms. while others had dogs
secured by cord. Many of them had
nothing else in the world except the
clothes they wore on their backs.
Whenever the Dacotah discovered a
scene like this the stage was swung
out and the stricken ones taken aboard.
Equally as sad scene was thepoor dumb
cattle, standing in the water, actually
starving. Many of them
Had Not Tasted Food
in days. Their gaunt forms contrasted
strangely with their surroundings,
The Dacotah was unable to handle cat
tie yesterday, but to-day her boiler
deck was frst-class stock pen. A
family named Luke, who resided sew
eral miles above Bayou Sara, were res
cued this morning. There were fifteen
people in the family. Monday NOR
ming they were prosperous, being the
owners of large plantation, a well
equipped store aud over 100 head or
stock. To-day nothing remains above
water but the caves of their residences.
A crevasse sixty feet wide broke direct
ly in front of the house at noon Monday
and the family had a lively time to
reach the levee before six feet Of water
covered the place. The crevasse is now
400 feet wide. There are hundreds of
such tales to be told. The Dacotah was
busy boat to-day. After discharging
her lumber and other material at Grand
Bay, she proceeded directly to Old
River and rescued 200 head Of cattle
that had been in the swamp four days.
Coming down, stock and people were
picked up everywhere. and when the
Dacotah reached Bayou Sara she had
1000 head of cattle and nearly 500 peO-
pie on board. They were landed and
the boat Immediately left on return
voyage. The Dacotah is doing excel
lent work, and, not only is she blessed
on every side, but the corporation which
sent her as well. Maj. Martin Glynn,
the president of the police jury, accom-
panies the boat on
Her Errand of Mercy.
Referring to their efforts to hold the
ievee, he said it was hard fight, but
they had lost. He cannot estimate the
damage, but says that thirteen parishes
will be overflowed. The crevasses now
number thirteen. At Grand Bay last
night men were busily engaged in an
effort to hold Paten dyke, an immense
earthwork that protects ten large plant
ationS in Lower Pointe Coupee from the
flood. 1t rained all day yesterday and
last night, but the river is falling. The
worst has come in Pointe Coupee and
the people are resigned. 1t was bitter
fight ali round, but the river got the
best Of it. Maj. Glynn last night re-
ceived check for $500 from the police
jury OF Terrebonne parish for the bene-
fit of the sufferers.