Telegram-herald., 1890-04-24
THE GREAT PERIL.
Many Lives Endangered Sy the
Brszking OF the Morxa1lza Levee.
THOUSANDS OF ACRES HUsplIED.
Ala sect g. asiP sac F~sPis - rSiats of
ssfsss-aet@rls Csa@stssys ~iss tks
Tssas ~ JeaSnos Davis
laaSF u4Ksr.

NV OKLEbNs. april -. About :
o'clock Tuesday sfterhOon the Governor
received dispatch ffen Marta 6lynn,
president q PolRte COnpss PARISH, d-led
Bayou sara. saying
i've lave eeeE oFerskslmea - storm su1
rsfu .De eretassss are aaUeFoas al0ag the
frout Upper loloi AoFg1Hzs LA ofskeH- seed
= eost A. ozos - ssFe ne pssp-s - there I-Ay
* great los= u .-te
Governor Nichols az once made ar
rangements with the owners CT the
steamer Arthur Lambert and b2rges.
then az Baton Rouge. and the boats
started immediately for Pointe Coupee
with barges 70 render assistance. Other
boats will be seat Up.
The fght Of the people OF Pointe
Couuee bas been wsged day and night
70 save Morganza levee, bat IN vain.
Up 10 a couple of days ago they eonn-
IDENTITY expected that the leyees would
hold. but the terrible wind and rain
storm which prevailed FOR Two days
came as an unexpected obstacle.
No information Is obt4inable as 70 the
extent Of the break. Those familiar
with the locality think that the crew
asse has occurred about thfee-eusrters
OF mile above the new MorgSnza,
where a creyasse occurred some years
apo. and where the levee Is from ten TO
thirteen feet high.
The Morganza creyasse of 1854 was
more than three-quarters OF mile
wide. and the water from IL and Water
loo involved the people IN loss Of mill
ions Of dollars. The new leyee which
was built in 1897. during the admins
tration Of Governor McHenry, WAS
about 5000 foet in length and from
twelve TO twenty feet in height This
/ levee is still standing.
Governor Nichols has telegraphed
| Senator Gibson that the disaster Is SUI
| fcient 10 cause an appeal 70 the Govern
ment :or aid, and asking him 70 act as
promptly as possible
The situation throughout the eooded
| districts is indeed distressing. A heavy
| rain and wipd-storm has caused the
| backwater TO rise rapidly. AT MoTganza
houses are floating away and people are
fleeing for their lives. Metarie cemete-
~. with oil its beauty. and the tomb Of
/ JEFF Davis, are under water.
The MorganZa leyee protects large
portion OF Southern Louisiana IL is
one Of the finest levees on the Missis-
sippi, with 20O-foot base, and from ff-
teen to thirty feet high, constructed
Jointly by the United States and the
State OF Louisiana. II cost close 10 $3.50,
coo. So important point was it that
Major Kingman, in command OF this
/ district, was sent there 10 watch the
levees himself, and SEQ 600 was given
to its maintenance and defense by the
Secretary OF War. The break Will
severely affect Pointe Coupee, West
Baton Rouge, Iberville. ST. Landry,
Assumption, ST. Martins, St Mary,
Iberia and Terre Bonne par.
ishes Some $500 or 5000 square
miles, with between 1000 and 90, coo
inhabitants, will be more and less az
fected by the overflow. Much OF this is
low, swampy land, not under cultiva-
tion. but large portion of 1t Is highly
cultivated and among the most pro
ductive lands in the State, particularly
the Teche country. The loss will be
heavy on the country affected, which
is planted in sugar-cane and sin ilal
crops. which are destroyed by overflow
if under water ten days. The amount
of loss will depend upon the duration o.
the flood. but it will certainly mount
well up in The millions Back of thi!
levee. particularly in Pointe Coupee
West Baton Rouge. and Iberville, there
are a number of settlements on tht
ridges or highlands. Many Of these are
likely TO 60 under water.
A break occurred Tuesday morning IL
the levee near Gardere, ten miles below
Baton Rouge. At last accounts th'
crevasse was twenty feet wide and sever
feet deep. The crevasses on the Point
Coupee front viii submerge large sec
ton Of that parish, and back-water vii
probably affect West Baton Rogue ans
Esterville.
a Bayou Sara special says: The suffer
ing + n Pointe Coupee is terrible. 1t /
reported that people are resorting 4
trees for safety. A relief boat shoul,
be sent 20 these people at once IL posi-
BILE Skf-loads OF people arc passin)
through the inundated streets seekin.
safety in the hills. They certainll
mako a sad anu gloomy procession
women. children. babies and dogs-the,
tell the same tales Of woe and destruc
ton. The situation in Bayou Sara i
fright'ul-n0t a house in town IS abov
The flood.