Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-26
WATERS SUBSlDlNG.
Relief Boats Always Busy in Res
cuing Homeless Sufferers.
BAGS OF EARTH FOB REPAIRS
Are the Principal Freight on the Missis-
sippi Boats
WHEN RETURNING TO RESCUE CATTLE.
,AGS OF EARTH FOR REPAIRS
WHEN RETURNING TO RESCUE CATTLE.
Captain Cowdon Explains His Scheme to Lower the
Flood Level.

A large portion of the Mississippi Valley
is still submerged. People are, however,
beginning to regain confidence. River
steamers busily ply rescuing men and cattle
from dangerous positions. Very high water
is looked for in Mad river, where it has
rained continuously for three months. Cap
tain Cowdon tells the United States Senate
his scheme for permanently lowering the
foodbars of the Mississippi.
BATON ROUGE, April 25.-The steamer
reached here from the overfowed district,
and put of 500 or 600 people and a large
quantity of stock. The people put off were
mostly negroes, who found no difficulty in
getting employment
Several planters from the interior were
here for the purpose of getting labor for
their plantations. The Dacotah yesterday
went up as far as New Texas Landing, res
cuing people and stock along the route.
The boat transported about 1,500 people to
this side and could have brought many
more, but the people said the river was fall
ing and they preferred to stay and take the
chances in Pointe Coupee.
1000 FOOT BREAK.
Captain Mitchell said the break in old
Morganza at o'clock, yesterday evening,
was 600 feet wide, while the break in Grand
Levee, just below, was 1000 feet wide. and
washing rapidly. the soil being of a sandy
nature. As these levees are three miles in
length, only a comparatively small portion
of these great works have yet been destroyed.
The boat rescued every living thing from
pig to the dogs and chickens. A refugee
was seen on our streets to-day with dog
tied at one end of a rope and a rooster at the
other. This was his only property. He
carried them alternately in his arms to give
them rest.
SACKS OF EARTH FOR REPAIRS.
The Dacotah remained here until P. NJ,
loading sacks above the town to carry to the
Martinez crevasse. At this hour she lett,
carrying down 5000 sacks of earth. The
Parsoud is expected down tonight to carry
more sacks to the crevasse. When she gets
through unloading, the Dacotah will return
to New Orleans, as there is no longer any de-
mand for a relief boat along the Pointe
CoupeefI front. The tug Will Wood
came up at o'clock this evening with a
barge from Martinez for load of lumber.
One line of cribbing outside the break has
been completed and work began on a second
row. The work is under the supervision of
General Manager Harahan, of the Valley
road, and Mr.. j. d Houston.
They are confident of closing the break by
next Tuesday. Mr.. w. L. Clark. of West
Baton Rouge, was down here this morning
to get help to close the Labdell break. From
what can be learned it is torlorn hope.
CLEARING UP.
A Greenville, Miss, special SAYS: After
four DAYS of incessant raining the sun came
up brightly this morning. The river fell
three inches in the past "a hours, which is
the first permanent fall we have had since
the beginning of the high water, three
months ago. The same fall was recorded on the
back water of the town and country, and since
morning the fall has been fully two inches.
Portions of the streets which have been
covered for "a days are being uncovered by
the receding Waters, which are watched
with delight by the citizens. 1t is safe to
say that this fall will be followed by still
greater one in the next d hours.
A dispatch from Shreveport, La, says:
Reports from Upper Red river above Full
ton indicate big rise, caused by recent
heavy rains, which have fallen along the
border of Northwestern Texas. The rise is
sufficient to cause serious apprehensions.
AT this point the river fell one-tenth, but
the situation is not encouraging. The
streams are all bank full and very little
more water will food all low places not
thoroughly protected by levees. A number
of places are already submerged.
A special from Marinouin, La, says: The
water is rising along the 80 miles front of
this district, but most rapidly below Rose
dale.
At Barrow's Bridge, near the center of
the district, the water has fallen slightly.
BROKEN BRIDGE.
The bridge OF the Louisiana Central Rail-
road has given away and is now jammed
into tn at of the Texas Pacific at Crosse Tete
station. II the draw of the latter is in
jured, steamboat communication will be sus-
pended. The levees are lined with laborers
and more confidence is felt in holding them.
Up the Fordache to Fair Oaks the levee can
stand one foot more of water. From there
to Ravenswood the water is near the crest,
but the people are doing their utmost to
prevent its running over. Water from the
Clarke crevasse in the Atchafalaya is strik-
ing lower crosse Tete, but the fight there is
being manfully maintained. Lower
Maringouin is slowly going under, most of