Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-04-25
The Governor Sends Steamers and
Barges to Save the People
From Drowning.
At one Place Six and q Half Inche .
;uf Rain Falls in 48
Hours,
The Strike of the Switchmen on the
Pittsburg System May Assume
Huge Proportions.
The Mississippi Overflow,

New ORLEANS, April 22.-About 3
o'clock this afternoon, Governor Nichols
received a dispatch from Martin Glynn,
president of the police jury of Pointe
Coupee parish, dated Bayou Sara, say
ing: "We have been overwhelmed by
a storm and rain, and crevasses are
numerous along the front. Upper (old)
Morgansea has broken. Send boat at
once to save the people or there will be
great loss of life" Governor Nichols at
once made arrangements with the own.
ers of the steamer Arthur Lambert and
barges, then at Baton Rouge, and the
boat started Immediately for Pointe
Coupee, with several barges, to render
assistance. Other boats will be sent up
tonight. The fight of the people of
Pointe Coupee, which has been waged
day and night against the tremendous
floods pouring down the Mississippi, to
save the Morgansea levee, has been in
vain. Up to couple Of days ago it was
confidently expected the levees would be
held, but the terrible wind and rain
storm which prevailed for two days came
as an unexpected obstacle to the thous-
ands who have been laboring on the big
earthen bulwarks to save their homes
and their lives. No information is OBJ
tainable yet as to the extent of the break.
Those familiar with the locality think the
crevasse occurred about three-quarters
Of mile above New Morgansea, where
the crevasse occurred some years ago
and where the levee is from ten to twelve
feet high. Governar Nichols was inter-
viewed this evening. He was much con-
cerned for the safety of the people in
the Pointe Coupee section, and stated
that Captain Jackson, president of the
international transportation company,
had placed two steamers, with barges, at
his disposal. He had accepted them and
they are now enroute fo1 Morgansea.
He stated that he had also telegraphed
to Colonel Wheelock and Capt. John A.
Grant of the Texas & Pacific railroad, re-
questing them to place the steamer
Wheelock in the same service Governor
Nichols then said: considering the ex-
treme emergency of the occasion and the
dire calamity OF the Morgansea break, I
have telegraphed Senator Gibson that
such great disaster was sufficient to
cause US to appeal to the government for
aid. I asked him to act as promptly as
possible.
A TREMENDOUS RAINFALL.
WEST MELVILLE, April 22.-The rain
fall in the past forty-eight hours was six
and one-half inches. Two crevasses oc-'
CURED in the Atchifallya levees to-day,
one five miles above town, 80 feet wide,
the other at Old Churchville, 40 feet
wide. The water is running over the
levee at dozen places in this vicinity.
.>ls MORE BREAKS.
NArcHEz, April 22.-The first break in
the levees in this vicinity occurred to-day
The protection levee on front Vidalia
broke, submerging number of houses.
This morning the Lake Concordia levee
gave way. At p m. the break is $50
feet wide, and the water going through
like mill race. This break will food
the lower portion of Concordia parish
and cannot fail to be disastrous.
THE BREAK WIDENING.
New ORLEANS, April 22.-The break at
Morgansea is now 400 feet w1de and no
doubt will soon eat it's way down to
New Morgansea. There are three breaks
: between this place and Morgansea and
the river is washing over the levees along
the entire line. The lake water which
had encroached upon the outskirts of
the city is gradually receding. But little
damage was done. The washouts along
the Louisville & Nashville railroad have
been repaired and trains are passing as
usual. ,*tg 4.