Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-14
MILLIONS VANISHED
In the Crevasses Around New
Orleans Caused by the
High Water.
RAILROADS IN STRAITS.
Four of the Great Iron Arteries of
the South impossible.
BREAKS THAT ARE PAST NENDING
And Which Threaten to Cause Greater
Ruin Than the Present.
MANY LEyEES BEING WASHED AWAY
BREAKS THAT ARE PAST NENDING
And Which Threaten to Cause Greater
Ruin Than the Present
MANY LEvEES BEING WASHED AWAY


NEW ORLEANS, June 13.-The river sit
uation for the country around New Orleans
is far more serious to-day than it has been
at any time during the present high water.
For some days past heavy showers have
fallen, which have greatly weakened the
levees. The Mississippi river at the same
time has continued steadily to rise. The
result of the rain, the wind and the high
water has been to strain the levees to the ut
termost and to cause all the weak spots TO
show themselves.
The net result for last night and to-day is
five crevasses, three above and two below
New Orleans, several of which will prove
serious, and the probable cutting off of four
of the eight railroad lines entering the city
OF the breaks, the worst, that is the most
dangerous, is at Avondale plantation, owned
by Barton & O'Donnell. 1t is on the west
bank, near Mangaman station, on the Texas
and Pacific Railroad. IL miles north of New
Orleans, and in bend of the river This
break occurred at 6 o'clock this morning.
1t Was 25 feet wide at noon, but at o'clock
tonight was 115 feet wide and feet deep.
1t is in q section where it can do a great
deal OF damage to the sugar plantations
Eight Millions Lost at One Place.
The Dair's crevasse, which occurred only
few miles away from there, piled up total
loss of s., 600, 900. The crevasse, moreover,
threatens both the Texas railroads. The
water is already running over the track of
the Texas and Pacific Railroad, and will
probably stop traffic on it tomorrow. 1t
will make itself felt on the Southern Pacific
Railroad tomorrow, and that road will be
boated upon in few days, unless the break
is closed
The danger of the railroads caused
prompt and vigorous action to be taken by
them. The Southern Pacific road had a
barge in the immediate neighborhood laden
with lumber and al the other materials
necessary in case of break. Within an
hour after it was reported all the materials
needed were at hand and 800 laborers Un-
fortunately, notwithstanding this PROMPT
ness, nothing could be done, and not only
was it found impossible to close the break,
but even to hold the ends of the levee and
the break grew steadily wider all day long.
Both of the Texas roads will make the
most strenuous efforts to close this crevasse,
If il remains open all business on them will
be suspended until the present high water
goes down, and no one can predict when
that will be.
Impossible to Close the Crevasses
The railroad companies have splendidly
organized levee forces, but it is feared the
break is SO situated that even the great re-
sources of these railroads will find it impos-
sibIe to close it,
Almost simultaneously another crevasse
occurred on the New Orleans side of the
r1ver, and nearly opposite the Avondale
break This was on E Sarpy's Prospect
plantation, in St. Charles parish, % miles
above New Orleans, on the line of the
Mississippi Valley Railroad. 1t occurred
at this morning At IL it was 25 feet
wide, at 8 P. NJ. so feet, and tonight it is so
feet
Both the Mississippi Valley, or Louis
willie, New Orleans aud Texas Railroad, and
the Illinois Central concentrated large
force of men and material at the break,
which, 1t is reported, could be closed, but
despite their efforts it continued to grow
larger, and it looks now as though it would
prove a more serious break than the Bonnet
Carre or Gipsy crevasse, q few miles above
it, which occurred last month.
News was received this morning that a
crevasse occurred at II o'clock last night in
the Belmont levee in St. James parish,
has been recognized as a danger point for
some time past, and the planters of the
neighborhood had a large force of laborers
at work there Strengthening the levee, over
which the water poured freely. Last night
at 10 o'clock work was suspended. because
the men were completely broken down. An
hour atterward the break occurred.
The Water Too High for Work.
The Mississippi Valley Railroad also sent
q large force Of men to the scene of this
break. but the height of the river is such
just now as to render work in the way of
closing the crevasse almost impossible, and
the break had widened by this morning to
rs feet, and is nov 100 feet wide and seven
feet deep. In short stretch of % miles in
the east bank of the river there are now
three ugly breaks, that at Bonnet Care
which occurred last month, at Belmont last
night and at Prospect this morning. The
Bonnet Carre crevasse is 180 feet wide, and
is under control to this extent, that the ends
of the levee have been riveted and the
break is not growing wider; but the other
two are not vet under control, and are still
growing wider. These three crevasses cut
the Mississippi Valley Railroad, between
here and Baton Rouge, the State capital,
into four sections. The company had built
an incline at Bonnet Carre, and was running
its trains over that break, but at these two
crevasses it threw up the sponge, and to-day
announced that it will do no local passenger
business, and will send its freight north
over the Illinois Central Railroad as far as
jackson, Miss, thence to Yicksburg, and
thence over its own lines to Memphis.
Politicians Have to Boat 1t.
A result of the crevasse was to prevent
the State Senate, in Baton Rouge, from
having a quorum, to-day. large number of
members finding 1t impossible to get to the
capital The Democratic convention will
meet there tomorrow, and arrangements
have been made to take delegates there by
boat
The two crevasses also endanger the
safety of the Illinois Central Railroad, and
that line will be lucky indeed if it escapes
being bottled up. The damage done to the
planters in the neighborhood is likely to be
very serious, unless they can be closed or
held under control, and even if closed, the
amount of damage will be great, as the cane
pverfowed will be killed. IT left open il
will food nearly all the plantations in st.
James, St. John and st. Charles parishes,
and will probably cause as much damage as
the Nita break of 1890, which occurred in
the neghborhood OF the Belmont crevasse,
and entailed loss of between 81, 600, 900 and
Sc, 900, 900.
The breaks are also likely to cause some
rise in Lake Pontchsrtrain, and strain the
bark levee of New Orleans. A break was
made at Soniat, q mile and half above
New Orleans, but 1t turned out to be simply
Q muskrat hole, which had widened three or
four feet, but which was closed.
Dsplorsble Situation of a ffaira.
The situation on the lower coast, below
New Orleans, is deplorable indeed. The
New Orleans and Southern Railroad, rum
ming from here to Pointe La Hache, and
which has made q desperate fight against
the numerous crevasses there, has finally
given up the battle, and will run no more
trains but depend on boats.