The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-18
MISSISSIPPI FLOODS.
Levec in Louisiana Snccumbs to the
Great Weight.
TIE TOWN OF DELTA INUNDATED.
Opening OF the Roaring Torrents
Nearly One Mile Wide.
MsslsSIPrILEvEES RELIEVED
TIE TOWN OF DELTA INUNDATED.
MISSISSIPPI EvEES RELIEVED
Weak spots Reported Elscwherc.
Fine Plantations CoVcrcd--ltivcr
IN Falling at Helena.

Nicksburg. Miss. April s.(Midnlght)
An official report says that the crcvasse
at Biggs. four miles below Delta. La. Ia
nearly mile wide. and the roaring torrent
Is spreading over tho lowlands of Madi-
son parish with startling rapidly. This
Is unqucstionahly the most destructive
break that has yet occurred. and the lose
of property and livestock will be enormous.
Madison. Tensas and Concordia parishes
viii be inundated. while the farms OF Ca
tahoua and Franklin parishes are In mini
nent danger. Tho fertile lands Of these
parishes have been prepared for this years
crop, and in many instances cultivation is
we'll under way.
At 10 o'clock this morning the river
showed fail OF $40. The United States
cutter Florence arrived at II a. m. from
Davis Island, and reports second break
In Louisiana Immediately IN front Of Bed
ford's Landing This may possibly be tho
bronh AT Biggs ns the Florence came up
main limo OF the levee.
At 1880 the town OF Delta was more than
lalf under water. and It Is believed tho
iuundation Will b. entire before dark.
Tho United States steamer Meigia ar.
rived at / y IN. from tho Biggs crcvassc.
and reported the break was 1900 feet wdo
at 20 n. M.
State conycts. $50 in number. were all
safely put on the steamer Natchcz this
morning for Baton Rouge
The United States steamer Ethridgc, with
Assistant Engineer Hyder on board. arr
rived at the break at noon and will remain
there in the hope OF saving people In dan.
ger OF losing life.
The rumored break ut Bedfords store Is
not correct.
All day long lines OF refugees have been
fleeing to this city with their stock and
other property. The water was seventeen
feet deep against the evcc when II broke
and men who were on the spot say that
II poured through In vast circular n1nssea
or whirlpools twenty feet high. larger
part of Madison. Tensas, Catalonia and
Concordla parishes viii be oyerflowed by
II and the resulting distress will be very
great. The number OF refugees In the city
has been largely Increased and they ara
coming in on every boat. The water flood
ed the ViclSsburg. Shreveport and Pacific
railroad in a few hours and their trains
west of here were abandoned in conse-
ouence The town Of Delta is overflowed
deeply and planters say that the water will
back up to Mllliken's Bend, sixteen miles
10 the north.
Three white persons. two men and a wo-
man. passed twelve hours In the midst OF
the furious waters of the crevasse perched
in tree. They were rescued today.
Both ends OF the levce arc crumbllng
rapldlv and Assistant State Engineer IL.
Bolivar Thompson is OF tho opinion that It
VIII continue until the gap shall have be-
come fully mile wide.
Tie lcvce was eighteen feet high and
had a low battine In front of it about
eighteen feet deep. we'll grown up with will
lows and cottonwood. Your correspondent
visited the croyassG this forenoon aud al
though it was only twelve hours old II gave
promise of being the most formidable Lou
gana has ever before known, with. per-
haps the single exception of the great
Morgan sea. An immense river. not less
than 1900 feet wide. and rushing forward
like u cataract. WAS roaring through tho
wooded battines and plunging through the
great gap in the embankment with such
force that nothing seemed able to With
stand It's fury. Stout trees were seen TO
culver and reel In It's path and then 70
down to be swept away in the backwater
at race horse speed When the current
narrows to plunge through the crevasse 1t
curls in great wbrlpools at the edge. caus-
ing n depression OF from six TO ten feet.
ard then as II chases on the ragged ends
of the broken levee II breaks into enor-
nous foaming waves which assert them
selves for half mile from the inside OF