Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-04-18
THE LEVEES ARE GIVING WAY.
All of Northern Louisiana Threatened
With InundatiOn.
A Big Break at Biggs-The Main
Embankment Yielded to the
Enormous Pressure, Although
Heroic Efforts Had Been Made to
Hold It-Several Parishes will be
Submerged by the Water Pouring
Through the CrevasSe.

Vicksburg, Miss, April Isl a. NJ
An official report says the creyasse at
Biggs, four miles below Delta, is nearly
a mile wide at this hour, and the roar
ing torrent is spreading over the low
lands of Madison Parish with startling
rapidity. This is unquestionaGiy the
most destructive break that has yet oc-
Cured and the loss to property and
live stock will be enormous. Madison,
Tensas and Concordia parishes viii be
inundated while the fine farms of
Franklin and Catahoula parishes are
in imminent danger. The fertile lands
of these parishes have been prepared
for this years crop and in many in
stances cultivation is well under way.
MEMPHIS. Tenn, April 1.-THE crisis
has arrived in Northern Louisiana. Inc
mighty force of nature has won the hgh1'
Last night at 10 o'clock the workers on the
levee at Biggs, four miles below DeIta'
La. were Mortified to see sudden buige
in the embankment. small yellow
stream began 70 trickle through the aper-
ture and L moment later Cre was
crash The Louisiana main>-. sVee system
had at last succumbed TO the fearful on
slaught Of the Mississippi river. gen.
eral alarm was sounded, and the inhabi-
tants of the vicinity began moving their
most valuable effects. In thirty minutes
the crevasse had increased in size from a
dozen feet TO 50 yards, 9nd the water IS
pouring through the opening with fearful
velocity
There is a strip of swamp two miles
wide Immediately behind the levee where
the break occurred, and beyond that many
of the finest plantations in Northern
Louisiana. Unless the crevasse be stop
ped the overfiowed area will include the
lower half of Madison parish and all of
Tensas Concordia parishes. The water
will then flow into the Tensas river. and
should that stream prove its inability TO
carry the great volume of water into the
main channel, the flooded area will extend
to Franklin and part of Catahoula parish.
The Fifth District Levee Board has con-
centrated nearly a thousand men along the
levee adjacent to Biggs, this strip having
been regarded as one of the weakest
34nts II. the entire system. The fertile
lands that will be inunClted are in the
highest state Of cultivation and the loss
Will be tremendous.
TALLULAH, La. April 17.-Blggs levee
was comparatively an old one Work was
commenced on this levee about two weeks
ago, and the levee was broadaued and
strengthened by dirt thrown over the top
and down the sides, front and rear, and
the work raised fully four feet with a very
large base. The Louisiana convcts were
at work on the levee and had completed
about one-half of the work and perhaps n
little more. Assistant State Engineer IT.
c. Brown was in charge of the work, and
last Sunday morning the levee came near
breaking at the same place that II broke
last night. AssistaL State Engineer
Thompson was at the Biggs levee Monday
and Tuesday last and every effor. was
made 10 complete the work. The levee IS
in the lower end of Madison parish, and
the crevasse will probably affect the lower
end Of Tensas and all of Concordia parish.
A ridge extends across from the river back
to Mill Bayou. a continent Of the Tensas
river, and this will most probably protect
The northern end and the front portion of
Tensas parish by diverting the crevasse
water back into the Tensas river. which
gradually approaches the Mississippi river
further down near Lake Concordia.. II
will cause immense damage, as there are
some large cotton plantations. not only
in the immediate rear OF the break but all
the way down to the Ouachita river, which
will act as the barrier to keep it from ex-
tending further south.
The levee is from l6 10 Is feet high. and
it will be impossible TO stop tho crevasse.
as the land behind the levee is fully 10 feet
below tho level of the water.
ST. LOUIS. April 1.-THE river here to-
day showed decline of only three-tenths
of foot for the past q hours. and the pre-
diction IS that it will change hut little dur
ing the next two days. Above here. how
ever. Slight rises are marked in the Mis-
souri,. at Boonville and Kansas City. and
on the Mississippi. at Hannibal Keol1uk
and Davenport. Local Weather Observer
Frankenfe'd thinks that the Missouri will
continue TO rise slowly. and the Upper Mis-
sissippi will also rise generally, but no
danger stages are indicated south Of Keo-
kuk with the water now in sight