The San Francisco call., 1897-04-28
Rains of the Last Few
Days Cause Fresh
Disaster.
Great DeStitutiOn Exists in
Many Parts of MiSSiS-
Sippi.
At Ottumwa, Iowa, Six Hundred
Families Are Driven From
Their Homes.

NEW ORLEANS, La. April 27.-The
nrst break in the lower line of levees oc-
CURED to-day on the Melrose plantation
at Piaquemine, thirty nine miles below
new orleans, on the west bank of the
river. The crevasse is not large, being
only nifty feet wide, but will do a great
oeal OF harm II left open. Officers of the
La fourche Levee Board, believing that il
can be closed, began work immed ately.
Engineers have made an examination OF
the Biggs and Reid crevasses of Mason
Parish, which are close together and part
OF the same crevasse. They find that the
two breaks are daily discharging 246S2,-
100000 cubic feet OF water into the Tensas
basin. The water is running through the
held ctevasse at the rate of six miles an
hour and through the Biggs break at five
miles an hour.
othcers Of the United States relief boats
which made trips through the overflow wed
parts of Louisiana and Mississippi report
great destitution in the latter State.
Ihe local levee board to-day borrowed
Sloo,OOO to raise the New Orleans levee.
The La Fourche and Atchaffalaya levee
lines. which have already been raised
once this season two feet, will be raised
another two feet. In the Atch affalaya
district forty miles of levee will have to be
raised its entire length.
81. LOUIS, Mo-, April 27-Only twice
within the authentic history of Northern
rivers has the wafer been higher than dur.
Ing the flood which was beginning to sub.
side last week. But Saturday and SUNDAY
heavy rains fell throughout the central
and northern valleys of the Mississippi,
and all the rivers were again swelled be
yond high-water mark throughout that
region. The Des Moines River, Upper
Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Platte and
mum berless minor streams have over
spread their already water-soaked valleys.
spreading destruction broadcast At st.
Louis this morning the gauge read %. 6
feet-within foot of the record.
OTTUMWA, Iowa. April 27.-The Des
Moines River is still dangerously high.
and the gravest fears are felt for the safety
of the city. Nearly 600 families have been
compelled to move because of the Ievee
breaks
Work on the levees before the city has
been progressing since last Friday, but the
sudden rise this morning destroyed great
part OF the labor. Large forces are en-
ployed tonight in an endeavor to prevent
further breaks. The suburbs have so far
been the worst sufferers, aside from the
railroads West Ottumwa, large resi-.
dence section, is entirely flooded and the
water is still rising. The inhabitants cling
to their homes, however, hoping that the
worst is over.
Rich farming lands above and below this
city are inundated. The food there has
not reached high stage, but has spread
out in many places to width OF five to-
six miles. No loss of life has been re
ported, but the damage to property will be
very large.
WARSAW, ILL. April PA break oc-
Cured in the levee of the Hunt Drainage
District this morning and from crevasse
of six feet quickly widened to 100 yards
tonight. A great volume of water is
pouring into the Hunt and Lima Lake
districts, and 10000 acres of farm land
will be submerged. There are also thou.
sands OF bushels of corn cribbsd in the
district. On the Missouri side the Des
Moines River to-day cut through the
Egyptian levee six miles above the river s
mouth and is now flowing across the
country, threatening to cut a new chan.
mel to the Mississippi. The latter stream
is now five miles wide at this point.