The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-19
THE FLOOD IN LOUISIANA.
Situation ia Madison Parish Grow
ing Seriously Worse.
BREAKS EXPECTED IN CONCORDIA
villages of Trinidad aud Ashwoo,l
and Plantations Around Rich
land Overlooked.

VicksDurg, Miss, April ls.--At 6 p. m.
the river was 81 $40 feet, fall of $40 in
the past twenty-four hours and total OF
6-10 since the crevasse al Bggs' levee at
10 p. m. Friday night
| The situation in Madison parish, Loulsi-
ana. is growing hourly worse The flood Of
water going through the Biggs break in
the levee is covering the lowlands and is
flooding BAYOU Vidal aud the greater part
of the lands in the southern portion of the
parish. The water has reached Tallulah.
the parish site. some eighteen miles west
of Delta. The water had risen seven feet
in the bayou at Tallulah and was rising
foot an hour at noon today. Delta is about
depopulated. only enough persons remain
1nc TO look after the houses Many OF
them have two or three feet of water in
them. The backwater is fast covering
lands north of Delta and at Young's Point
Much land is already covered at the latter
place.
| AT Omega the floods are coming fast, Re-
| lief boats are running to Davis Island and
Kellogr's section. Planters In Entail and
north of Madison are placing their stock
| in reach of the boats on the river front
or at stations on the line of the Vicksburg
and Shreveport railway so they can be
moved in the event Of another break in the
upper portion of the parish, which is now
seriously threatened Milliken Bend and
Duckport levees are both caving.
| Reports from Madison parish state that
the water began rising in Brushy bayou at
Tallulah this morning and up to 2 r m il
had risen seven to eight feet. About three
miles below Tallulah the water is getting
over the levee and is Overlooking every
thing two miles below. II will not be on
the higher land until tomorrow, as there
is several feet of bank left on the bayou
Richland. La, was heard from today and
reports the water going all over everything.
Overlooking Kings and Kels places, also the
VILLAGES of Trinidad and Ashwood. eight
| miles below. The line is down some dis
lance below Richland and communication
WAS shut OFF from this point at noon today
The water is beginning to back UP Lake
Sne on the line of the Vicksburg and
| Shreveport railroad It started this morn
ing. Work Is still going on at Mlliken's
| Bend levee and they are reported in good
shane there. They worked about seventy
| men today and will work A much larger
| force tomorrow.
The people at Tallulah are building UP
the old levee on Brushy bayou as far south
| as SEWERS. about eight miles south in an
endeavor to hold the water in the bayou
The people are getting their stock together,
| however. for they are expected to have to
| move promptly.
| Mr.. Stubs of the Nicksburg and Shreve-
port railway left Vicksburg In sltin this
morning and went to Tallulah, He says
that he did not think he would be able to
get a train 10 Mounds tomorrow as the
water at that point was three feet deep at
| 3 o'clock today.
| President Harvey Of the Queen and Cres-
| cent arrived from New Orleans at noon
aud is comforting with his assistants to-
| day in regard to the situation on the Lou
isiana side, The decision will depend on
| the report made by Mr.. Stubs and the
engineer OF the Vicksburg and Shreveport
and the Alabama and Nlcksburg railways.
| An effort will be made to handle passenger
and mail service from Delta to some point
on the line west where the trains can
| come, thereby Keeping up communication.
| The railroad was transferring here under
the most adverse conditions but the break
at Bgcs soon made that impossible as the
| track was flooded TO the depth of several
| feet in less than twelve hours AT several
| points between Delta and Mounds station
much anxiety Is still felt for the safety OF
| the line from Delta TO Henderson, as many
predict the fall will be of short duration
| II Is estimated that not less than
5000 people will want relief In this country
fol the next three days at least Lleuten-
ant Crowley of the United States army
res ched here from Washington by the noon
train, having been detailed to duty here
to purchase and distribute relief He has
gone actively to work and viii purchase
meal, meat and molasses for distribution
through the district named by Governor
McLaurin.
Mr. John NJ. Coulter one of the leading
planters. is in the city and makes the
following statement Il have lust return
ed from Issaquena county. The present
indication Is. in my opinion, that the over
flow will break all former records as TO
duration and destruction Of property in
the line OF plantation improvements and
loss of cattle, with little prospect of plant
ing a crop In 1897. You are aware, no
doubt. of the fact that the United States
government statistics show that Issaquena
county makes more cotton per acre than
any other county in the cotton belt. but
at this time the percentage Of acreage not
covered by water Is too INSIGNIFICANT 10
be noted and with the high stage of the
river from Cairo TO Vickshurg and the I'm
mense amount OF water behind the Levers.
there is little prospect of any hut the
lands north OF Tallulah Miss. showing up
sufficiently to be planted before the 18TH
OF June, or possibly later, which means That
no crop can be made. The entire levee
IN that county has been preserved without
a single break. and we are to get the water
from the breaks north OF us, No Drawer
people ever lived In any country. Iney
take prosperity as a right and accept disas-
ter with a smile. always hoping ana ieei-
ing that better times are in store for them
in tho near future.