The herald., 1897-04-18
WORST BREAK
Since the Great Flood
Began
NEW cREvAssE A MILE WIDE
TURNS THE WATERS UPON
FERTILE FARMS
The Lands We're Already Planted
and the Damage Done VIII Be
Something Tremendous
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
VICKSBURG, Miss, April 17.-An Of
ficial report at midnight says the Gre
vase at Biggs, four miles below Delta,
La, Is nearly a mile wide and that the
roaring torrent is spreading over the
lowlands of Madison parish with start
ling rapidity. This is unquestionably
the most destructive break that has
livestock will be enormous. A large part
of Madison, Tenasas and Concordia par
ishes will be Inundated and the fine
farms of Franklin and Catapoula par
ishes are in imminent danger. The fer
tile lands of these parishes have been
prepared for this years crop and in
many instances cultivation is we'll un-
der way.
All day long refugees have been fleeing
to this city with their stock and other
property. The water was seventeen feet
deep against the levee when II broke
and the men on the spot say that 1t
poured through in vast circular masses
or whirlpools twenty feet high.
The number of refugees in the city has
been largely increased and they are COM
ing on every boat. The water flooded
the Vioksburg, Shreveport and Pacific
railroad In few hours and trains west
of this place are abandoned In conse-
quence. The town of Delta is over
flowed deeply and planters say that the
water will back up to Milliken's Bend.
sixteen miles north. Three white per-
sons, two men and a woman, passed
twelve hours in the midst of the furious
waters of the crevasse, perched in a
tree. The water rousedI them from their
beds and they had only time to seek
safety in the tree when the mighty flood
was upon them. They made known their
presence by shouts and pistol shots dur
ing the night and several attempts to
rescue them were made, but 1t was not
until 10 a. m, when an adventurous crew
from the government steamer Eta Eth
e,ridge, put out In yawl and rescued
them. No loss of life has occurred and
the crevasse is thought to have relieved
the situation of its worst fears. The
river is falling here.
THE CRISIS COMES
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 1.-THE crisis
fngnry'Iofae 'ofrthhdatar9 'of thhdatar9 has won the
fight. Last night at 10 o'clock the work
ers on the levee at Biggs, four miles be-
low Delta, La, were Mortified to see
sudden bulge In their embankment A
small yellow stream began to trickle
through the aperture and moment la ter
there came crash The Louisiana main
system had at last succumbed to the
fearful onslaught of the Mississippi river.
A general alarm was sounded and the
inhabitants of the vicinity began moving
their most valuable effects. In thirty
minutes the crevasse had increased in
size from a dozen feet to fifty yards, and
the water was pouring through the OPEN
ing with fearful velocity There is
strip Of swamp about two miles wide i'm
mediately behind the levee where the
break occurred, and beyond that are
many Of the finest plantations of South
ern Louisiana. The water flows into the
Tenasas river, and should that stream
prove unable to carry the great volume
of water into the main channel the food
ed area will extend to Franklin and part
of Catahoula parish, and take the fifth
district levee, where the board had con-
centrated nearly thousand men along
the line of the levee adjacent to Biggs,
this strip having been regarded as one
of the weakest points In the entire sys-
tenn. The fertile lands that will be in
undated are in the highest state of culti-
walton and the loss will be tremendous.
AT OMAHA
OMAHA, April 17-Up to II o'clock
tonight the river had fallen six inches
since noon. The lower dyke at Cut-off
lake still holds and with the work done
on it today will very likely Withstand the
strain. =
A fall of a foot in the river will remove
the danger that has threatened all week.
PEOPLE STARVING
LITTLE ROCK. Ark, April 17.-Gov.
Jones today received a telegram from
his private secretary. who Is distribut-
ing funds in the flooded district, stating
that q most deplorable state OF affairs
Exists in Monroe county. He theimates
that there are 1000 persons and 1000 head
IF stock in that county In need OF imme-
1iate assistance to prevent starvation.
AT NATCHEz
NATCHEz, Miss, April 1.-THE gauge
here shows another rise of four tenths of
! foot during the last "a hours. No
breaks are reported In the immediate vi
Unity. but the best-poeted and reliable
authorities on the levees admit that they
are standing much greater strain than
las ever been expected OF them. Hun
lreds of refugees are filling the city,
ome being In pitiable condition, al
most starved and with nothing on earth
eft them but the clothes on their backs.