Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-19
LOUISIANA LEyEEs CRUMBLrNG IN
MANY PLACES.
SITUATION is GROWING WORSE.
BIGGs CREyAssE FLOODING A GREAT
SCOPE OF COUNTRY.
water Has Reached n Point Eighteen
Miles BncIS From the River-Del-
tn, La, Almost DepopuIat-
ed-Lfttie Hope for
n Crop.

Memphis, Tenn, April 1s.-No more
breaks are reported in the Louisiana levee
district tonight, although the embank-
ments at Ferriday, in the northern part of
Concordia parish, are reported to be very
weak, and break may occur at any hour.
The crevasse at Biggs is now seathins
torrent, and the waters are spreading rap
idly throughout Madison parish. AT Cow
pen. the levee is seeping badly, and, al
though superhuman effort is being made
to hold it, many experienced rivermen are
of the opinion that break will occur soon
er or later. The town OF VidoIia is in a
critical condition and many OF the inhab-
itants are hastily packing their most val
liable effects and are fleeing to Natchez.
The waters from the Biggs crevasse are
expected 10 inundate the town by Wednes-
day.
AT Natchez, refugees continue to arrive
in large numbers, while live stock of every
description is coming into the city in large
droves.
Thousands of men line the lower levees
tonight, watching every weak spot and
hoping for the best.
In the Mississippi delta, the situation
continues slowly to improve. This has been
4 beautiful day throughout the overfiowed
section, and the waters are receding. The
work of relief is being Systematically car
ried on.
The river at Memphis is. still falling.
recession OF one-tenth of a foot in the past
twenty-four hours being reported by the
weather bureau tonight.
Vicksburg, Miss, Apri! 1S-At p. m.
in the past twenty-four fcurs and total
of six-tenths since the. creyasse at Biggs
levee: The situation In Madison parish,
going through the Biggs tIeak in the levee
is fast covering the lowlands and is flood
ing Bayyidal and the greater part Of land and
water has reached Tallulah. 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 to-day.
Delta is about depopuiated. only enough
persons remaining to look after the houses:
Many Of these haze two S9oS or three feet OF OF
covering lands north of Delta, and at
foung's point much land is already COW
fast. Relief boats, are running to Davis
island and Kellogg's section. Planters in
Entail and north part of Madison are plac-
ing their stock in reach Of boats on the
Iicksburg L Shreveport railroad. so they
can be moved in the event Of another break
in the upper portion of the parish, Which
is now severely Threatened g.. q ,..,... %.
Milliken's bend and Duckpprt leyees are
both caving. Reports from Madison parish
Brushby bayou at Taiiuiah at this morn
ing, and up to about p. m it had risen
seven feet About three miles below Tai
lulah, the water is getting over the. ,levses
and Is overfowing everything two miles be-
low. 80. -..-
/. will not be upon the higher lands
until tomorrow, as there is seven feet of
bank left in the bayou. Richland, La, was
heard from to-day and reports the water
going all over everything. overtiowing the
Kings and Kels places, also the villages
of Trinidad and Ashwood, eight miles be-
low Richland. The telegraph lines is down
some distance below Richland and COM
nunication was shut off from there up to
neon to-day. The water IS beginning TO
back up Lake One, on the line of the
still going on at MilIikens Bend levees
and they are reported in good shape there.
They worked about seventy men there TO-
day and will work Tomorrow with Il much
larger force, The people at T1llulah are
building up the old leyee on Bushby bayou
as far south as SEWERS, about eight miles
SOUTH in an endeaVor to hold the water
in the bayou, Everybody is getting their
stock together, however, so as TO move
promptly ....,.- ..-.-I, .,.. e.
: 1t is now estimated that not less than
5000 persons will want relief in this county
for the next thirty days at least Lieuten-
ant Crowley, of the United States army,
reported here from. Washington by the
noon train, having been detailed to duty
here to purchase and distribute relief. He
has gone actively at work and will pur-
chase meal, meat and molasses for distri-
button through the gentlemen named by
the governor.
John NJ Coulton, one of the leading
planters of Issaquena county, is in the
city and makes the following statement:
4 have just returned from issaquena
county. The present indications are that
the overflow will break all former records
as to duration and destruction of property
in the line of plantation improvements and
loss of cattle, leaving little prospect OF
rlaOTire- 4 in 1891