Evening star., 1897-04-17
Plucky Fight Against the Flood Was
in Vain.
Big BREAK IN TIE BIGGS LEVEE
Vast Territory Threatened by the
Rushing Waters.
PERIL OF THE COUNTRY

MEMPHIS. Tenn. April 1.-THE crisis
has arrived in northern Louisiana The
mighty force Of nature has won the fight
Last night at 10 O'Clock the workers OH
the levee at Bibbs, four miles below Delta.
La. were horrihed to see a sudden bulge
in their embankment. A small yellow
stream began to trickle through the aper-
ture. and moment later there was a
crash. The Louisiana main levee system
had at last succumbed to the fearful on
siaught Of the Mississippi river. \ general
alarm was sounded. and the Inhabitants of
the vicinity began moving their most val
liable effect
In thirty minutes the crevasse had in
creased in size from dozen feet to fifty
yards, and the water is pouring through
the opening with fearful velocity. There Is
strip Of swamp about two miles wide I'M
rIediately behind the fevee where the break
occurred. and beyond that are many of
the finest plantations in northern Louis
lara Until the crevasse can be stopped the
overfiowed area will include the lower half
of Madison parish and all Of Tensas and
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 chan
mel, the flooded area Will extend to Frank
lin and part of Catahouia parishes.
The fifth district levee board had concen-
trated nearly thousand men along the
line of levee adjacent to Biggs, this strip
having been regarded one of the weak
est points in the entire system. The fer
tile lands that will te inundated are in the
highest state Of cultivation. AMI the loss
will be tremendous.
Progress. of Relief Through the Army
Officers.
There has been call for more tents from
the submerged districts, and this morning
Quartermaster General Weeks telegraphed
the officer In charge OF the depot at st.
Louis to ship 42O tents Immediately to the
mayor Of Vicksburg. which he estimates
will afford shelter to 20Oo of the destitute
people With those shipped today the
quartermaster's department will have
loaned 1.Sl6 tents to the people In the over
flowed districts OF this total 35S have
gone to Memphis. 42O to Helena and the
remainder to Vicksburg. These temporary
homes shelter no less than 1000 people,
In some cases ten people occupying single
tent.
Comniissary General Sullivan received
a telegram from one on his officers at Mem
phis this morning. follows:
Have shipped today supplies to all sta
tions between Memphis and Rosa Ark
twelve in number, to all stations ST. Fran
els river district. eleven in number. Steam
er has been hired for latter district. Ex-
pect boat to make trip in three days: only
way TO reach these stations: all relief sta
tions where establishment is known by me
provisioned now until latter part next
week Have sent questions to station
agents; answers will give reliable data for
future supplies"
The Louisiana Levees.
The inspecting officer at Vicksburg teIe-
graphed the Secretary of War as follows
Hope as to Louisiana leSees In my district
from Vicksburg tc HeleEa) is still stoutiy
maintained. but with Mississippi Continuing
to rise the situation is felt TO be very Sc
rious Disaster at any point will be fol-
lowed by speedy influx of refugees in large
numbers 10 this place and Natchez In
that event the assistance of the general
government in sheiteripg and feeding the
greater portion of these Louisiana refugees
will be required without delay That these
two cities should be the principal places of
refuge is unavoidable under the circum-
stances Refugees from the Mississippi
SIDE are arriving in considerable numbers
and especially from Davis Island. Several
hundred are being cared for by the local
relief committees. Current reports of loss
OF life at LAWS Island are sensational Re
ported cases of accidental drownings are
reduced to three, and even these cannot be
verlned- was at this island for two hours
about noon of the 18th The mail boat
there took off a large Quantity of stock
from one plantation The gin house hal
been fitted up as safe refuge for all the
1amilies. and batteaux were being built for
safety and convenience The proprietor Of
the plantation reported that the water was
then running over the levee.
No request for assistance was made from
the other plantations, and that the pro-
rrieters should have failed to make prep
eIations for the situation. which was only
iriiy developed two days later. is unac-
&C untabie- The mail boat took from the
Island last night 279 men, women and chill .
dren. and returned today for shipment OF
fleck Some stock has been drowned but
ans me. ioss PROBABLY Is not heavy. A few
cans Tor rations are coming in from the
Submerged Mississippi plantations but /
think the distress Is as yet quite limited
and tnat 1t can be relieved in the locality.
10 insure against suffering in the section
below Matches / recommend that a limited
scPp.y OF rations be placed at the disposal
OF Master Thomas Prince. mail steamer
Liberty. at Natchez. He Is thoroughly ac
auainted with that section and its peonje
has II under daily observation. and viii
distribute raticns free Of charge and see
that ohiy the needy receive assistance"
Another Crevasse
Gen Wilson. chief of engineers. received
telegram this morning from the inspect
ins oiiicer at Vicksburg saying that q
creVasse occurred In the leyee AT Bixxs
about Two and one-half miles below yicLs.
burs. last night. and that party had
siarteo out on the steamer Meies from
.icksot re- TO Investigate the damage and
10 ahord all possible relief
The Bisgs Levee
Biggs levee was comparatively an old ono
work was begun on this levee about two
weeks ago. and the levee was broadene1
and strengthened by dirt thrown over the
top and down the sides front and raar
and the work raised fully four feet. with a
very large base. The Louisiana couyicts
we're at work on the levee ami had com
P1eted about half the work. and perhaps
httIe more Assistant State Engineer II
e Brown was In charge of the work ard
last sunday morning the levee came near
breaking In the same place that II broke
last night:
Assistant State Engineer Thomson WAS
at me Bisss levee Monday and Tuesday
iasf ana every effort was made to COM
piete the work The levee is in. the lower
enc OF Madison parish and the crerases
VIII probably effect the lower end otTru-
sAs and all of C1ncordia parish A ri,lg.
extends across from the river back to Mil
Bayou. continent of the Tensas river
ard this will most probably protect the
northern and the front portion of Ten
sas Parish by diverting the crevasee wa
Ter Back Into Tensas river, which gradu-
ally approaches the Mississippi river fur
ther down near Lake Concordia
IL viii cause Immense damage as there
are some large cotton plantations not only
In the immediate rear of the break but
ali The way down to the Ouachita river
which WIZ act as the barrier to keen IL
from extending further south
The leyee Is from sixteen to eighteen feet
ni.sf. ard N w ha INN