Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-20
Appalling Extent Of the Damage in
the South,
MANY LIVES REPORTED LOST
Railroad Traffic Para|yzed in Louis
lana and Mississippi.
TRAVELLERS WATER-BOUND

NEW ORLEANS, April 20.-New Orleans
has ceased to regard the flood situation as
a temporary inconvenience. As time has
passed and as the full scope of the disaster
which visited these sections of the country
in the excessive rains which began in the
early days of the week, and still continue
has been learned, the conviction has been
irresistiby brought home that a calamity
of appalling magnitude has been eXpe-
rienced, and that instead of the worst being
over the evil has just begun.
There now within the gates Of the
city no less than 500 water-bound travellers
who are not only unable to return to their
homes now, but who do not know when
they will be able to leave. Partial reports
of the damage incurred in the storm belt
have run the figures up into the millions
and taking into consideration the losses,
real and resultant, the amount foots up to
all enormous figure.
Damage to Illinois Central
The Illinois Central railway system has
incurred damages which will amount to
hundreds of thousands of dollars, figuring
the loss of business, and the end is not yet
Not only WIS that road tied up yesterday
but there is telling when the trains will
be able to run. The streams are still rising
and rain continues to fall today, The tie-up
is complete. both on the Illinois Central and
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroads The
train which departed for Chicago Monday
morning returned to New Orleans Wednes-
day night, and with the delayed passengers
came back two car loads of mail which had
to be taken in charge by the postal authori-
ties and routed out eXpediency demanded
The New Orleans and Northeastern is in
lust as bad a fix. 1t has been unable to
move any trains out of this city since Mon
day, and does not know when it will be en-
abed to resume operations
Other Roads ParaIyzed.
The east Louisiana railroad has shut I'm
operations. and the Mobile and Ohio, be-
tween Enterprise and Meridian, Miss, is
paralyzed. Business is at standstil
owing to the lack of mails, which have
been stopped over the roads since Monday.
Belated news is just now beginning to
arrive regarding the loss of life. Four
people We're drowned near Meridian and
Two near Hattiesburg. Miss. In the vicin-
Ity of Enterprise, Miss, the waters of
the Chickahasay are raging. The water
is five feet deep in the main Streets and
throughout last night cries for assistance
could not be ascertained.
The three bridges between East and West
Enterprise have been swept away. The
enterprise Academy, a building which was
number of buildings were also demolished
Towns Completely Inundated.
Shubuta and Desoto, Miss, are com
hasay has far been in the neighbor-
hood of thirty feet and the torrent is still
rising. The Pascagoula river too, is on
the rampage, and much damage may be
expected from the lands adjacent to its
banks.
The foods have been worse than ever
before known. and today's advices may
bring additional news of disaster and loss
of life.
Advices today from Pennington say
Pearl river has reached its highest mark
since 1874. Today the timber booms COM
menced breaking up, and thousands of
dollars worth of timber has flowed out to
sea. All business the river is at a
standstill. The saw mills have had to dis
continue operations. The water has reach
ed the first floors of all stores along the
river. Several boats are at their wharves
in the neighborhood of Pearlngton with
steam up, and will be used as a means of
escape II the waters continue rising. MANY
people living the Louisiana side be-
tween Pearlinston and Logtown have been
forced to abandon their homes and flee
to the Mississippi side for safety Hun
dreds of head of cattle and hogs have been
drowned.
Situation at McComb.
JACKSON, Miss, April 2O-A special
from McComb city states that 100 passen-
gers brought in by the Illinois Central are
detained at that place, waiting for the first
tram into New Orleans Over nine miles
or track is covered with water just below
Chatawa, and no trains can move until
this recedes. Further south the swamps
and lowlands are rapidly filling with back
water which threatens to suomerge the
tracks and postpone traffic Indefinitely
, Supt. Dunn will put a large force of la
porers to work al the earliest possible mo-
ment Trains are running on irregular
phis.