The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-01
Extent of Inundated Land in Louisiana is Gradually
 Increasing
LARGE FORCE TRYING ID
 MEND THE BROKEN LEVEE

In Case of Failure the Loss to Sugar
 Planters VIII Be Enormous--situa-
 tIon at Greenville Is Some
 what Improved.
 New Orleans, March S1.-With net fall of two-tenths of foot in the past twenty four hours and the encouraging news from the scene of the struggle at Hymelia, river conditions were considerably improved to- day. The only disquietng news of the day was the reported break at Angela, but the importance of this break was minimized to some extent by the news that the damage resulting would be largely confined to the state farm located there. The eleven miles of levees pro- tecting Angela have cost approximately S100OOo A desperate struggle had been in progress there for the last week to hold the embankment, but water thas been steadily siping through it and the cor ditions had grown so critical by the end of the week that President Parker or the board of control had ordered the re- moval of the stock and the bulk of the convicts into the Tunica hills as a matter of precaution, and steps were taken to protect the camps. The plantation is one of the best in the state, and the cotton upon it has been a large source of rev. enue. The levee is located nearly oppo. site the mouth of Red river and the water will ultimately find its way back into the Mississippi, increasing the flood wave south of Baton Rouge.
 Good Results at Hymelia.
 Good results attended the work at Fly melia during Inc tay. and the ansNeT to the appeal of the board for additional men and money had been answered. Bfrge quantities of material went forward to- day. By evening the cribbing at the upper end of the broken levee had reached the willows on the batture and extended out a thousand feet on the lower end. The real test will come when 1t is at tempted to join the ends and begin the work of sacling. hopeful feeling prevails at the scene and the chance of closing the break is fair. The extent of inundated land Is gradually increasing and the situation will be desperate one for the sugar planters and truck farmers if disaster comes now.
 Success continues to attend the struggle to hold the levees of the Pontchartrain district President Leake of the levee board and Assistant Engineer Lewis went back to the scene today after brief trip to the city They said a persistent fight was being kept up to undo the work of crawish which threatens number of points in the district. While much of this stretch has still safe margin above the present flood, there are other levees in it which need to be raised and revetted to meet the additional rise, which they are likely to be required to sustain. Millions are invested in sugar property in the district and two great railroad lines lie in 1t and 1t Is these interests which have united with the levee board to protect the Pontchartrain basin.
 The morning reading of the river here was 20.2, decline of a tenth from yes- terday. There was further fall of a tenth during the day.
 Bids Falr to Succeed.
 The work of closing the Hymella crev- asse bids fair to succeed. Both ends of the 60O-foot crevasse are being held and a wing of crib work filled with sacks now reaches from the broken banks to a thicket of willows in front. The thicket itself acts as a breakwater and the plan to build cribbing 800 feet long through the willows will be easier to accomplish than the construction of the 300 feet in the raging current against the crumbling bank All accepted theories of closing crevasses have been thrown aside in the work done, but 1t is holding fast. If the crevasse is closed it will be the larg- est in the history of the river that has been conquered. The drawback today was the shortage of labor. Planters de- spaired of checking the break and put afr ha n Op baf The new hope will change affairs rapidly and an army will be put to work tomor- row, Governor Heard adding 200 convicts and the Southern Pacific sending a hum dred bridge builders The river at New Orleans at midnight shows slight fal and all the rest of the Louisiana line Is still holding. One of the pecuiarities of the Hymela crevasse Is that the volume of water Is not so great as figures would show The back water has fallen and the Texas and Pacific expects to raise and arrange it's tracks so that in two days traffic will be resumed.
 Improvement at GreenvilIe.
 Greenville, Miss. March Sl.--The flood situation both in Greenville and surround ing territory tonight shows improvement and there is little apprehension of fur ther complications. The water is falling generally in the city. The suffering and distress has been greatly relieved. and the work towards preventing further widening of the crevasses to the south of the city is meeting with better success One of the electric light companies has resumed. and this has been beneficial in it's cheering influence.
 Know Nothing of a Break.
 Baton Rouge La, March S.-Neither the governor nor the board of control know anything concerning the rumored break in the Angela levee. They say that the report may be true but they do not believe 1t possible that they would not have been advised of such condition. A break there would not be any great surprise, but they do not credit the pres ent report. Col C. Harrison Parker. pres ident of the board of control, on being asked concerning the rumor of break at Angela said
 We have not received notice of such a break, but we know that the situation there is critical and that the leVees can-