The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-03-31
LeVeeS Fail
Continued from First rage.J


through the broken levee at Hymelia
plantation, the river here shows little
tendency to decline. Much consolation
however, is derived from the fact that
since the crevasse occurred, the rise
was 2o.1. H. nightfan it was 2O.2. In
explanation OF the slight effect the
break has had,sxhe fact is pointed to
that the currehtz bouring into Hymelia
has not yet cut a channel IN the Bat
ture and only surface flow Is going
through the break If the efforts to
close the crevasse are abandoned, the
levee, built of river sand will doubt
less melt rapidly and produce Gre
vase rivalling that of Davis in 1884,
when the river here fell with consider
able rapidity. Work at the crevasse
progressed steadily during the day.
Early in the morning, some Of the crib
bing at the lower end yielded to the
force of the current, but the line was
recommended and good headway made.
The lower end Of the broken levee is
Washing badly and the creVasse is said
to be over three hundred feet in width,
but 1t is hoped to arrest the crumbling
as soon as it is felt safe to begin sack
ing. One hundred thousand feet of
| lumber and $4,000 sacks went to the
| scene early by barge.
! General Manager Thorne, Of the
Texas and Pacific railway reached
there early this morning, following ex-
! pert bridge gangs and carpenters whom
he had ordered to precede him. Mr..
Thorne expressed the opinion that the
break can be mended.. The area Of
overflowed land was largely increased
| today. No lives or stock have been
| lost, however, for there was ample
! warning and the water spread slowly.
Today the Texas and Pacific was
| forced to suspend traffic over it's own
line in the vicinity Of the break. How
| ever, freight and through trains are
! being operated over the Southern Pa
! cific rails to Cheneyville, where connec-
| ton with the main line Of Texas and
Pacific is again made. Through traffic
Of the Mississippi Valley has been cut
] off by the LAGRANGE break in MisSiS-
| sippl. The service between this city
and Vicksburg has not however, been
| interrupted. The Illinois Central is
arranging to handle it's valley business
over its main line via Jackson.
No unfavorable news came today
from other Louisiana points than Hyme
liza. a valiant fight is in progress from
| Baton Rouge to New Orleans on the
east bank and tonight the whole line
| was said to be holding. There is a rea-
sonable hope that the great levees in
| the Fifth district will pull safely
| through. The location of a crevaSSe
means q return wave through the
Yazoo. IN 1897 when there were seven
breaks on the Mississippi, the return
wave increased the flood height three
feet in the Fifth district. Nothing
like this height is expected to be at
tained if the remainder of the Missis-
sippi line stands fast.
Locally the situation is barren OF
events. The fact that the river has
been practically at a standstill fol
three days has enabled the forces EN-
ployed to improve the temporary EN-
bankments and to accumulate mate
rial at various points to be in READINGS
for use at a moments notice. Whil
the expectation IS strong that tn
Hymelia crevasse will be closed tn
engineers are preparing to throw III
emergency levees to protect Algiers anC
|
bank opposite New Orleans.
No danger attends a back waite
overflow in these sections but consider
? able damage and great hardships hav
accompanied it in the past.
Local cotton men as rule don't TAX
pessimistic view of the situation il
the Yazoo delta from a crop stant
, point. They believe that if the foot
passes quickly there will be ample tim
to recoup the losses resulting from tn
present overflow.
| An Order Annuls all Trains.
Vicksburg, Miss, March 2S.-As a re
suit OF the crevasse at LAGRANGE an
Albemarle traffic on the Vicksburg
Greenville and the Riverside division
of the Yazoo and Mississippi Vale,
road has been entirely Abandoned a.
order annulling all trains having bee1
issued this morning. Water from tn
break has spread rapidly and there /
hardly a dry spot between here an
Greenville. Under these conditions an
with a negro population which live
from hand to mouth, much sufferin
Is sure to follow. Conditions in tn
; overflowed districts are deplorable i
, the extreme.
The river here fell two-tenths durin
: twenty-four hours ending at p. m
but this fall will be checked in a da
, or two as the water from the LaGrang
= crevasse will find its way back into tn
, | Mississippi at this point through tn
, | Yazoo river
|