Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-04
Reported from Flood on
The Lower Mississippi.
Levae Breaks, Friday Afternoon,
North Of Morganza, La.
Much Farming Land from Baton
Rouge to Gulf Flooded.

New Orleans, La, May 3.-Panicky
conditions prevailed, today, throughout
the flood threatened territory along the
Mississippi river from the Red river
and Bayou Des Glaise south to the
gulf and the territory already stricken
conditions grow worse. The river con-
tinued to rise rapidly and all points
south of Red river and throughout the
day telegraph and telephone wires
throughout the vast section west of
the Mississippi river from the Red
river and Bayou Des Glaise to the Gulf
were burdened with messages warning
the people to make preparations for
any emergency.
A fash went out from the town of
Morganza shortly after noon, saying
that the big Morganza levee had brok-
en-. This bit of news. which later prov
ed untrue, or, perhaps only premature.
was in every hamlet south Of Morgan
I'd within a few minutes. The people
were filed with terror in that entire
territory.
This enormous Ievee was still hold
ing, tonight, and it may continue to
hold, but there are weak spots in it
and it may go out any time. A tele-
land, just south of the big levee, said
there was large force working con
stantly on the dyke.
on the east side of the river 90
miles north of Baton RougN. the pro-
lection levee at Mayon Sara went oui
and, tonight, the town is under from
5 to IS feet of water.
Baton Rouge, La, May 3.--Hundreds
of citizens. rich and poor worked all
day and are working, tonight, side by
side with 900 conviets and Negroes
in a desperate effort to hold the levee
against the torrential floods in the
Mississippi creeping hourly towards
the crest of the protective earthworks
about that city. When the situation
became so critical. this afternoon, every
able bodied man and boy began car
rying sand bags and shoyeling mud.
Five hundred cadets at the Louisiana
State University responded to the call
and Joined school boys. Boy Scouts
and soldiers working eagerly to do
their part in saving the levees.
An especial effort is being made to save
the city pumping station and water
works plant and about 1000 persons are
assisting in building large mud boxes
about the property. The convicts are
building a levee for the protection of
the lower portion of the city in the event
of a break Mayor Roux has ordered
every Negro in Baton Rouge, unemploy-
ed, arrested and put to work on the
levee, but they are few and extremely
hard to find.
With this desperate battle against the
water going on, the refugees from the
Torras district are not neglected. Two
hundred arrived, today, at Port Hudson,
where concentration camp has been
established The waters from the Torras
break are slowly spreading over the open
country, taking in town after town and
becoming deeper every hour. The situa-
ton in this district made made more
critical here today. by the break in the
Moreauville levee on the Bayou Des
Glaise.
The Teche county is being flooded
by the waters of the Atchafalaya,
which, today, has almost reached
Beaux Bridge Junction on the South
ern Pacific.
Bayou Sara, tonight, is under from
10 to Is feet Of water and 1t had the
appearance of the entire Mississippi
river flowing through the town. The
water has reached the second floor
of many houses and 10 large houses
were seen, today, floating away.
Considerable excitement was caused,
today, by the receipt at the governors
office of a message telling of break
at Morganza. This, however. proved
! to be erroneous.
| Several houses were swept away,
! but there was no loss of life Back of
the town a line of hills forced the
flood waters to return to the Missis-
sippi without doing damage except
TO the town.
/ AT Baton Rouge hard fight is be-
Continued ON Page Three)