Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-07
Refugees Reaching Places
of Safety Say Entire
Families Have Been
Swept From House Tops.
CARCITY OF BOATS
RETARDS RESCUE
Houses Swept From Foun-
dation in Many Towns
and Occupants at Mercy
of Rushing Torrents.

NEW orleans, May 6-ThOusandk& CT
anxious people in the food. d.menaced
district OF Louisiana We're dishearten-
ca today by heavy rains that pelted at
ieVees already strained almost to the
bursting point by the swollen Missis-
slppl. All night long armies of work.
men fought to strengthen these dikes
tnat held firm, while other embank-
ments gave way before the flood that
now covers portions Of eighteen par.
ishes. -
Reports of life loss were received d,
several concentration camps today.
WhiIe these nave not been specifically
Verlned 1t is conceded that many per.
sons perished as the flood waters
rushed on their homes.
Heavy Loss of Life Feared,
New Roads. La, May 6.-Flood
refugees reaching here early today de.
clare there has been loss Of life in that
part or Louisiana inundated by tho
mississippi river which rushed through
the breach in the levee at Torras.
IL IS said that motor boats sent to
take numerous persons from floating
mouse tops arrived too late.
How many persons perished cannot
De determined. Refugees brought to
the concentration camps are hurried
nither and thither, sometimes families
are separated and persons have been
reported missing who simply have
been sent from one camp to another.
Nevertheless, large numbers Of the
refugees claim they have seen entire
families swept from house tops. Lead.
ers OF the rescue corps admit that sew.
eral times they have sent motorboats
to points where families had taken
refuge on the roof of a house and that
when the boat arrived its crew found
only the building, buffeted about by
currents, and half it's roof surface sub
merged. Appeals for help reached here
last night from Letsworth directly in
the path Of the Torras district Half
hundred people We're reported to be
IN imminent danger of drowning The
house in which they had taken shelter
had been dislodged from it's foundation
and was being tossed about In tho
current.
There are at least one thousand per.
sons who remain to be rescued from
the inundated country west OF Lets.
worth and Batcheler. Some OF them
are drifting about on hastily con.
structed RATS.
Refugees Train Washed From Track.
The crevasse water is spreading at
rapid rate inundating sections of
Pointe Coupee Parish which have
never before been reached by over
flows. Town after town is being swept
by the muddy waters.
The last Of the special trains which
have been bringing in refugees out of
the country around Batcheler arrived
here last night
When these two relief trains were
about ready to leave Batcheler, word
was received that there was grave dan
ger of being cut off by threatened
washout in the tracks several miles
east OF that place. When the first
train arrived at the point Of trouble,
water was flowing over the tracks for
a distance OF five miles, but the train
passed over safely.
When the second section arrived the
water was rushing over the tracks
about two feet deep. An attempt was
made to reach the other side OF the
washout, but about half way across the
track gave way and the cabooses and
three cars toppled over. The refdg-
ees lowever escaped injury.
They were transferred to other cars
and brought on to New Roads.
Train Passes Crowds in Water.
When the first section Of the relief
special sped through the water which
was running over the tracks just north
of Morganza scores of people were
seen standing waist deep in the water
near the railroad signaling the train
to stop. The water was rising so
rapidly that those in charge Of the
train decided it would imperil the lives
Of all those on board to delay the train.
The train was not stopped.
In some instances force has to be
employed in getting people out Of the
danger zone. One family consisting OF
man, wife and IL year old boy
refused to leave their cabin which was
fast becoming uninhabitable. They
were picked up bodily and carried to
the train. After being placed aboard
the boy became so frightened he jump
ed through an open window. He was
recaptured.
Urgent appeals for boats to be used
in rescue work have been sent to Gov.