Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-05-11
New Orleans Has Five and a
Half Inches Of Rainfall in a
Few Hours; River Banked by
Wind.
STREETS ARE UNDER
DELUGE OF WATER
Large Area of Louisiana Af-
fected and Unverified Re-
ports Pour in of Breaks in.
LeveeS.

rpy Morning journal Special Leased Wire.1
New orleans, May 10.-New Or
leans tonight withstood the severest
ranstorm in her history. All the low
er half of Louisiana was affected and
thousands of persons who lived behind
the already terribly strained levees
that held back the Mississippi flooo
waters were panicky.
The wind ranged from 81 miles an
hours at New Orleans to 40 miles at
Baton Rouge and at many points
along the river it swept the waves of
the swollen stream over the levees.
At New Orleans five and one-half
inches of rain fell from noon until 10
D. M. and about four inches between
and O'Clock. The Mississippi river
here was banked up by the high
winds and rose eight inches in two
hours between and 10 O'Clock to-
night, forcing the water over the
levees at several points.
At 10 O'Clock the river gauge at the
head of Canal street registered 2l.S
feet or one tenth of foot higher than
the maximum stage predicted by the
weather bureau.
At IL o'clock the gauge showed q
drop of one-tenth of food for the
hour. but rain continued to pour down
in torrents.
Dozens of messages poured into the
office of the army engineers teiilng
of rumored breaks in the levees above
New Orleans. None of them had peeh
verified up to midnight, although little
hope was expressed of saving the leVee
at Baton Rouge.
AT Morganza, Donaldville. Plaque
mine and Cooks Landing the situation
was said to be critical. Thirty-hve
thousand sand bags were dispatched
from New Orleans to Baton Rouge on
q special train tonight. The situation
was described as most critical tnere
with hopes of saving the front ievee
almost gone.
At New Orleans the water poured
over the sandbag topping at the foot
of Esplanade street and force OF
men were rushed there to stop the
holes and pile the embankment higher
Guards were placed along the entire
river front and precautions were taken
TO close quickly every spot where there
was an overflow.
The streets of New orleans were
flooded as never in the city,s history
In the upper part of the city the water
was six to seven inches deep on the
sidewalks. In the downtown business
section Canal street and all the inter-
secting streets were flooded over the
sidewalk and the water entered stores
In number of streets.
There was such a strong current IN
some Of the city's streets, due to the
excessive rainfall, that many persons
were alarmed and feared there had
been an overflow from the river.
At midnight the rainfall was not
heavy. but many of the streets were
still flooded to a depth of six to eight
inches.
From reports obtained tonight the
storm swept across the state from
near Shreveport. moving northeast
struck the Mississippi river near the
big Morganza bend and continued
down the river past New orleans.
From New Roads a report said that
four inches of rain has fallen there
since noon and a cloudburst was upon
the town at 700 p. m.
Notwithstanding the heavy rams
and wind. the levees in the vicinity Oh
New Orleans still were holding wen as
the storm passed. City officials reiter-
ated their declaration that there was
not the slightest danger of any serious
levee trouble here.
Twenty men reached the Esplanade
street leak at 10 O'Clock and within
half an hour the overflow there hao
been checked.
report reached New Roads TO-
night that the west levee of the Miss
issippi river went out tonight two
miles north of Morganza- Wire COM
munication is lost to Morganza- re"
We're left In that section and 1t was
impossible TO verify the report
Three OF the ub.stations of the New
orleans Railway and Electric Com
pany were flooded by rain and the city
was In darkness in many sections after
10 o'clock.
The Algeries ferry house was
NODDED and Mayor Behrman directed
me work at that point.
reports to the army engineers say
.ne situation has become serious at
FISHERS Mil. about twenty miles
horth Of New Orleans.
floods I'm the streets of New Orleans
'ohieht claimed at least one victim
und MS body was swept away by the
u