The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-01
RACED WITH RAGING WAT ERs.

Flood When AIsatia LeVee 6roke,
in Binding Rain and Electrical
Storm, to Warn People of Danger
Mot a Life Lost.
Conditions, sanitary and otherwise
OF Mississippi river flood refugee
camps at Anterior, Milliken's Benz,
| Vicksburg and NatcheZ, are excellent,
and splendid work has been done by
Captain Hageman of the Unlted
States army, the Red Cross and other
relief organizations, according TO joh1
| NJ. Parker, of New Orleans, who re-
turned recently from an eight weeks
experience in the flooded district. |
Mr.. Parker is the owner OF large
| and valuable plantation inundated oy
the Alsatia crevasse, causing prop
erty loss to him of several thousand
dollars. Several herds of thorough
bred cattle were drowned on his plan
tation
"Of my own knowledge" said Mr.,
/ Parker, 81 can only speak OF the
refugees made homeless by the Salem
and Beulah crevasses, both Of which
Inundated very large areas OF the
most fertile and thickly settled sec
i tions of the Mississippi delta. The
Salem crevasse occurred just before
, dark and that night was terrible, TOT
rental rains and fierce winds, ana
) it was almost impossible to see any
; Thing because Of the intense DARK
ness.
/ Lives Saved First.
'The roar of the raging water was
, The first warning to many that the
I 1evee had broken. Within few hours
: Itne floods were in the houses and
lby next day only the roofs OF many
e houses could be seen. Planters were
$ we'll aware of the dangerous sltua-
! ftion, and almost without exception
had issued orders: Save lives first;
L then save whatever you can. Inc
S Iresult of that order was that not
= single person out OF the 5000 direct
q " affected lost their lives.
Ell Many planters who lost their all
i said Mr.. Parker, did heroic rescue
II work with the certainty Of no reward
a except the satisfaction Of duty Vel
ID and faithfully done. Men OF Lne
G. highest standing in social, profession
If al and financial circles risked then
g. lives to rescue some unfortunate ne
lie gro family marooned in their cablnS
to without food and in imminent danger
ss1 of being swept to their death IN the
OF swift current at any moment.
II An Act Of Heroism.
individual acts Of heroiABn were O
constant occurrence" continued Mr.
q, Parker, "but one in particular ina
IS I remember well stands out III BOX
1e relief and is typical Of many others
Ie "Pappy' Jones, very Old one
y, }legged darby, with his Venerabt
be wife, occupied cabin directly IN tn
u path of the creyasse waters. IN
n water rising rapidly forced them 7
Mt retreat to the attic. Pappy Enocke'
1T a hole through the roof and the,
". climbed out. The piteous cries @
he the old couple forced many rescuef
ne to attempt to reach them, but i
Of vain. Many started, only to be hur
ed back by the raging torrent 500
US The cabin floated away with the teri
,es lied darkics on the roof. Finally tn
Ole cabin struck a. stump and qulekl
went to pieces.
We ''The roof, with Pappy and his vii
he still clinging to it, lodged against SON
i'd cottonwood trees. Although with
Mt, plain view their cries for asslstanc
ng could not be heard by those ne5
iest the break because Of the roarin
water j. NJ Hamley, a member
ar-l the state legislature from East Ca
I'VE roll parish, and Chris McGinnls, tt
be jailor at Lake Providence, in the fax
of Of almost certain death again q
no tempted their rescue and their e
hat perience was certainly q tlrillir
a1f- | one. No two men more richly d
ers serve Carnegie medal.
ess Caring for Refugees.
I've More than 50 per cent Of the re
as1 ugees are negroes and lost ever
''S thing they owned in the flood. II
best people of the delta gave prom
adeI and efficient assistance. Atthou;
rue The Alsatia crevasse occurred on t
ads Louisiana side of the river the 60
adj ernor Of Mississippi not only Sc
ght tentage by the first express, but {
ans tered surgeons and a company OF t
BAIT national guard to assist and car
ued IN person to see what more could
con- done for the sufferers.
aok THE refugees from the, Sale
re- break are practically divided il
four camps, Anterior, iillikel
,rse Bend, VicksburS and Natchaz. T
the sanitary conditions Of these plac
iqh- are as good as could be expectt
re- and generally speaking, the hea
ions OF the refugees has been eZcelle
q ~ Each camp has its corps Of @surseo
sys- anu heu cioss hulsa; W. ~
lete 'nae 90
as piteu ~ - $50 - atils,
on pollcsu ~ oessllls : oll4 ~
given e1cqRent service
ned Refugees tFVjII Soon Leave Cam
tneu ..,rr.4, A3fsea.nn:1 ea1t &c alaa af;r-