The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-05
Engineers in the Lower Missis-
Sippi Valley Take Courage
When Rain Ceases and the
Sun Shines Few Hours.
FLOOD SITUATION
CONTINUES GLOOMY
Thousands of Refugees in the
Camps Must Be Fed for
Weeks to Come; Relief
Funds Getting Scarce.

n TEw ORLEANS, May 4.-Abou
mi half a dozen hours of SUNSHINE
" in the valley Of the lower Mis-
sissippi today gave some relic
from the tense anxiety Of the last few
days. Threatening clouds gathered q
intervals throughout the day, but th'
food gates overhead held back thu
drenching rains, which for month
have been adding to the already enor
nous volume Of menacing food waters
piled high against the levees.
Engineers who yesterday were al
most hopeless, today said prospects Of
saving the remaining levees were ia
vorable. But the danger is not past
Tho weather bureau has scheduled an
other foot rise in the river above the
present record breaking stages from
the Red river south.
Will Levees Hold?
The crest with its accompanying in,
creased danger of destructive crevasses
is not expected to pass Baton Rouoe
and points south of there for another
week. Will the big Morganza dyke,
holding back wall Of water forty
feet high, holdf Will the threatened
levees at Baton Rouge, at Grand Bay,
at Labarre, at Scott s Point and above
and below New Orleans be impreg-
nablef
The engineers say they hope 80, but
offer nothing more encouraging,
The best remedy is sunshine. To.
DAYS absence Of rain permitted the
thousands of laborers employed on
weak stretches of the levees to work
uninterruptedly and tonight encourag-
ing reports came in from all the points
up and down the river. No other breaks
occurred on the Mississippi today, but
on the Bayou de elaine, in East Central
where the great volume Of
flood water from the disastrous Dog
tail crevasse is hourly mounting high
er, one break was reported in the
levees.
Refugees in Camp.
approximately 1000 persons have
moved out Of Pointe Coupee parish to
the refugee camps On the east side Of
the river. More than 1900 of them are
being cared for by the Baton Rouge
relief depot.
Besides the thousands who already
had moved out of the vast flooded ter
ritory. word was received today that
more than 1900 had arrived yesterday
and today at Jena, and at high towns
along the Iron Mountain railroad north
Of Alexandria, most of them having
been brought in by boat from the low
lands of La Sale parish. Several hun
1red others have been taken out of
lower Concordia parish the last few
days to Mississippi points across the
river.
for Sufferers.
From Vicksburg territory the United
States army relief depot has been fur
nishine supplies to approximately 5000
persons. about half of whom came
from the overfowed northeast Louis.
lana territory and the other half from
The Baton Rouge federal depot is
furnishing supplies to approximately
10000 others. Local relief committees
are caring for probably 10000 others.
This gives grand total of approx.
mately $4,000 persons the floods have
driven from their homes in Mississippi
and Louisiana. A large number of
them will have to be fed and clothed
for weeks to come
Relief funds already are getting
scarce and appeals are going out for
help. Los Angeles today telegraphed
a substantial contribution.
Congress Must Act.
WASHINGTON. May 4.-The failure of
congress- TO pass the resolution appro-
food sufferers along the Mississippi river
caused the war department to Instruct
Major Normoyle. In charge OF the work
at Memphis 10. cease making contracts
Tor supplies. and prompted the American
Red Cross society to issue "A
second urgent appeal for funds to take up
the work OF relief when the army stops.
Urged to action, the house late today
passed the relief resolution, but the meas
ure still lacks the sanction or the senate
w hen the money Is made available, only
Sl1s,0o0 OF II will DO left. the balance go-
Ing 10 the commissary department to re-
I'm burse IL for funds already spent from
Its regular appropriation.
1t was declared today by Commissary
General Sharp OF the army that probably
100000 would be needed to take care OF
the situation. -
Fully 10000 persons In tho flooded sec.
tons arc being fed daily on army rations.
,rne nrst flood Is just entering the Lou
islena district and another Is on It's way
aown the river. In Louisiana alone dur
inE the flood OF 1882 1921, 900 was spent.
The present conditions are much more
serious and there are moro people to take
In all the west no spot like this
Douplas Park -