The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-05-12
IS
RELIEVED By
A BRIGHT sun
NEW ORLEANS WAS FILLED WITH
SUNSHINE AFTER A HoR-
s RIBLE NIGHT.
Wind Blew a Gale and Big LeTee Was
MISUNDERSTANDING Conditions
are Now Reported All Along the
Flooded District.

New Orleans, May II. - Never a
brighter day followed a blacker night
in New Orleans and 'he southern naif
of Louisiana. Last nights torrential
rains, hail, thunder, lightning and
high winds and the scenes of confusion
and alarm that marked the coinc1-
dent concern over the threatening con-
ditions of the levees at numerous
points from New Orleans north were
almost forgotten under the mornings
clear skies and burning sun.
There was alarm last night all along
the river, for it seemed that the ele-
ments had combined in one final des-
perate assault upon the breakworks
that had been thrown up to protect
lives and property against the rec
ord-breaking floods of the great Mis-
sissippi river.
1t was an uneven and almost hope
less battle of man against the arma'
ment of heaven, and no one could
say what the final result would be.
Rain came down in sheets, veritable
deluge from Natchez south to the Gulf.
Lightning kept the heavens aglow, hail
beat down like the rattle of mus
kerry, the clouds came lower and low
er and seemed to open greater the
flood gates, and the roaring thunder
seemed to urge still fercer assaults.
Wind Threatened Levee.
The wind blew almost a gale, the
tops of the Mississippi's levees were
licked by the waters of the river ana
in many places muddy streams flowed
threateningly over the protection
earthworks.
After four hours the onslaught OF
the elements relaxed and today the
levees were holding firm all along the
line.
If they can withstand last nights
fierce attack said Capt. c. o. Sher-
rill, chief of the United States army
engineers, I'VE are inspired to hope
that we will yet be able to prevent
any further disastrous crevasses In
the threatened territory south of Tor
ras.
No rain fell during the latter part
of the night and the clouds having
exceeded all flood records here by
foot and a half.
A veritable inferno gripped the city
for four hours. Rain fell in sheets,
the wind blew a near-gale, hail added
to the terrorizing conditions, the river
rose by leaps and Tapped over the
levees, and over it all there was a
continuous display of lightning and
roaring thunder.
The streets OF New Orleans were
flooded to a depth of from three to
fifteen inches and were raging tor
rents within themselves. People in
the downtown districts were marooned
within the block upon which they
were caught by the cloudburst, ana
for hours there seemed to be little
prospect of many of them reaching
their homes during the night.
Electric light plants were flooded
and many parts of the city were IN
darkness for hours and street car
traffic was seriously interrupted
Whole Valley Affected.
Similar alarming conditions pre-
vailed at all towns up and down the
river for miles, and the people who
have for days lived in fear of further
disastrous breaks in the levees which
held back the flood water of the Mis-
sissiDpi river were panic-stri EN- n
not few towns
The levees in New Orleans with
stood the severest strain they have
ever been subjected to, and, notwith- /
standing the hopeless conditions pic
tured last night at numerous points
up the river, earlier reports received
today indicate that the line Of levees
from Torras south is still holding.
The front levee at Baton Rouge was
overlapped by the high waves last
night, earth was washed out of the
new top Gaping, and for hours the
situation offered practically no hope
to the people, who have labored 80
hard day and night to prevent break.
However, last nights battle counted
for much, and today the levee line
along the state capitals water front
woe intact Sunshine this morning
+ lght renewed hopes to the rolK
re. Efforts to strengthen the en-
| lkment were redoubled-everybody /
! ent to work shoveling dirt or filling