The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-07


 HEew Orleans, May 6--"It looks like the M Nlments are against us"
 aFhis statement. made late today by #bj. F. M. Kerr, chief of the Louisiana a kte board ot engineers, sums up the N lncipal chaHer of the story of the VI operate fight gsthat is being waged by .ly and by nigit to save Louisiana's re- fEiring lesees from the ravages of the Y Iesissippi rivers flood waters E|Ehe situation continues threatening, but tere were no reports today of breaks HI the Mississippfs leyees and the engi- 3Ners Who are directing the army of thou Kinds of laborers in the hard fight again Expressed hope of final victory. H Hard Rains Fall
 Wizard rains fell last night and this .prning all along the river. as far north H Torras. and showers continued through ft the day. In the face of these condi- 'bns today's labor did not count vastly N the big fight that is on against an ever |king flood stage. Negroes refused to Fork in the rain unless furnished gem Nous supply of whisky and even they |auld do very little.
 |hncreased forces of laborers were to- Nv dispatched to the weak sections be- Heen Morganza and New Roads, others Here sent to Plaquemine and 250 addi- |pnal men were put to work on a bad |retch of 5000 feet at Amesvilie, five miles Grth of New Orleans, on the opposite |he of the river. The levees were still flding tonight at Baton Rouge and the fcple, who have made such a heroic 1Eht there, against great odds, feel more 8couraged.
 New Orleans Situation Better |Tne situation in the third district New Orleans notwithstanding the |kavy handicap of the rains, Was de- Jared tonight to be more reassurins, Tough the danger of levee trouble Lorg stretches just above Jackson Elracks and in the vicinity of the bis Hant of the American Sugar Refining mpany are sufficiently pronounced to f,maud the labor of hundreds of men ! several days yet.
 Further precautions were taken today N the New Orleans levee board and Fly officials to guarantee the quick loslng of gaps in the New Orleans pro- fction levees above the city in event a break in the levees of Jefferson Erish Sufficient material has been bqccd at the gaps, where the railroad lacks pass through these protection bYes, to assure the closing of the gaps Fithn six or eight hours, it Is said. Water from the Torras crevasse to- lay reached Morganza and tonight it Is
 foot deep in some streets of the town. his water is slowly backing up against he land side of the big Morganza levec Inc will continue to creep along the ase of the river entertainments until reaches New Roads and may go still hrther south into West Baton Rouge arish within the next five or six days.
 Levee Sloughs
 The levee on the west side of the [tchafalya river at Elba. five miles |orth of Melville, sloughed off this aft hnoon and water was flowing over reelv for some time before the defect orld be repaired. The few people who criain In that section were panic tricken and the news went forth that he sloughing had developed into q resk which would prove permanent revasse. Tonight. however. Capt. N. q. richard of the Atchafalya 1evee board, old the Associated Press that the den : ,erous sloughing had been checked and he levee repaired.
 Along the Bayou Des Glaizes the sit ,ution continued to become more alarm ng and at Simmesport, where this tream empties into the Atchafalaya iver, the people are fighting hard to ,revcnt break in slevees protect ng the town
 River Stationary
 Despite thes rain the river gauge at the ,1ad ,f Canal street remained stationary throughout the day. the reading being II feet Capt. c. o. Sherrill l.. s. A.. n command of the fourth levee district vas well pleased with this and said if he heavy rains should stop for few lays no uneasiness concerning the levees if any point in this vicinity need be felt.
 The Torras crevasse is reported to have width of BOO feet and the flow if water from the main stream through he opening is estimated to be 100000 gall ons per minute.
 The local relief committee was most
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