The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-04-20
FIFTEEN NEGROES REPORTED
DROWNED AT BENOIT, MISS.
Waters Continue to Pour Through
Breaks, Increasing Depth and En-
croachins Upon Many Towns and
Villages in Stricken Districts.
(By Associated Press.)

New orleans, April zU.--heports To-
day, from the flooded district tell only
of the increasing depth of the waters
and the encroaching food upon towns
and villages in the stricken districts
Fifteen negroes were reported
drowned near Benoit. Miss, last night
Twelve or fifteen thousand refugees
have collected at Cleveland, Natchez
and Vicksburg and are being fed BY
United States rations.
The floods are still pouring through
the Panther Forest, Dogtail, Buelah 4
and Angola crevasses.
The relief fund here is nearly four !
thousand dollars.
Conditions Steadily Growing Worse. I
With the conditions yesterday Ia
the overfiowed territory of the Missis-
sippi river in southeastern Arkansas.
northwestern Mississippi and northern
Louisiana steadily growing worse, the
plight of victims who have been rem
dered homeless by the rush OF the
waters from the breaks in the levees
in those districts is deplorable. Hun
dreds of these have been cared for at
emergency camps along the lines Of
the levees, but owing to the inaccesst
bility of some of the places far back
in the interior, there is much suffer
ing due to the lack of food. -r:
At least forty small towns have been
inundated by the muddy waters from
the big stream and it is certain that
many more will feel the destructive
effects of the most devastating flood
in the history of the lower valley.
Two boat loads of provisions were
distributed in Tullulah yesterday.
This partly relieved the food situation,
as supplies had almost been exhaust
ed. Every street of Tallulah is deep
in water
, Business and traffic in the Yazoo
Delta which is being overfiowed by the
break at Beulah, is paralyzed. Dam
age to property is incalculable. Sup
plies will be sent to Rolling Fork and
Leland as long as those points can be
reached. Fifteen miles of the river
4 side branch of the Yazoo and Mis-
l sissippi Valley railroad are under
from 10 to Is feet of water
Besides the six negroes who were
drowned near the Beulah break, it Ia
T. believed that other further inland
have perished. No boats have yet CEN
tured for more than two miles distant
and it will be some time before 1t Is
u known if this list is to be increased.
For the first time since the river
began its advance not single point
except New Orleans reported rise al
o'clock last night The rise at New
Orleans, three-tenths or a foot, tq 60. 2,
was probably due to the backing q Of
the water before strong wind
Beginning within the next few days,
\ according to the weather bureau fore
. casts another rise win be recorded al
Vicksburg and all points south wher
the waters which are flowing through
It the Dog Tail and Beulah breaks re
y turn to the Mississippi through Red
1, river. The highest floods ever expert
h enced in the latter stream in L.ouisi
10 ana are predicted.
If
c. Advised to Prepare for High Floods
n New Orleans, April 2O.--The hiehes
lie floods ever experienced on the Re,
m river in Louisiana, two feet above IT,
he record stage in the Mississippi q
he Vicksburg and still higher water at al
IL points from vicksburg south, are pre-
ce dicted in a telegram received her
rs yesterday from Col O. M. Townsend
president of the Mississippi Rive
&C. Commission.
n Col Townsend wired Capt @, G
w Sheriff., chief of the United State
re engineers in chargeof the levee work
al to prepare for higher floods upon th|
at return to the Mississippi Of the Va
ck ters now pouring through the Beulal
(Continued on Page Five