Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-07
REFUGEES IN PERIL
Many Marooned in Flooded
Section Near Torras.
LACK OF BOATS HANDICAP
Fear Expressed That Hundreds of
Persons Will Die.
WORK ON NEW ORLEANS DIKEs
Caravans of Cattle Vending Way to
Port Allen From Water
Covered Territory.
WORK ON NEW ORLEANS Dixie

NEW ORLEANS. May 7.-Unless boats
are hurried to remote sections of the
flood inundated country in Ponte Cou-
pee parish, 1t is feared hundreds of per-
sons will perish. Word was received in
Morganza this morning that great num-
bers of people still are marooned in
the country south of the levee breach
at Torras. The lack of boats is a dis
treasing handicap. Stories of awful suf-
fering among refugees reached here to-
day
Hundreds of people living in the back
country" of Louisiana received no warn
ing of the flood until the angry torrent
swept upon them. They took refuge on
housetops and in trees and on RATS, and
now. for several days, they have been
without adequate food and shelter from
the heavy rains.
Scores of such refugees who We're
brought to Morganza in the relief boats
early today say there are hundreds more
to be taken from their flood prisons
Without Food for Days.
One family brought to Morganza last
night had been for days without sufficient
food. When the flood came the head of
the house rushed upstairs with two small
children and held them on a mantel all
night to keep them above the rapidly
rising water. At daylight the entire
family took to the roof. They had just
enough food to ward off transformation
until the boats reached them.
The leHee above Morganza is lined with
people and their few belongings, waiting
to be taken to concentration camps.
About 500 were removed last night to
New Roads, where they were fed, then
transferred to. Baton Rouge.
Two hundred negroes rescued near
Bachelor were brought here early to-
day on a government barge. They were
later sent to New Roads. Fifty white
people quartered at Bachelor will be
brought here today. The work of cap
ping the Morganza levee is about. COM
pleted and now the engineers believe the
dixie will hold. The water In Morganza
from the Torras break has spread over
| the entire town.
New Orleans Is Cheered.
| Citizens in the food-menaced districts
of New Orleans were cheered today by
! q bulletin issued by the weather bureau.
| which lowered its previous estimate of
| the maximum flood stage that the Cres-
| cent city must fight. The army Of men
working to strengthen the bikes will not
cease their vigilance. however.
| MORGANZA, La, May 7.-Caravans of
cattle are vending their way toward Port
Allen out of the flooded territory In this
section. The railroads have posted no.
| tices that no more live stock will be
transported free. since it has been dis
covered that spectators. taking advan-
| tage of the farmers necessities. have been
buying up the cattle at ridiculously low
prices and securing free transportation to
| the markets.
Indignation at opelousas.
OPELOUSAS, La, May 7.-Indignation
exists among the citizens Of this place
| over the increasing number Of men, mostly
| negroes. who are focking here from the
OVERLOOKED country and asking for aid. A
movement has been started to compel