The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-04
The Nights Battle.

Baton Rouge. La. May 3.-Hun-
dreds of citizens. rich and poor, work
ed all day and are working tonight
with 300 convicts and negroes in a
against the floods of the Mississippi
that was creeping hourly toward the
crest of the protective earthworks
about this city.
Five hundred cadets of the state
university responded to the call for
aid and joined with school boys, boy
scouts and soldiers. working to save
the levees.
Special efforts are being made to
save the pumping station and water
works plant and about a thousand
persons are assisting in building large
mud boxes about this property. The
convicts are building a levee for the
protection of the lower portion of the
city In the event of break. With
the desperate battle against water GO
ing on. refugees from the Torras dis
trict are not neglected. Two hundred
arrived today from Port Huron. where
concentration camp was established
Water from: the Torras break is slow
ly spreading over the open country,
taking in towns in it's path and grow
ing deeper every hour. The situation
lE the district was made more critical
today by a break at the Moreaville
levee on Bayou des Glaise.
The Teche country is being flooded
by the Atchafalaya waters which to-
day almost reached the Breaux bridge
junction of the Southern Pacific.
The Bayou Sara tonight is under
from ten to fifteen feet of water. The
water reached the second floor of
many houses and ten large houses to-
day were seen floating away.
False Report Alarmed ThousandS
New Orleans. May 3.-Panicky con-
ditions prevailed today throughout the
flood threatened territory along the
Mississippi river from the Red river
and Bayou Des Glaise south to the
gulf and in the territory already
stricken conditions grew worse.
The river continued to rise rapidly
and throughout the day telegraph and
telephone wires throughout the vast
section west of the Mississippi river
We're burdened with messages giving
Warming to people to make prepara-
tions for any emergency.
The flash went from the town of
Morganza shortly after noon, saying
the big Morganza levee was broken.
This bit of news which later proved
untrue. or perhaps only premature,
was in every hamlet south of Morgan
"a within few minutes. People were
panic stricken in the entire territory
The breaking Of the Morganza levee
As feet in height, and one of the larg-
est river protection dikes in the world
would spell ruin to hundreds of the
finest sugar and rice plantations in
southern Louisian and would put hun
dreds of big sawmills out Of commits
sion and inundate more than 75 towns
and small cities in eight or nine par
;e exlVI
holding tonight and it may continue to
hold. but there are weak spots in it
and 1t may go out any time Tele-
phone messages tonight from the
highland just south of the big levee,
stated there was large force work
ing constantly on the dixie.
Levee Gave Way.
On the east side of the river twen-
ty miles north of Baton Rouge. the
out and tonight the town is under
from eight to fifteen feet Of water.
Several houses were swept away, but
there was no loss Of life. Back Of the
town line Of hills forced the flood
waters to the Mississippi without do
ing damage except to the town.
At Baton Rouge hard fight is be-
ing waged tonight to hold the front
levee. The Grand Bay levee above
NsS'' AsOoNo 1S ia Odu CouulllOH, ana
further down are dozens of weak
points. Considerable alarm is felt for
the people around Melville in the
Atchafalaya district. threatened by
flood waters from every side. The
people hurr,edly moved out Of town.
The lPst news received from there to-
night stated there was a slight pros
pect of being able to save all those
in the territory south Of Melville be-
cause of the lack of boats and the
failure Of the victims to receive an
earlier warning of a critical situa.
tion.
Train Srvice Annulle1l.
The last train on the Texas and Pa
cific railroad east Of Melville operat-
ed this afternoon and took out sew
eral hundred refugees Within an.
other day 1t is doubtful If there will
be any railroad operating in that Sec
tion.
The question Of housing and feeding
the refugees is becoming more serious.
The people of Louisiana and Missis-
sippi have contributed thousands Of
dollars to the relief fund. besides
great quantities Of provisions. ETC.,
and the federal government is distri-
buting several hundred thousand dol
lars worth Of rations. but more funds
Will be needed than are in sight