St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1912-05-11

New Orleans, May Rain, thu
ltwo-handed ally of the swollen river
which makes repair work on tint
|levees more urgent, and at the same
itime prevents sit, pelted the sogg,
Idikes from Torras, La, to the Gull
lagain yesterday.
Danger was forseen at ten or
|dozen points, where continued soak
ling from in front, above and behind
|seemed likely to cause the embank-
Iments to yield, and proper repairs
were made, the engineers orders in
some cases enforcd by militiamen.
Meanwhile the water from the
|Torras crevasse spread rapidly, enter
ing the town of Morganza and creep
ing up to the base of that beleagured
levee; crossing the Fordoche ridge,
which protected West Baton Rouge
and Iberville parishes; rising higher
in the districts already flooded.
Scenes of destruction and suffer-
ing saddened the rescurers, who piled
motor boats and barges through the
/ dangerous, unchartertd sea just
created, bringing out inhabitants who
had not been warned, or who had
not needed the warnings.
Each day makes worse the plight
of these people. Some of the men
and women brought out of the inun-
! dated farming districts were insane,
and others seem to be on the road
to madness from lack of food and
! from brooding over their financial
losses.
Women with babies born since the
food swept down upon their homes;
men and women fainting from hun
ger; crazed survivors fighting res
fcuers; cattle dropping on the short
drive from steamboat landings to
pastures-these are some of the
stories culled from the sad abundance
of such incidents.
Melville went through another ex-
citing experience yesterday, when it
was reported that the levee at Elba,
on the west bank of the Atchafalaya,
! five miles above Melville, had gone
out. The report proved false, but
| it was not denied until, there had
been a panic among residents of the
vicinity. The levee at Elba had
sloughed off to within eight feet of
the toe. 1t was repaired with planks
and sacks, and may hold.
| The Scott 1evee, the Morganza
] levee and other stretches near New
| Roads were in less encouraging con-
dition than before. Baton Rouge
still works with the feverish anxiety
to hold it's main levee and to COM
plete closing the protection levee,
with another company of militiamen
on the scene. Plaquemine awoke to
the fact that there was an extremely
bad spot right in front of the town,
and repaired it we'll.
Gov. Sanders telegraphed presi-
dents of police juries and mayors OF
towns all over the State, asking aid,
and quick aid. 1t was reported that
the elaborate ceremonial at Gov.
Halls Inauguration would be omitted
and the funds used to help the food
sufferers. Gov. Sanders declined to
ACCEPT banquet from his personal
|staff, and the money for this ban
lQuet was forwarded to the relief
committee. Baton Rouge was over
of unexpected refugees who flocked
into the city.
Men were found to be speculatine
on the misfortunes of Pointe Coupee
Farmers. They were buying live
|stock at SO per head, rounding uI
the cattle, horses and mules, and get.
lting them out to market. For this
treason, the railroads now refuse tc
|carry live stock free. Other farmers
reported that cattle thieves were busy
land that it was impossible to get 8
ldrove through to the hills.