The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-07

mouth of the Red south, is causing
deeper concern, for the moment. Mil
lions of dollars worth Of property is
at stake, and thousands OF lives would
be jeopardized if some Of the biggest
of the ieyees should give way.
Federal engineers, State and parish
officials, and an army Of men scattered
along the river from point 60 miles
below New Orleans to the Red river,
are bending every energy to prove
themselves equal to the task which
they shoulder.
Reports today were more reassur-
ing than on yesterday, and the Federal
and State engineers declare they have
firm faith in their ability to hold every
remaining levee on the Mississippi.
But the danger is not past by any
means.
Indolent Negroes.
Lack of labor, due largely to the un-
concern Of negroes who have been
drawing government rations, has been
the most serious drawback. Stringent
tactics have been forced upon the Off
cials and planters, however, and today
Governor Sanders ordered the Louisl-
ana militia to round up 500 negroes
and make them work on the levees, at
the point of rifles if necessary. At
Baton Rouge reports came in that
planters in several instances were
compelled to corral negro laborers at
the point of shotguns. ~
Thousands of paid laborers and con-
victs are working, in some instances,
day and night on the weak stretches
of the Mississippi levees from the Red
River Junction to the mouth of the
river.
At New Orleans and Baton Rouge,
Louisiana's State capital, gangs of la
borers are working at night under the
glare of electric lights strung along
the levees' and aided by searchlights Of
steamers.
Critical at Baton Rouge.
At Baton Rouge the situation is cri-
tical and equally so along the Atcha-
falaya and Bayou Des Glaizes.
There is alarm among some of the
residents of New Orleans, though the
daily reassuring statements of the
city officials and levee board engineers
have been accepted at face value by
others who feel not the slightest ap-
prehension.
Extreme precautions have been TAX
en- to meet any emergency, and at
points all along the river barges and
fat cars are loaded with timber, sand
sacks, wheelbarrows, shovels and 9TH
er material necessary in stopping
wash holes, arresting cray fish and
muskrat depredations and closing
small breaks and threatened creVasses
of every description. At New Orleans
the railroads, whose lines pierce the
protection levees above the city, were
ordered to place pile drivers and all
necessary material right at the gaps
and keep ready at all hours sufficient
laborers to cloth levels in event of a
break in the Mississippi levees at any
point north of New Orleans. The pro-
tecting levees extend from the Missis-
sippi river back toward Lake Pont-
chartrain and would prevent any Sc
rious damage to New Orleans in event
of a crevasse further up the stream.
Water in New Orleans Streets.
In the third district" of New Or
leans the situation is still grave and
thousand laborers worked all day
long today filling in dirt between the
levees and the revetments. The water
is over the dock at Esplanade street
and the rear of the Southern Pacific
transfer station there is Is inches deep
in water Sacks Of sand are piled on
top of the levee at that point and dirt
has been banked along the rear of the
big steel wharves from Canal street
down to Esplanade.
At Flood street there is considerable
seepage and cray fish holes have given
the engineers considerable trouble.
Work continued tonight and armed
guards patrolled the levees at all weak
points in the city.
Morganza LeTee Holds.
Water from the break at Torras
reached Morganza tonight, but nearly
all of the women and children had
been removed to places of safety. The