The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-05-15
the MISSISSIPPI FLOOD.
WEATHER AGAIN RECONEs
MENNCING IN MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY.
situation Again Scriou~-Nany Fear
That Desperate Fight to Save Lc-
vecs at Baton Rouge VIII Yet Prove
to ~ Fruitlc-s.

lower half OF Louisiana was affected.
and thousands of the people who live
behind the already terrible strained
leyees that hold back the Mississippi
Hood waters were panicky.
The wind ranged from % miles an
hour at New Orleans to 40 miles at
Baton Rouge. and at many points
along the river IL swept he waves
Of the swollen stream. over the
levees.
AT New Orleans five and half
Inches of rain fell from noon until 10
y. IN. tonight. and about four inches
fell between and o'clock. The Mis-
sissippi river hero was banked up by
the high winds and. rose eight inches
In two hours between,s and 10 o'clock
tonight. forcing the waters over the
levees at several points. At 10 the
river gauge at the head of Canal
street registered 21.9 feet. or one
tenth OF foot higher than the max
imum stage predicted by the weather
bureau. At IL o'clock the gauge
showed "a drop of one-tenth of a foot
for the hour. but the rain continued
to pour down I'm torrents at intervals
The floods In the streets of New
Orleans tonight claimed at least one
victim and his body was swept away
BY the terrific current. Joseph Dolfe.
clerk In the employ of a drug COM
pany. while en- route to call on "A
young woman. fell into ditch at the
corner Of Carrolton and st. Louis
streets. The accident was witnessed
by several people. but efforts to re-
cover Dolfe's body tonight failed.
Dozens Of messages poured into the
neers here telling of rumored breaks
In the levees above New Orleans.
None of them had been verified up to
midnight. although little hope was
expressed for saving the levees ut
Baton Rouge. and at Morganza.
Scott's Landing. Donaldsonville and
Plaquemine the situation was declar-
ed TO he critical.
AT o'clock Superintendent Purcell
ordered two relief trains made ready
eo send to Donaldsonvllle and Plaque
mine but the orders were counter
manded few minutes later when II
was determined that reports of
breaks In levees near that city were
not true. Thirty-fve thousand sand
bags were dispatched from New Or
leans to Baton Rouge on a special
train tonight. The situation was de-
clared most critical at the capital city
with prospects Of saving the front
tevce almost hopeless.
At New Orleans water poured over
the sand bags. topping at the foot OF
dreds was rushed there to stop the
holes and pile he embankment still
higher.
Guards were placed along the entire
river front and precautions were ia
ken To quickly close every spot where
there was an overflow.
The streets OF New Orleans were
flooded as never before in the city's
history. In the Carrollton section, in
the upper part OF the city. the water
was six TO seven inches deep on the
sidewalks. In the downtown business
section Canal street and all intersect-
ing streets were Hooded over the side
walks and the water entered stores
on number OF streets.
There were such strong currents In
some of the city's streets. due To the
excessive rainfall. that many people
feared there had been an overflow
from the river.
At midnight the rainfall was not
heavy tut many Of the streets were
still hocdcd To q depth Of six To eight
inches
From ropurts ohtainahlc tonight
tho storm swept down across the
State from near Shreveport. moving
southeast. struck he Mississippi river
ncar the big Morganza bend and con-
tinucd down the river past New or
loans.
er in the territory between New
Roads ana Gardcrc. point nine mile.
south Il Eaton Rouge. Reports re-
ccivcd here stated that the velocity
was approximately 30 miles pei