The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-04
Thousands of Mes sages Tell Of
 Threatened l Breaks BAYOU SARA LEVEE BREAKS Baton Rouge People Fight Hard to Prevent
 Break PEOPLE LEAVING
 MELVILLE REGION Following Warning of Army Officers Panic Prevails for Short Time. Women and Children Removed
 to Places of Safety

New Orleans, May 3.-Panicky condi- tions prevailed today throughout the flood threatened territory along the Mississippi river from the Red river and Bayou Des Glazes south to the gulf and in the terri tory already stricken conditions grow worse. The river continued to rise rapid- ly at all points south of the Red river and throughout the day telegraph and tele- plone wires throughout the vast section west of the Mississippi river from the Red river and Bayou Des Glazes to the Gulf of Mexico were loaded with thou sands of messages telling of threatened breaks in the levees and giving warming to the people to make preparations for any emergency.
 No Break at Morgan Sea A flash went out from the town of Nor gean Sea shortly after noon saying that the levee three miles east had broken. This bit of alarming news. which later proved untrue or. perhaps only prema- ture. was in every hamlet and town south of Morgan Sea within few minutes. The people were panic stricken in that entire territory. The breaking of the Morgan Sea levee. 45 feet high, and one of the | largest river protection dikes in the world. holding back as 1t does the greatest volume of flood waters in the history of the lower Mississippi. would spell utter aaIin to hundreds. of the finest sugar and rice plantations in southern Louisiana, would put hundreds of big sawmills out of commission and inundate more than 75 towns and small cities in eight or nine parishes.
 This enormous levee was still hold ing tonight and 1t may continue to hold. but there are weak spots in 1t and at any hour another flash may go out with .he warning rush of the rivers tor rents. A telephone message tonight from Highland, just south of the big levee, stated that there was consid- erable apprehension over the situation and large force is working constant iy to seal up all evidences of caving. Bayou Sara Levee Breaks on the east side of the river, 20 miles north of Baton Rouge, the pro lection levee at Bayou Sara went out and tonight the town is under from eight to 15 feet of water. Several houses were swept away but there was no loss of life Back of town a line of hills forced the flood waters to return to the Mississippi without doing dam age except to the town.
 At Baton Rouge hard fight Is being waged to hold the front levee. The Grand Bay levee. above New Roads, is in bad condition and further down there are dozens of weak levees which seem to invite the floods to rent them. Considerable alarm is felt for the peo- ple around Melville in the Atchafalaya district, which is threatened by flood waters from every side. The people were hurriedly moved out of the town this afternoon that is, as fast as means could be found to convey them away. The last news received from there tonight stated there was slight prospect of being able to save all of the people in the territory south of Melville because of lack of boats and failure of the victims to re- ceive earlier warning of the critical sit- uation.
 The last train on the Texas Pacific rail- road east of Melville was operated this afternoon, and took out several hundred refugees. Within another day it is doubt ful if there will be any railroad operating in that section of the overflowed country.
 Feeding Refugees Serious Question The question of housing and feeding the refugees from the flooded district is becoming more serious. The people of Louisiana and Mississippi have contrib uted thousands of dollars to their relief, besides great quantities of clothing, food supplies. cattle provisions, etc., and the federal government is disbursing several hundred thousands of dollars in rations, but more funds will be needed than are in sight.
 It is estimated that the flooded ter ritory In this state and in Mississippi where approximately 125,000 people all ready are homeless, will be covered by the water for 10 months yet. Many of the men are being given employ ment on the remaining levees, but there are thousands of women and children who must be provided for somehow. As any indication of the seriousness of the situation telegram was re- cefved here tonight from Jean in Louisiana, Salle parish, stating that meningitis had broken out among refu- gees there. This question of medical attention and the still larger one of sanitation in the refugee camps is be- ing handled by the state boards of health, army experts and Red Cross nurses, and they will have their hands full for months The sanitary problem will be even graver after the flood wa ters begin to recede.
 The weather bureau today issueop Il bulletin forecasting still higher river stages than those heretofore predict ei the rains continue, little sunshine has greeted the people for weeks and no one can foretell what will be the final extent of the great disaster. Situation at New Orleans The gauge at the foot of Canal street tonight at o'clock recorded 21.3. a rise of three-tenths of foot during in. 24 hours preceding. This is almost q foot above the previous flood rec
 ord
 Four hundred laborers were put to work this morning on section of the levee in the lower part of the city near Chalmette. where some alarm was CONTINUED ON PAGE ID