Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-05-05
ONLY A BREATHING SPELL
THESE FEW HOURS MAY BE
SHATTERED BY THE DENEL-
OPMlGsNTs OF TODAY.
10000 ARE HOMELESS
Relief Funds Are Running Low ana
Starvation j. Facing the
Homeless People.

NEW ORLEANS, May "A half
dozen hours of sunshine in the lower
Mississippi valley today gave some lit
tie relief from the tense anxiety of the
past few days. Threatening clouds
appeared at intervals throughout the
day, but the floodgates overhead held
back the drenching rains that for a
month have been adding to the al
ready enormous volume of menacing
flood waters piled high against the
levees.
1t was just a breathing spell, how.
ever and the hopes kindled today may
be dashed tomorrow. The engineers
who yesterday were almost hopeless
today said the prospects Of saving the
levees were favorable. But the
danger is not past.
The weather bureau has predicted
foot rise above the present record
smashing stages which obtain from
the Red river south. The crest with
its accompanying Increased danger OF
destructive crevasses, Is not expected
. pass aBton Rouge and points south
Of here for another week yet.
VIII the Big Morganza dixie l,)lding
back a wall of water forty feet high
hold? VIII the threatened levees at
Baton Rouge, at La Barre, Scotts
Point and above and below New Or
leans be impregnable
Engineers Only Hope"
The engineers say they hope" so
but no guarantees are given nor can
guarantees be given In the face OF
the terrifying force Of the Mississippi
flood waters. While the engineers are
battling and hoping against the great
est odds they have ever confronted in
the flood history of the lower river,
warnings are being sent broadcast to
people in the fertile valleys on both
sides of the big stream to get then
cattle to high ground and prepare
themselves for hasty exit.
Today's sunshine and absence of
rain permitted the thousands of la
borers employed on weak stretches
Of the levees south Of Torras. to work
uninterruptedly and tonight encour-
aging reports came in from all points
up and down the river.
No other breaks occurred on the
Mississippi today. on the Bayou Des
Glaise in east central Louisiana where
the great volume Of flood waters from
the disastrous bod Tail crevasse IS
hourly getting higher. one break was
reported in the levees and at SHINES
Point official reports to the engineers
stated that serious crevasse was eX-
pected at any hour.
Preparing to Leave.
On the Atchafalaya river from Mel
vile north, the levee situation became
more threatening and several thous-
and people deserted their homes in
that territory and are rapidly getting
ont their live stock and few house
hold goods.
The crevasse waters from the break
at Torras have spread over the entiro
upper half of Pointe Conupee parish
and are slowly creeping further south.
One week more and the water from
that creyasse alone will cover all of
Point Coupee parish. a part of West
Baton Rouge parish and sections Of
st. Landry parish.
The Torras crevasse teen will Join
its forces with the flooded .Atcha falaya
which already has overflowed ter
ritory 25 to so miles In length south
Of the Alsatia crevasses for five days
Approximately 1000 people hav
moved out of Point Coupee Paris t.
the refugee camps on the east side OF
the river. More than 1000 of them
are being cared for by the Baton
Rouge relief depot.
Thousands Are Rescued.
Besides the thousands who have al
ready moved out OF the vast flooded
territory south OF the Alsatia crevasse
ceived today that morethan 800 had
arrived yesterday and today at Jena
and at high towns along the Iron
Mountain railroad north Of Alexandra
NEST Of them having been brought in
by boat from the low lands of Ia
Sale parish Several. hundreds Of
others have been taken out Of lower
Concordia parish the past few days
to Mississippi points across the river
When one prices handbags he be-
GINS to think q FlOrida alligator farm
......t.t ~. . ..,,.a t,,,....t..,..,,4