The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-05-16
sy' Associated Press.

New Orleans. May 15.-With ap-
proximatelR 1900 square miles of
Louisiana lands inundated by Missis-
sippi river food waters and more than
one hr-.drSs thousand people driven
from their tsomes in parishes west of
the Arkansas line almost to. the gulf,
the most serious crevasse Of the pres
ent food at Hymelia promises to add
another thousand square miles more to
the overiowed territory. make home
less thousands of people and add mil
liens Of dollars to the property dam
age. The property damage has al
ready reached into millions of dol
lars in Louisiana and the loss of live
stock has been heavy. but the list of
human victims has been less than
forty.
Tonight the HymeIia crevasse. thir-
ty live miles north of New Orleans.
and on the opposite side Of the river
from here, had widened to approx
mately seven hundred feet and the
water had inundated about forty
square miles OF sugar lands in st.
Charles and st. John Baptist parishes
to tie the ends Of the crevasse and
prevent It widening further, but the
proposal to- close the big gap In an
effort to save twenty five to thirty
nsfilion dollars Of property which iS
threatend. ewaits the action tomorrow
of the Mississippi river rcommissioI.
Ielephoi1e messages from Killona,
one mile south Of the break, state
that hundreds Of people, many Of them
narrowly escaping with their lives, are
rushing to the levees. The breach
several small towns in the direct path
OF the rushing torrent have already
been inundated.
The Hymelia is the third break In
the west side levees in Louisiana. 1t
viii probably be the most devastating
as the country south of 1t Is thickly
populated and is considered the most
fertile territory in the state.
$1,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED.
Approximately $4,000 persons win be
affected, and If the crevasse is not
closed probably half Of this number
will be without homes until the waters
find their way eventually into the
Gulf of Mexico.
Men we're busy today dumping sand
bags into the crib. Boils were dis
IL
yesterday and laborers weer put to
work building crib work. While men
were dumping sand bags into the crib
the levee went out with "a rush. The
water spread rapidly over the Hynel
and Glendale plantations.
This morning the Trinity. Mary. Ric
Grande and Waterford sugar planta
items were under water. Water had
reached Lucy, La, FIVE miles north
three hours after the break.
Dozens Of villages and hamlets along
the Texas e. Pacific will be under
water from the Hymelia crevasse be-
fore another week passes.
The news of the break was spread
rapidly last night by couriers. by
telegraph and telephone to the thou
sands of persons in the affected dis
trict and throngs of women and chill
dren almost panic-stricken sought
refuge and safety on the levees with
their hastily gathered belongings
awaiting the coming of the rescue
boats.
The Hymelia crevasse, which take:
its name from the Hymel plantation
is only q short distance below the 100:
crevasse of the same name. Today
the river Is a foot higher than the
1908 crest and q much swifter current
indicates that considerably more ter
ritory will be submerged. The sectior
affected Is dotted with vast sugar
p,s ntations, big sugar mills and pro.
ductive truck farms.
"A fleet OF tugs and barges ladeI
with laborers and supplies, rushed ou
of New Orleans by the United State.
--------------------