The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-05-07
RESCUERS FAIL
TO REACH MANY
INOW IN DANGER
BAD NEWS STILL COMES FROM
FLOOD ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI.
Heavy Rains Prevent Laborers. from
Work in Strengthening the Levees.
Sand Bags are Being Used TO Save
Levels.

New Orleans, May 6.-Heavy rains
yesterday and this morning further
complicated the serious Mississippi
flood situation in the territory from
the mouth of the Red River soutn,
where federal and state engineers
and Louisiana state officials have an
army of approximately 5000 laborers
at work in desperate and determin-
ed effort to save remaining levees.
Heavy clouds oyerhang the lower
Mississippi valley today, and at 10I
o'clock rain was reported falling at
all points up the river from New
Orleans to Natchez and showers in
this territory are forecasted for to-
night and tomorrow,
Reports received at the United
States engineers office this morning
We're considered encouraging, and c.
0. Sheriff., chief engineer, said:
I'VE still believe we will be able
to hold the remaining levees.'
Situation Dsheartening.
Captain Sheriff., however, admitted
that the continued rains were dis
heartening, and if they continued the
already heavy handicap, which the
engineers face, will become more Sc
rious..
The river rose at all points south
OF the Red river, rise of two-tenths
OF a foot being recorded at New Or
loo iohf rfs os
Baton Rouge was two-tenths for the
past twenty-four hours, and at Nat
chez tWo-tenths.
Pointe Coupee parish, where the
Torras crevasse waters are rapidly
inundating new territory and rising
higher in the section already flooded,
the situation is becoming worse.
Thousands of cattle are being drowned
in the section around Bachelor, and
rescue parties in motorboats and
skiffs are working desperately to save
people who have been caught and
marooned by the onrushing waters.
At least a dozen negroes have been
swept to death by the Torras crew
asse, and from New Roads today a
telegram was received declaring that
hundreds of people may be drowned
If additional motorboats and small
launches are not sent into the fiooo-
ed territory without delay
Waters Rising Steadily.
In the Atchafalaya and Bayou des
Glaize territory the water is rising
steadily, and all of the towns from
Melville north to Simmesport are
considered in imminent danger of
being inundated More than 5000
people have been taken out of this
flooded district within the past four
days, and there are hundreds or 9TH
ers who are awaiting means of escape.
The lack OF boats, now since the
railroads in that territory have been
put out of commission, is giving the
relief committees grave concern.
The situation at Baton Rouge, where
a four days desperate battle has
been waged to save the front levee,
is more serious rtill today. The river
reached the 43-foot stage there to-
day, two and a half feet above all
previous high water records, ana the
hard rains of this morning have
served to further soften the weak
levees.
At New Orleans the work of
strengthening the levees in the Third
district was hampered seriously by
the heavy rains this morning, but
there was no sign of any caving or
sloughing, and the levee board Off
cials declared there was no apprehen-
sion of a break
Rain Hinders Work.
In a steady downpour of rain, sew
eral hundred laborers continued the
fight today to strengthen the levees
in the third district Of New Orleans,
extending from Flood street, fifty five
blocks below Canal, to point near
the big plant of the American Sugar
Refining company. New revetments
are being constructed in front OF the
levees at some of the weak places
and near Jackson barracks a second
line of new reyetments are being put
in. Between the leyee and this new
reYetment dirt Is being filled in, but
this process Of widening the embank-
ment is very slow. The many weak
stretches in the third district extend
along almost a mile Of the levee front.
The water lacks three TO four feet OF
reaching the top of the Ievee, but the
protection embankments are not stan
dard grade leyees. In places they