The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1912-05-07
many DROWNED
IN RIVER FLOOD
Whole Families Swept From
Roofs Of Floating Houses.


Overflow Now Inundated and Town
After Town Is Being Swept by the
Rushing Torrent.
Newroads, La, May Flood refu
gees reaching here declare there has
been loss of life I'm that part of Louis
lana inundated by the Mississippi
river which rushed through the breach
In the lower levee at Torras. 1t Is
said that motor boats sent to take
numerous persons from floating house
tops arrived too late
How many persons perished cannot
be determined Refugees brought to
the concentration camps are hurried
hither and thither. sometimes families
are separated and persons have been
reported missing, who have been sent
from one camp to another.
Nevertheless large numbers of the
refugees claim they have seen entire
families swept from housetops. Lead
ers of the rescue corps admit that sew
eral times they have sent motor boats
TO points where families had taken
refuge on the roof of a house and that
when the boat arrived its crew found
only the building buffeted about by
currents and half its roof surface sub
merged.
Appeals for help reached here from
Lettsworth, directly in the Torras tor
DaI raann1o Pa-
ported to be in imminent danger of
drowning The house in which they
had taken shelter had been dislodged
from its foundation and ii was being
tossed about in the current.
Hundreds Are Marooned.
There are at least 1000 persons who
remain to be rescued from the inun-
dated country west of Lett-worth and
Bachelor. Some of them ere drifting
about on hastily constructed RATS.
The crevasse water is spreading at
a rapid rate, inundating sections of
Pointe Coupee parish which have
never before been reached by over
flows. Town after town is being swept
by the muddy waters.
When two relief trains were about
ready to leave Bachelor with refu-
gees word was received that there was
great danger of being cut off by threat
ened washouts in the tracks several
miles east of that place. When the
| first train arrived at the point of trou-
BILE water was flowing over the tracks
| for a distance of five miles. But the
train passed over in safety.
When the second section arrived the
water was rushing over the track
| about two feet deep. An attempt was
| made TO reach the other side of the
washout, but about half way across
| the tracks gave way and the caboose
and three cars toppied over. Occupants
of the derailed cars were thrown into
| the water, but escaped without injury
They we're transferred TO other cars
and brought on to Newroads.
Scores Left by Train.
When the first section of the relief
special sped through the water, which
was running over the tracks just north
OF Morganza, scores of people were
seen standing waist deep in water
near the railroad signaling the train to
stop. The water was rising SO rapidly
that those in charge of the train decid-
ed 1t would imperil the lives of all
those ON board to delay. The train
was not stopped.
In some instances force has to be
employed In getting the people out of
the danger zone. One family, consist
ing of man, wife and twelve-year-old
boy, refused to leave their cabin,
which was fast becoming uninhabit-
able. They were picked up bodily and
carried to the train. After being
placed aboard the boy became so
frightened he jumped through an open
window. He was recaptured.
Urgent appeals for boats to be used
In rescue work have been sent to Gov
ernor Sanders at New Orleans. The
steamer City Of Shreveport and the
shipment Of dozen skiffs are due to
Iarrive In Bachelor shortly.
"kin0 OF Little He'll" Killed.