Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-05-02
INESTIMATABLE DAMAGE
WILL BE WROUGHT IN THE RICH
SUGAR GROWING
COUNTRY.
THE RIVER IS Still RISING
All Previous Records Arc Broken and
Il Two Foot Further Rise Is
Now Expected.

NEW ORLEANS. La, May 1.-An-
other serious break occurred late this
afternoon in the Mississippi River
levees at Torras La, on the west
side of the swollen stream where the
flood waters from the disastrous Dog
Tail crevasse find re-entry into the
big river. The breaks at Torras oc-
Cured at $3.50 and within two hours
800 feet Of the 1S-foot embankment
force of workmen and material were
Immediately ordered to the scene by
Captain c. o. Sheriff., chief of the
U. S. engineers and an effort is being
made to check the crevasse by crib
bing" the ends.
Unless the Torras crevasse can be
closed, which appeared doubtful to-
night, inestimable damage will be
added to the already heavy tolls in
property destruction and devastation
Of farms wrought by the flood waters
of the lower Mississippi River during
the past six weeks. A permanent
crevasse at Torras means the inun-
dation of the vast sugar cane lands
along the west banks of the river for
a distance of about sixty miles. The
territory which lies in the path of the
Torras crevasse Is vastly richer than
that inundated by the Dog Tail Gre
vase of three weeks ago near Alsa-
tia. La, and is more densely popu-
lated.
More Breaks Expected.
While the Torras break will give
some relief from the enormous pres
, sure against the levees south of that
point the flood waters tonight are
from half a foot to two feet above
the previous high record marks from
Baton Rouge south and prospects of
other crevasses are extremely grave.
At Baton Rouge the Mississippi
River tonight registered 42.1 feet,
foot and half above the 1903 rec
ord, and at New Orleans at 7 p. M,
the gauge registered 2O9 feet. half
foot above the record stage.
The worst is yet to come and today
the weather bureau predicted % feet
for New orleans, or a half foot In ex-
cess of the previous crest prediction.
This would mean a foot and a half
more water in the river here than was
ever before recorded.
Many More Homeless.
Reports today from the territory
in northeast Louisiana which was
flooded by the Dog Tail crevasse, adds
ed several thousand victims to the
homeless list. Several hundred more
in West Feticiana parish were re-
ported i'm need of supplies and from
the Atchafalaya and Bayou Des
Glalse territory reports We're received
of still other hundreds Of poor people
who have been driven from thoir
homes.
1t is estimated that the U. s.. gov
ernment Is now furnishing rations for
10000 homeless people in Louisiana
and Mississippi and tonight the pros
poets are that this number will be
increased by $4,000 within another
week.
The federal engineers have already
expended more than 100000 in the
past three weeks in their effort to
save the levees from Vicksburg south
but the reasonability came to them
too late in many instances and the
heighth and force of the flood waters
have far exceeded the expectations of
everyone. The engineers are contin-
uing to spend thousands of dollars a
day trying to prevent further breaks,
but where the fight is hardest they
say they are experiencing great diff
ficulties in securing labor. In some
Instances negroes who are getting free
government rations show. no disposi-
ton to shovel dirt or assist otherwise
in the work Of prtecting those who
are yet free from the ravages Of the
big flood.