Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-05-09
GREAT FLOODS IN
STATEOF LOUISIANA
THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS BY
MISSISSIPPI OVERFLOW
ing ITS BANKS.
Millions At Stake-Heavy Rains Com
plicate the Already Dangerous Htua-
ton Along River-Force Blacks To
Work-Scarcity of Milk Endangers
Scores Of Children in Refugees Camps.

New Orleans.-Large sections of Is
Louisiana parishes west of the Missis-
sippi river are under water, four other
parishes have some food water and are
bound to get more this week. Approxim-
ately 100000 persons have been driven
from their homes, and about dozen
lives have been lost. Refugees are
sheltered in cabins, churches ard lodge
buildings.
Every day brings stories of suffering
in new sections.
Protection of the remaining levees
along the Mississippi river from the
mouth of the Red river south is caus-
ing deep concern. Millions of dollars ,
worth of property is at stake and thou
sands of lives would be jeopardized if
some Of the big levees gave way.
Sure Levees Will Hold.
Reports Monday were more reassur-
ing, and the state engineer said he was
confident every remaining levee on the
Mississippi would hold.
Lack of labor, due largely to the I'M
concern of the negoes who have been
drawing government rations, has been
a most serious drawback.
Governor Sanders has ordered the
Louisiana militia to round up 500 me-
groes and compel them to do work on
the levees. Nearly all the negroes re-
fuse to work as long as they draw gov
eminent rations. Consequently emo
work, no rations' was the ultimatum
given to hundreds of able-bodied ne
groes at Natchez by Lieutenant w. E.
Holiday, in charge of the supplies de-
pot there.
Labor Short; Fear Danger
1t was feared that 1Omile stretch
of levee in the Bayou de Glaize Sec
ton would be lost, owing to the dearth
of labor. Engineer H. s. Douglas of
Melville reported that while he had
quarters for 500 laborers in the Aatcha-
falaya district, responses to his call
were few.
There is alarm among some of the
residents of New Orleans. Extreme
precautions have been taken to meet
any emergency and at points all along
the river barges and fiat cars are load
ed with timber, sand bags, wheel-bar-
rows and shovels.
In the "third district of New Or
leans the situation is still grave, and
1000 men worked all day filing in
earth. The water is over the dock at
Esplanade street and the rear of the
Southern Pacific transfer station is 10
inches deep in water. Work continued
Monday at ali weak points in the city.
Mississippi Flood Figures.
From vicksburg, Miss, south to New
Orleans, the Mississippi river is from
half foot to two and half feet above
any previous flood record.
An additional rise this week Of ap-
proximately one foot from New Orleans
north to Baton Rouge, is predicted.
Soundings made by army engineers
show that the record-breaking volume
of water in the big river is moving at
the rate Of 81 feet second, or approx
imately one mile an hour faster than
ever before recorded.
Danger points in the levees in Louisi-
ana: Baton Rouge, Bennett Care, 25
miles north of New Orleans, Morrison,
Plaquemine, SCOTS Landing, Sypress
Pail, New Roads and Third district, |
New Orleans.
Fear Many Lives Lost.
New Roads, La.-Flood refugees |
reaching here Tuesday declare there has
been loss of life in that part of Louisi-
ana inundated by the Mississippi river
which rushed through the breach in the
levee at Torras.