The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-04-16
THOUSANDS SAVED FROM
The MISSISSIPPI FLOOD
VOLUNTEERS THWART WATERS
OF RAGING MISSISSIPPI
Stream Breaks Its BOndS-POurS
Through Gap in Levee Near
Salem, La.

Vicksburg, Miss, April 14.-Volun-
teer workers in gasoline boats, RATS,
skiffs or any other sort Of craft that
would float, have rescued nearly 1000
persons within the last 48 hours who
were marooned on knolls, fences, trees
and wrecked homes in the path of the
food which surged through the break
in the Mississippi river levee at Sal
EN-, La, Friday night, inundating hun
dreds of square miles of territory and
leaving desolation in its wake.
For miles the banks of the Ievee are
lined with thousands of negroes and
scores of whites who fed from the
food with hastily gathered property
and effect. Tugs and steamboats, are
taking them off as fast as facilities
permit and bringing them to Vicks-
burg or taking them to other spots
where they will be out of reach of the
water.
The scene tonight along the levee
is weird. Scores of fires dot the en-
bankment. Soggy driftwood has been
caught and dried and used for fuel.
Meanwhile beeves have been killed
and carcases are being roasted to feed
the hungry, wet and miserable.
Pushing the Work.
Tonight the work of rescue is be-
ing pushed further into the inundat-
ed district, where hundreds of negroes
and a large number of white persons
still remain.
The break came Friday evening at
5 o'clock at the Buckner plantation.
A squad of negro worknen had been
working on the levee directing their
attention particularly to "boil' 80
feet from the base of the revetment.
They were preparing to strengthen the
weak spot when a section 80 feet wide
bursted the base of the levee. In
few minutes a 15-foot wall of water
was rushing through the break.
Within 20 minutes it is declared the
water had spread over an area two
miles square. At Australia plantation
every negro who could ride was sup
piled with a horse or mule. and told to
ride at breakneck speed to every home
he could reach and warn the people
that the flood was coming. All night
the negro messengers rode through
storm and rain, except in those in
stances where the rising waters forced
them to seek places of safety immed-
lately.
vicksburg, New Orleans and Lake
Providence were notified of the situa-
ton. vicksburg citizens were first on
the scene, arriving early Saturday.
Shortly afterwards a number of Lake
Providence business men came in gas
oline launches towing skiffs. Through
the crevasse they went and began their
mission,
sa Cling to Trees.
One boat found two white men and
a negro clinging to saplings with ten
mile current tugging at their bodies.
These men had saved their women and
children and had gone back to rescue
what property they could,
Families were removed from the
roofs of scores of houses.
Throughout all the regions about
the crevasse utter desolation rules to-
night. Dead mules, COWS, pigs, chick
ems and sheep float in the stable yards.
One planter has moved his saddle
horses into the upper story of his res
idence, where horse and family are
living until boats can move them.
The water is reaching further every
hour. The tide from Panther Forest
and Red Fork, miles to the north in
Arkansas, is coming down the bayou
to Macon and Tensas basin, swelling
the tide from the Louisiana crevasse.
All the water eventually must drain
back through the Tensas basin into
the Red river and thence back in the
Atchafalya, and Mississippi rivers,
The Atchafalya is already full to the
tops of many stretches OF its levees.
DINK CyA7rINCP REEORE C0JTRT.