The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-02
Willing Negroes Prove Ex-
cellent Substitute When
Thrown Into Crevasse
HOLD BACK WATER
UNTIL BAGS FILLED
Novel But Effective Method Saves
the Day at Perdras Leyee-l.a-
bOrers and Supplies Are
Rushed to the Scene

New Orleans May i.-Quicl< work by
determined farmers and a small bunch
of willing negroes. Who were thrown into
an ineipient erevasse in the absence of
sand bags today. saved another disaster
along the turbulent Mississippi river. The
dozen negroes who lay in the gap of tho
Perdras levee, holding back the water
until sand bags could be filled 10 take
their places. risked their lives but saved
the day when 1t appeared hopeless 10
even try to hold the fast crumbling en-
bankment.
The Perdras levee, which is only l3
miles south of New Orleans began to
cave rapidly shortly after o'clock this
morning When the eavlng was discov-
cred the entire hatture in sront of the
Perdras store. 100 feet wide and exteud-
ing from the levee to the river bank 200
feet out had caved in and a small gap
| in the levee had gone. The alarm was
given and within 20 minutes score oe
negroes were brought UP by a planter
who lives a few hundred yards south of
the scene. The levee was caying rapidly
and when this small force arrived water
! about two inches deep was pouring over
the embankment
Empty Sand Bays Brought
It seemed too late to prevent the crash
which would spread flood waters over a
large area of Plaquemne and St Ber-
nard parishes, entailing damage to plan-
tations to a total of several hundred
thousand dollars. Two thousand empty
sand bags were being brought IN from
the farm house Just below, but the flow
! of water across the top Of the levee had
| to be stopped Immediately or sand bags
and all the labor within 10 miles would
be useless, A desperate chance was taken
when Il two inch boards were put along
the top of the broken levee and dozen
negroes accepted the task OF holding it
In place. These human sand bags might
/ be taken with the very next slice of the
levee, but thev held on until row OF
bags filled with uirt WAS pnt III pace
behind the boards. Other bags were hur-
riedly dropped in the gap and soon
| hundred more negroes and white ntn
were working like ants fllling sacks and
carrying the filled bags to the gap.
Then, without warning. the stretch of
| the leVee crown where the human sand
bags lay few moments before fell away
to depth of 2S feet A second row OF
!
hour 1000 of the dirt filed sacks were
in place and the caving was temporarily
checked and, for the time the levee was
| saved
Rushed to Scene
Laborers and supplies were rushed to
the scene on special trains by steamer
and barge and on automobile trucks At
noon the construction Of a horseshoe levee
behind the endangered emhankment, ott
I'm tbe puhlic road was Sturted. TOuiEht
a thousand men were working by the
light of torches and bonires and Engi-
neer John Kloerer, In charge of the work,
expressed the belief that there would he
no creNasSe.
There are still several dangerous places
in the levees along Pointecoupee parish.
above Baton Rouge, and at Kempes Bend
and lust south of Nidalia. La. Forces are
working night and day to prevent breaks.
In the Torras levee, near where last
years disastrous crevasse came, there is
considerable seepage and people living in
the parishes south of the Red river are
alarmed over the possibility of a break
near Torras
Capt. c. o. Sheriff.. chief of the United
States army engineers. vii leave New
Orleans early tomorrow morning and will
go to these various weak places In a
special train which has been placed at
his disposal by the Texas and Pacific
| railroad
II seems almost Impossible to hold
all OF the remaining leVees in view OF
the three months continuous strain to
| which they have been subjected by the
high water and with the crest of the
| flood still to be handled all the way
| from Red river south, but the engi-
reers are working doggedly with
| thousands of laborers and are hoping
| against hope.