Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-05-02

learned left Ferriday on a motor car ano
went to Clayton Junction. He found the
tracks of the NJ, H. & L. Just beyond
the junction washed away. The track al
this point is very high. The current is
very swift.
1.-The people of Ferriday think the wa
ter will be higher than last year.
Story of the Break.
Here is the complete story ABOUT the
discovery OF the hole and the subse-
Quent break of the Vaucluse levee in the
Pifth Louisiana Levee District, the point
being known as Lower Lake st. John on
account of the lake by that name being
situated behind this levee. The recital OF
the facts were made by the levee guard,
Robert Lancaster, and corroborated by
Will Martien, a young man who was
with the guard when the levee broke.
"It was IL 80 O. clock, Saturday night,
said Lancaster, "when saw the water
running from hole in the levee into
ditch. The whole was about four inches
square, the same as though it was thro'
a piece of four-inch tile. The water was
running into ditch across the road
from the levee and about thirty feet from
the base of the embankment.
'Tt was coming through about two
feet lower than the base OF the levee. The
water was muddy.
81 went to Lancaster's store, about
three quarters of a mile away, and called
Will Martien. We returned to the levee.
1 then went for S. L. Maxwell, one mile
north Of the place, and he came with me
to the levee. We examined the hole to-
gether. It was no larger than at first.
Maxwell asked what was the best thing
to do, and l said: The best thing to do
is to telephone Junior Engineer Schoen-
berger, who was at Kempe's Bend levee,
as there were no sacks on the place.
"Maxwells then rode to ]. w. Oden's
place at Hole-in-the-W Wall two miles above
Mr.. Oden was sick and Maxwell tele-
phoned Schoenberger. Kempe's is twen-
ty miles above in Tensas parish.
'1n the meantime, Martien and be-
gan to alarm the people.
Mr.. w. w. Dix, of Vaucluse plantation,
came to the place, examined the hole and
said it did not seem to be very dangerous,
but if it wasn't.ixed it would be. Mr..
Dix and all the negroes but one left the
place. They said they would return as
soon as they heard the tug whistle, mean
ing the Marengo, on which Schoenberger
was coming from the government fleet at
Kempe's Bend levee.
"About ten minutes later a negro came
up and asked us if we would mind show
ing him the whole. We said, no, and
went with him to the base OF the levee.
As we reached the base of the levee we
heard the bank of the ditch cave in lit
tie. | said to Martien, 30, it is kind
a'lulled a little,' and he said, Eyes. "
While we were examining the hole, Mar
ten looked up the ditch and about twen-
ty feet away he saw the water boiling"
At this juncture, Martien took up the
story and said:
ST saw the water boiling up like it was
coming out of fume. looked behind
me in the direction of the siepage water
ditch at the base of the levee, the road
being covered. We fred our revolvers
and called for everybody to get on for
safety. This was at 80 O'Clock Sunday
morning.
1.-THE hole was at the base, and for
what seemed to be about three-quarters
of an hour, the crown to depth OF about
eight feet down, held intact"
According to the foregoing statement,
Engineer Schoenberger arrived at the
break just about the time the water broke
through, as the Marengo was reported as
having arrived above the crevasse, where
the men engaged in rescue work. The
o. s. tugboat Tunica and the Mary from
Giles Bend, just above Natchez, and the
U. S. tuk Mary Stewart, which had beer
stationed at White Oak, fastened to the
break md assisted in saving live stoci
and refugees.