Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-05-07
Little Prospect of Beginning Work for Another Week
 or Ten Days.
ELMER RICHARD HAS
 A NARROW ESCAPE
Cotton Belt Superintendent Narrowly Escapes Drowning When Barge Turns Over i'm Red River, Machin-
 cry Going Ov"rboard.

Although the flood waters in Soutn- west Arkansas are, slowly receding, dcWnpours of. rain in southern and southwestern Oklahoma yesterday and the day before have added great volumes to the water in the upper reaches of the Red river, and when these reach the Arkansas section, within the next two or three days, further delay woe be experienced in the work of trying to make repairs to the broken natural gas mains.
 Prospects last night were that it will be impossible to begin the work of repairs for another week or so, and it is now believed that it may be ten days or two weeks longer be- fore Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Hot Springs and other cities and towns in Arkansas will again be able to use natural gas.
 The Iron Mountain and Cotton Belt railroads have made repairs to their lines, and trains are again rum ming through, although the repairs are Of a temporary nature only, and every effort is being made by the railroad authorities to guard against further washouts, as re- suit of the fresh supply of flood waters that is coming down the Red river.
 Gas People Ready.
 The officers of the natural gas company, with large forces Of work men, and big supplies of material, are on the scene of the big break in the 1S-inch main, near Garland City, and are waiting until the waters re- cede sufficiently for them to start the work of repairing the pipe line.
 Except to organize the force and gather the material, it has been lm- possible, for the gas people to do anything yet, because of the depth of the flood waters. Something like the lowlands in which the broken kmain rests. The water started fall Hing at a peHceptible rate Wednesday, And the fall by last night was esti- mated at about two feet, but then the rate of falling lowered. and 1t is feared that before the ground is cleared of water, the fresh floods will be at hand, to again delay the work.
 Costly Machinery Lost. The gas people lost some costly machinery in the Red river Wednes- day, while trying to get it to the scene of the break in their main. The machinery, boiler and other ap- paratus had been brought by the Cot ton Belt from Shreveport to Lewis vile, and was there loaded on a barge, to be carried up the river to the break. The barge was being lowed by gasoline boat, and as soon as it reached the current of the Red river, it became unmanageable, due to the great force of the waters Almost in moment the barge was turned over, the heavy machinery dragging it to the bottom of the river. One of the tow lines broke, but the other held, and the gasoline boat was ill danger of being drawn under the water also, when this second tow line was unfastened. The men on the gasoline boat were in great danger, for a while Among them was Super intendent Elmer Richard of the Cot ton Belt, who returned to Pine Bluff yesterday, and Engineer Markham.
 Cotton Belt Praises.
 People in the flooded area are loud in their praise of the action of the Cotton Belt and of Superintendent Richards, in aiding them to reach places of safety. As soon as the enormity of the danger becams known, Superintendent Richards ls- sued orders to all Cotton Belt train