Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-02-03
TWO FAMILIES Of NEGROES DROWN
 NEAR DOUGLAS Reports Indicate That Eight or Nine Persons Lose
 Lives.
22 NEGRO CONNECTS
 REPORTED RESCUED
6. w. Wiley, K. k. Lake and Weeks Family Reach Safety-Bay Queen Hauling Food and Fepd--Mucll
 Stock Will Be Lost,

No longer in danger of loss of life, the refugees at Douglas and the con- victs at the state farm at Cummins remain at those places, the steamer Bay Queen having visited those places, and others, down the river yesterday.
 Contrary to reports sent out during the day, the p convicts who were entrapped in the Goree camp build 1 ing, were not rescued yesterday. Commissioner Bradsher of the peni- 1 tentiary board was at Warner last night, and stated that the oonvicts were still in the building and in great danger. because of the swift current. and the inability of small boats to reach them.
 Two negro families, about mile from Douglas are believed to have been drowned, nothing having been heard from them since early yester- day morning. There were man and wife in one family, and about four or five people in the other family.
 Early yesterday cries for help were heard from both houses. but none Of the small boats available could navi- gate in the swift current, and no res cue parties could reach the houses. Since 10 o'clock yesterday morning, nothing has been seen or heard of any occupant of either house. l Nothing has been heard from Staples, where the Nail family is cut off from all communication, but be- cause the house is built on the bank of the bayou, it is believed the family is safe.
 R. B. Lake, who was marooned at him home on the Midland plantation, with one negro man, was rescued late yesterday, after repeated attempts to reach him had failed.
 | G. w. Wiley, owner of the Wiley farm, adjoining the state convict farm. reached Grady yesterday. and sent word to relatives here that he is all right and that only about 200 acres of his farm is under water.
 Fifteen or twenty negroes of the Weeks plantation have taken posses sion of the Weeks home, and are liv- ing we'll on drowned chicken. MT Weeks and his family were rescued and taken to Douglas, and the ne groes went to the big house. MT. Weeks lost severol hundred chickenS which were drowned. and the negroes are living off fine yellow-legged stock MT. Weeks also lost about 60 head ot hogs. and seven head of mules owned by him are stabled on the front porch of his home.
 Trying to Feed Stock.
 Although nothing direct from the state convict farm was heard yester- day, Dr. c. c. Price, of the Linwood and Auburn levee district, came to town last night, by water and land He spoke graphically of conditions there, and reported the 22 entrappeC convicts had been saved.
 Commissioner Bradsher made the trip to Warmer from Cummins by boat and arranged for the feeding there o1 several head of stock owned by the penitentiary board, and which was moved to Warner when the danger o flood was imminent.
 There are 500 or 700 head of stock on knoll at Warner, and the rising water, it is said. will cover the knol this morning. Arrangements have been perfected for the use of tht three skiffs sent to Gould from here last night, these skiffs to haul feet through the flooded section, to ths live stock.
 it was reported from that same section last night that the Bay Queer is being used to handle foodstuffs ant and feedstuffs, and that after all th' ! stock is cared fer and safely placed the work of removing the convict' will be started. The convicts art expected to be taken by boat to SWal Lake, where they will board trains for Little Rock, but no arrangement have vet been made with the Cottor Belt fer the use of trains for sucl purpose.
 No Fuel But DriEtwood.
 The same deplorable condition, exist all through that ssction Of thu state. as were reported last night ant the night before, with the one excep ton. that the breaks have lowered thu height of the water, and thus reduced the danger to life, in the Cummlns lDcuglas section.
 Refugees are without sufflcien Ecloihing, and have no fires. Ther is no fuel at hand, except such drift wood as can be captured from tn river. Within a short distance of tn leyse, all sufferers have beel rescued except in q number of case where rather large parties are ma rooned and surrounded by swift cur rents.
 Breaks Help Sufferers.
 There are now five breaks in tn leyee on .he state farm property, on on the walker Jones place across th river. and one on the Weeks planta ton, about two miles from Douglas Vast quantities of water flowin through these gaps, has relieved tn pr.ssure at other points, has checke the continued rise in the river, an has actually caused lowering 1f tn stage of water at Douglas and otne points. To this alone is due tn present, comparatively sate pos.t'o Of the refugees at Cum -n1 ana Dcualas.