Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-24
BREAK IN LEVEE
CAUSES MILLION
DOLLARS DAMAGE
Cap at Myrtle Grove
Widcns to l25 Feet, In
undating Lands.
ENGINEERS HOPE TO TIE
ENDS AND HOLD WATER
5000 Acres, Planted in Sugar
Cane, Ruined by Rag
3 ing Flood.
STATE OYsTEU BEDS SUFFER
'Tarpnuiins Are Used In Effort 10
Check RunhInE
Torrents.
ENGINEERS HOPE TO TIE
ENDS AND HOLD WATER
STATE orsfEu BEDS SUFFER
; rnrpnuiins Are Used In Effort 10
Check RunhInE
Torrents.
lBx Assoclated prcssl

NEW ORLEANS. La. April 90
Hope OF closing the break In the
Mississipp! levcc. which occurred at
- Myrtle Grove. thirty miles south OF
I this city. was abandoned today after
81 had widened 10 approximately 125
'fest.~desrite the efforts OF levee en-
ginecrs TO close the gap and contne
the river to its regular channel.
Engineers hope to be able 10 tie"
tho ends OF the ievce with tarpaullns
and let the water run through over
The already Inundated land. this de-
|ctsion having been reached by en-
Hinecrs in charge at conference at
Myrtle Grove today.
While 1t is Impossible TO estimate
with accuracy the damage done by
the break At Myrtle Grove. plan,a-
ton men today .Hprcssed the opinion
THAT at least si.9oG.0o0 damage had
;tircady been done The Deer Range
Plantation Company is the heaviest
loser. This company cw,s nbou,
5000 acres Of land In the inundated
area. planted mostly In sugar cane.
}uwners Of the plantation say I, viii
require at least three years Of har-
Ncsting before enough seed can be
raised 10 proceed with the conduct Of
the plantation or the scale main
iained before the hood.
Wreck Oyster Operations.
oyster and shrimp beds and trap
ping arc other Industries which Will
suffer largely as Il result Of the
break. The dumping OF fresh water
into the oyster and shrimp beds
IN n a.
nnd Grand Isle VIII result In the
wrecKiug OF these operations there
. oyster beds are practically ruin, i.
since the fresh water will Kill off
the crop. while the shrimp vii! leave
the territory ana cannot De followed
Up proil,ably. Muskruts. whose hides
3ieid an annual profit Of approxi-
u"iriy 'a00.coo to the trappcrs Of
iue l'>""r coast, will be practically
"il,d out
rs protection TO plantation set
Elements. back lcvces were cut in
several places, but tho flood waters
'jcontinn.d 10 spread over large areas
OF land with no a2prcciablc lct-up.
Down in the bottoms the water has
reached Il point opposite St. Eosalie,
two miles above the break and is
rushing on toward Alliance. another
mile northward
No Loss OF Life Reported.
No estimate of the area already
covered by water Or the areas yet
TO be affected has been attempted
The water is known to have reached
point three miles below the break.
mo reports OF loss OF life or of live
stock have been received Plans for
caring for about 800 residents OF the
inundated area, who have been driven
from their homes. is we'll under way.
the work being under the direction
OF the Deer Range Plantation Com
pany. part of whose lands are i'm
Z, the inundated area.
The Mississippi River at New Or
leans remained stationary today for
the second time since the inception of
the present rise. the gauge register
ing ga feet. the same as twenty
}. four hours ago, and four-tenths OF
foot over the high-water record here.
All points south OF Vicksburg re-
ported rises OF one to two-tenths of
n foot.
DR.. ]. NJ. Cline. forecaster Of the
local Weather Bureau. stated tonight
that he was of the opinion that the
125-foot gap in the west bank levee
. lat Myrtle Grove. thirty-hvc miles
down the river from New Orleans.
which tore loose yesterday, would
have no psrceptible effect on the
stage Of the river here. unless the
crevasse widens considerably.
NJ Nyng1A