The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-29
Damage From Loss of
Crops, Ruined High
ways and Devastation
To Plantations-H
Tolls From Sawrnill
Plants and Railroads

Natchez, Miss, April 29.-More
than $4,000 people will be homeless
or suffer disastrous financial losses,
and the total destruction of property
will mount into many millions in CEN
tral-eastern Louisiana as the result
of the recent crumbling of the levees
of the Mississippi river, releasing
mighty torrent of water which is pill
ing higher the backwater from the
various streams that had already in
undated the low lands, it was esti-
mated here today.
Across the Mississippi river from
this the ill-fated section five Missis-
sippi counties are flooded with back
waters from swollen streams, and Z.
f. Patterson, Red Cross secretary at
Natchez. announced today that pro-
visions must go forward for l1,5OO
refugees from that territory alone
exclusive of the distress in Loulsl-
ana.
Approximately 100000 acres of land,
one-half of which is cultivated, is to-
day under water in Concordia, Gala
pula and Tensac, La, parishes.
The entire parish of Concordia,
containing 423 ,525 acres, is flooded,
100 900 acres of which had just been
planted in cotton at an estimated cost
Of $780, 900. An area of about 25O,O0O
acres is affected in Catahoola, includ-
ing $4,000 acres that had been plant
ed in cotton and corn. The flood is
spreading into Tensas parish, where
it is estimated that $4,000 acres Of
cotton land will be covered. The
damage from loss of crops, ruined
highways and devastation to the fer
tile plantations will run into millions
of dollars. The fight to hold the
levee lines is costing thousands Of
dollars a day, and the end is not
yet in sight.
Among those from whom the flood
has taken a heavy toll in addition to
planters are operators of sawmill
plants and railroads. Much valuable
lumber has been washed away and
the roadbeds OF the rail lines are Sc
riously affected. The transportation
of live stock to places of safety has
also been the cost of the inundation.
With the Mississippi river here at
stage two feet above the highest pre-
vious record, and much more ficod
water in sight, it is believed that a
large part of the section now inun-
dated will remain covered until July
In proportion to the population a
comparatively small number have left
their hOmesi but as food conditions
intensity it is expected there will be
many additional refugees to arrive at
she points where relief headquarters
have been established.
Eight hundred blankets, 500 cots,
and a number of army camp kitchen
outfits are expected to arrive today
from New Orleans for the refugee
camp here. ,
New ORLEANS, April 29.-With three
breaks in the levees Of the Mississip-
pi river in Louisiana and more IA
vorable winds, the swollen stream is
rapidly receding in the lower reaches
and during the past twenty-four hours
the river at New Orleans dropped six
inches.
The river is now emptying into the
gulf from two the breaks, one at
Myrtle Grove on the west bank of
the river, which carries the water
across Plaque Mine parish, and again
through the break at Poydras, on the
east bank of the river, where the
water is flowing in a stream of more
than six miles wide over st. Bernard
parish into Lake Borgne.
Both breaks are below New Or
leans, one aiding the river in dis
charging it's water. which must trav-
ell nearly 100 miles through it's reg
ular channel before it reaches its
mouth.
The flow of water through the Fer
riday break in central-eastern Noui-
siana relieves the river at the pres
ent time as its waters are spreading
across tremendous area where it
will remain as a gigantic lake cover
ing approximately 1,40O square miles,
until such time as adjacent rivers,
tributaries of the Mississippi, dis
charge their own water TO the ex-
tent of absorbing it. Before this
break the water in these smaller riv-
ers had already overfowed surround
ing territory and therefore cnnot
drain off the additional water now
rushing through the crevasses.