The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-05-04
PEOPLE BATTLE
With FLOOD
PASTORS LEAD FLOCKS TO
RIVER TO BUILD EN-.
BANKMENTS.


flowing through the three crevasses
in the lower Mississippi river contin-
ned to cover more lands today, the
fight to prevent other breaks in the
levies was carried on without any
let up. Thousands of men spent their
Sabbath filling and piling sand bags
to strengthen the weak places and to
raise low stretches of the embank-
ments to meet higher river stages
than any yet recorded.
In the third Mississippi levee dis
trict alone no less than 10000 men
were engaged in the fight to hold the
swollen river in its channel, the A.
GOO employed by the government in
this district being reinforced by more
than 5000 civilians who have volun-
teered their services for common pro-
lection of their homes. Church SEW
ices were dispensed with in many
places, the pastors leading their focks
to the levees where the day was
spent in hard labor to prevent fur
ther flooding.
Other hundreds spent the day in
searching the flooded areas for ma
rooned families and removing them
in small boats to places of safety.
Throughout the day the numbers be-
ing cared for in hastily improved
refugee camps, established by the
Red Cross or by private citizens, were
augmented by the arrival of other
destitute and sometimes hungry refu-
gees who had been marooned in their
flooded homes for several days.
So far as could be determined late
today there was no alleviation of the
serious situation growing out of the
depletion Of food supplies at number
of the refugee camps, especially at
Harrisonburg, La, where 1,500 per-
sons were reported yesterday to be
practically without food. Nothing is
known here of the progress of the
boat load Of provisions dispatched
from New Orleans yesterday for the
stricken Black River district, where
II 900 destitute refugees are await
ing food while existing on restricted
diet.
Reports from Yazoo City, Miss, to-
day state that food is scarce in that
district, the supplies there being prac-
tically exhausted and that conditions
were even worse in Issaquena county
where a large area had been under
water for the last six weeks.
At Jonesville, La, where several
hundred destitute refugees from the
Black, Little, Tensas and Ouachita
river districts are being cared for,
back waters have completed flooded
the town. While the refugee camp
there is located on higher ground tran
the town itself, it is expected that
even the camp site will be inundated.
Preparations are being made to care
for 5000 refugees at Harrisoaburg,
where a refugee camp was establish
ed, and at Rhinehart where a camp
was opened yesterday. More than l.
500 people are already copeentrat" :"
IN these two camps and the ,iumter
il constantly being increased.
Water from Ferriday crevasse today
,eached the town of Waterproof, La,
and late reports were that the town
is slowly being flooded. At Vidalia,
La, efforts to erect temporary levees
to prevent the water entering that
place were continued throughout last
night and today with some hope OF
success.
No dangerous developments in the
levee situation in the lower reaches
of the river were reported today.
Weather bureau predictions indicate
taat there will be little change in the
river stages ior the next few days,
but that water in sight indicates that
recently established high records will
Ee broken at all points on the lower
river.