Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-06
FEEDING PROBLEMS
CONFRONT WORKERS


NATCHEZ, Miss, May 4.-The
task of feeding thousands Of Missis-
sippi flood victims, who are unable
to, or refuse to, leave their partly
inundated homes, was today the
chief problem confronting relief
workers in this section.
Several thousand persons are now
living on RATS, scaffolds, small
boats, in gins and barns in the
flooded districts, according to re-
ports here. Relief organizations are
providing food and clothing for only
those refugees at recognized camps:
I Natchez, Harrisonburg and Rhine
hart. Additional money is needed, 1t
was declared, to alleviate the serious
condition said to exist among VIC
Tins not at these camps.
Tie congressional committee in.
wsstigating the flood conditions OF
the lower Mississippi valley were eX'
F>pected here this afternoon from
vicksburg. The legislators were 10
inspect the crevasse near Ferrlday'
La, this morning. Tonight they are
to depart for Baton Rouge, La by
boat.
The crevasse near Ferriday is
widening slowly, reports mere salo
TODAY. It is now more than ha1
mile wide, and the southern emu -
said to be crumbling.
~ Back waters from the Red river
basin and waters from the Ferrlday
break are reported to have joined
and to have invaded rich farm lands
at distance of more IMAM All'S
miles from the Mississippi.
Although the waters in the floooed
districts are reported slowly rising,
the river was practically unchangeu
today.
- Food conditions at the relief camps
were improved with the receipt OF
additional supplies from nearby GU
les.
An irregular mail service has been
established in this section by means
of motor boats. In this manner
marooned persons who re1use 10
leave their homes, are receiving 1oou
supplies by parcel post from thelr
friends in the highland towns.
Telephone service is being repair
ed in many localities, and the entlre
section is becoming more adjusted
to the flood conditions, which ac-
oording to levee authorities, Will last
to some extent many weeks.
The inability of farmers through
out the section to plant crops TINS
year because of the inundatlon Oh,
their lands, created fear among au-
thorities of labor disintegration. rms
would mean economic ruin Tor the
section, it was feared, and plans are
being made to obtain work in this
section for those forced TO leave
their farms.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
VIEW FLOODED AREA
ABOARD MISSISSIPPI RIVER
COMMISSION STEAMER MlSsIS-
SIPPI, Vicksburg, Miss, May Abby
the Associated Press).-After
twenty-five mile inland trip through
backwater in the inundated sectioh
of the Yazoo basin north OF Vlcks-
burg. members of the congressional
delegation viewing the MISSISSIPPI
river flood were back on the swollen
waterway today for a daylight run
to Natchez and the Weecama Gre
vase at Ferriday, Louisiana.
NEW ORLEANS, May 4.-Re-
norts from the flooded area OF LOUIS
lana state that swollen streams IN
the northern part of the state, aug
mened by water pouring through the
Eerriday crevasse from the Mlssls-
sippi, are gradually inundatlng Cald-
well, Ouachita, Franklin, Richlano
and LaSalle parishes, and that the
great inland sea, now more than
100 miles long, from north to south,
has reached the southern corporate
limits of Monroe, less than 40 miles
south of the Arkansas state line.
In addition, water continues to
spread in those parishes already par
TALLY submerged, reports from Cata-
houla, Tensas, Avoyelles and Ra-
pides, indicating that the water is
rising at the rate oe 2 to inches a
d,y and continually spreading over
more territory, driving more and
more residents into the Red Cross
refugee camps, or into the hills,
whore an open air existence is made
almost intolerable b. the incessant
rains so general over the hooded
area
All lowlands adjacent to the
Ouachita, Tensas, Red, Little and
Black rivers, which center in the
Ouachita valley in the vicinity of
Harrisonburg, have been flooded for
several days. Water pouring
througi. the Ferriday crevasse
across Concordia parish, which is
entirely flooded with the exception
Of the town of Vidalla, around which
a protection levee was built, is pre-
venting these rivers from emptying,
and as result backwater is spread
ing rapidly in many sections be-
lieved previously to be immune frol,
floods. The rise is particularly
rapid along the Ouachita river.