The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-05
T0RRENT|AL RAINS WHOLLY DISRUPT
 RAILROAD SERVICE
Southern Mississippi An d Louisiana IsoIated-Heavy
 Damage to Property

NEW ORLEANS, April 4.-Torren- tial rains last night. and early today in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana small streams to go out of their banks and flooded highways and low lands. The weather bureau here re- ported precipitation during the 24 hours ending this morning 10 have been six inches at Natcnez and more than seven inches at Brookhaven, Miss. The downpour at Hattiesburg, Miss. resolved itself into terrific nail storm at midnight which caused $50, 009 damage to insured and an equal amount of damage to uninsured property, breaking windows, damag ings rooms and stripping vegetation of it's foliage.
 The railroads were the heavies sufferers. The double track main line of the Illinois Central was sew cred in two places near BEookhaven. Miss, when culverts were swept away by overflow water from the Bogue Chitto river. Trains then were detoured via Vicksburg and the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley rail- road. a subsidiary of the Illin<is Gen. tral. but this line later in the day was blocked when the track was washed out near Gioster. Miss. There were no lines operating south of Jackson, Miss; the New Orleans Great Northern and Gulf and Ship cause of washouts.
 Traffic Is su.pended.
 Traffic on the Laurel branch of the Gulf and Ship Island was suspended this forenoon when the track went out at Gitano. The line was under water for a distance of two miles also experienced difficulty in moving trains and the road was blocked by several washouts.
 At Alexandria, La, trolley traffic was interrupted by water in the streets last night and was not re- sumed until late this forenoon. Au- tomobiles with their ignition sys- tems drowned out were dead" on the streets throughout the city. Al the intersection of Lee and Jackson streets the water went over the curbs and flooded stores. causing damage to stocks of goods. The Rocky Bayou backwater levee, which protects the Louisiana State Asylum for the Insane at Pineville. broke this forenoon and flooded so acres of the farm. The pumping station was under eight feet of water, while the pumping plant of the United States veterans hospital at Camp Stafford was flooded from the same source.
 LOwlands Overspread.
 Flood waters of the Ouachita river north of Monroe. La, continued to overspread the lowlands and some families were reported marooned Their situation was said not to be dangerous, however
 The weather bureau here today is- sued a special flood warning because of the downpour, predicting rises the next few days in the Mississippi be- low Nicksburg, the Atchafalaya, Red and Ouachita rivers.
 Alvin Owsley. national commando CT of the American Legion, was ma rooned aboard train at Bator Rouge while en route from New Or leans to Jackson, Miss. to participate in legion celebration today and speak 1t the dedication of a new city auditorium and armory. The Jack. son veterans obtained an airplane tc send to Baton Rougle with the ex- pectation of having him transported to Jackson in time for the closing features of the celebration, but he refused to make the flight declarins he had promised Mrs. Owsley he would not travel on airplanes and that he would stick to the train