Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-05-01
FAIL
TO WITHSTAND
MAD TORRENTS
Small Craft from Gulf,
Atlantic and Lake
Coasts Hurried to
Relief of Cities

NEW ORLEANS. La. April 30.--Hf
The nations most disastrous flood
was spreading tonight with increas-
ing rapidity and federal and state
officials made no effort TO conceal
their apprehension or the dangers yet
to come.
Driven madly by the slowly nov-
ing flood crest. the Mississippi
swelled over a part Of the levce nc
Nicksburg, flooding the lower Sec
tion 0 fthat city. and sloughed off
2 feet Of the main levee at Glass
cock, La, twenty-five miles south
of Natchez. threatening inundation
Of Concordia. and parts of bordering
cities.
Great volumes OF water flowing
through the three gaps in the Ark
ansas river embellishments rapidly
were making complete the flooding
of southeastern Arkansas. inundatinR
the town Of Gould and adding TO the
flood denth in half a dozen other
towns which may be destroyed.
Flood waters around Yazee City
and northward in Mississippi CON
tinued their spread devastating new
fields and causing half a million dol
lars worth Of damage TO cotton stor-
ed in a compress in that city.
New Floods on WAY
While news Of these major events
in the flod area were trickling in
came Of stiU more and
dangerous floods yet to come. The
weather bureau announced tha
The greatest flood Of record" was
in prospect next week for che Ouch
tn and Black rivers, adding tina. "a
serious situation exists in north
eastern Louisiana"
As n result of the ,reak at Glass-
cock. Charles III. West. a mc.nher t-
the Mississippi river colnmfssir n, -
nounced that every possible efforf
should be made 70 Immediately raise
and strengthen the levees. from tre
mouth Of the Red river to New o.
leans"
The commissioner said the wat
plunging through the Glassro
crevasse would join with the Ar
ansas flood waters which are SWEEP
ing into Louisiana and for the pre-
sent should lower the river stage
from Natchez. where the highest
gauge OF record j. recorded to tha
mouth of Red River.
Thert was one bright spot in the
dark picture. the gauge nj New Or
leans showing a drop Of one tenth or
foot in five hours as a result Of
the crevasse deliberately opened al
Caernarvon. fifteen miles below tho
city. The first effort at dynamitinr
the massive levee yesterday having
been only partially successful, the
engineers continued blasting toda.
until they had great rush of wat
ers from the Mississippi flowing
into the now almost deserted par
ishes Of St. Bernard and Plaque
mine.
So serious il the situation pre-
sented in the remainder NJ the state.
however. that the coast guard. acting
on requests Of former Governor John
MI Parker. civilian flood director for
this state. u concentrating here and
at Natchez. the largest relief expedi-
tion in its hisotry.
One hundred and fifty craft. large
and small. are being assembled here.
coming from the Atlantic and gulf
coasts and the Great Lakes and
eighty others will be based mt
Natchez.
Situation Very Serious
Returning To Mephis after "A week
sDent in the flood area. Secretary
Hoover said he thought the situa
tion 80 serious that he would return
10 this territory next week after q
hurried trip 10 Washington to con-
suit with President Coolodge and the
cabinet committee which IN cooperat-
ing with the Red Cross.
The immediate problem is that Of
succoring 100000 homeless people
IA rescuing others" Mr.. Hoover said.
Rehabilitation has been given
some thousands, but many will have
to be- attended 20 later" Referring To
the Caernarvon crevasse. Mr.. Hoov-
er said il insured the safety of the
Crescent City. but that il created no
hope for the vast area between
Nicksburg. where the river is more
than n foot above the river is more
than q foot above the highest pre-
vious stage Of record. and New Or
laapE