Evening star., 1927-05-19
RES|DENTSFLEE
AS FLOOD SPREADS
Thousands in Louisiana VAL
ley Forced 0ut-27
Towns Affected.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, May 19.--Resi-
dents of the vast West Atchafalaya
Basin were gathering their posses
sions today and fleeing from their
homes because of ominous flood
warnings issued by Federal weather
authorities and John NJ. Parker. State
relief director. Their homes are from
100 to $50 miles northwest of New
Orleans.
Mr.. Parker had a score of tele-
phone operators at work urging in
habitants to get out of the path of
the spreading waters. His instruc-
tions were obeyed by residents of 81
towns, none of which had a popula-
ton Of more than 500. The section is
on the route to the Gulf of Mexico
expected TO be followed by waters
from the Bayou des GLASSES levee
breaks and torrents pouring through
crevasses in the Atchafalaya River at
Melville, from which 1000 men,
women and children have departed
These floods converged 40 miles below
Bayou des Glaises. A lake 250 miles
long and from IS to 100 miles wide
was created.
5000 in Area
A sudden inundation of an addi-
tional portion of st. Landry Parish,
sending several feet of water into
Beggs, Garland. Dubuisson, White
vile and into the country surround
ing Bunkie, was reported. More than
5000 persons were estimated to be i'll
the inundated territory. Rescue
workers We're busy notifying them to
rush to the Southern Pacific Railroad
line where cars have been placed to
take them out of the territory.
The facilities of the refugee camp
at Opelousas became overtaXed yes
terday and a new camp was estab-
lished at EuniCe, IS miles away. Four
thousand refugees have been regis
tered at Opelousas. Some of them had
been without food and water for "a
hours prior to their arrival at the Red
Cross station.
The highway between Beggs and
Bunkie has been closed to traffic. 1t
is covered with four feet of water i'll
some places. Conditions were re-
ported to be growing steadily worse
in the section around Bunkie. Rescue
workers said that the stubbornness of
the inhabitants in sticking to their
homes was causing much trouble. The
Port Barre and Arnaudville sections
were expected TO be flooded within a
few hours.
Many Call for Help.
Rescue workers at Opelousas were
kept busy last night and today
answering a. steady stream of calls for
help which came from inundated sec
tions. A h-ndred persons were re.
moved from precarious positions in
box cars and on housetops at Pal.
metto. An urgent call from Garland,
where several score families were men,
aced, was answered.
A naval aviator, flying over the
Melville section, reported that 200
persons were living on levees there.
He also reported that II others were
marooned on a housetop at Swayse
Lake. A relief boat was dispatched
Immediately and those were saved
Two danger spot in the Lower
Valley caused trouble last night, but
were reported holding we'll today. AT
Belle Helene, 20 miles above New Or
leans on the east bank of the Missis-
sippi, $50 feet of a dixie started slough
ing 1t later was reported that the
damage had been repaired. The other
danger point was at McCrea, II miles
north of Melville on the east bank of
the Atchafalaya. There it was
learned that the swiftnesS of the cur.
rent had caused the embankment to
/ slough until there was a straight
drop of so feet from the top of the
leyee to the river. The crevasse at
Melville, while it lowered the height
of the water, was said TO have so in
creased The swiftness OF the current
as to add to the danger rather than
to lessen it.