Evening star., 1927-05-08
HOOVER IS GIVEN FIRST-HAND
CLIMpSES OF RESCUE WORK
Refugees Unloaded Alongside Official In
spection Boat as Party Reaches Natchez
Depart for Baton Rouge.

OrleanS a gang of 5000 men has
been at work night and day strength
cn!ng the levees on the east side of
the river opposite Lake Ponchnrtrain.
He said the local levee board has
adopted a policy of eternal vigl.
lance" to safeguard against sloughing.
Recently topped embankments Is
miles OF this stretch were damaged
by wave wash during storm some
time ago, but repairs have been made.
Special barriers have been raised on
top of the levees at Angola, where
river height of nearly foot above
ordinary levee altitude Is predicted.
The confluence of waters from the
Atchafalaya and Old Rivers is bear
ing down toward the Gulf of Mexico
on the west side of the river in the
Louisiana parishes northwest of New
Orleans. More than 10000 persons
are in the territory to the south of
the Old River. Mai. Hoicombe said.
Crest Past viclssburg.
Secretary Hoover today announced
that the crest of the food is just be.
low Vicksburg. The control literally
rode over the head of the flood waters
and scudded on southwark to beat it
to Natchez. Breaks In levees have re-
suited in folding of about 1900 square
miles in Missouri, 1000 square miles
in Mississippi, and 3,400 square miles
in Louisiana, the secretary said in a
statement. The population of the dis
tricts already flooded Is about $4,000,
of which over $4,000 have had to be
moved and 10000 are being supplied
in upper floors, including 10000 from
breaks involved in the past few days.
The crest of the flood has about 800
{1
powers of destruction, and is travelling
about 40 miles a day. There is about
5000 square miles of Louisiana still
kept dry by the levees, but these
levees, upon which thousands of men
are working, have not yet felt the
power of the full flood. 1t will require
from four to six weeks for the flooded
areas to drain out. Practically the
whole $50, 900 popula ton must be fed
and looked after by charity during
this time, whether in camps or still
remaining in the upper stories.
Replanting Plans Progress.
Organization Of the State commit
tees of reconstruction appointed by
the governors to manage in co-opera'
ton with the Red Cross the seed-imple'
ments. feed. etc, necessary for re-
planting, is making good progress,
L lIlSIlCG COIIlpdHlCc LC bGAtIS lpl live
by the bankers of the States at
Hoover's suggestion to undertake
credits rehabilitation,
The organization set up two weeks
ago, centering around the Red Cross,
the Federal, State and local agencies,
is functioning at every point. due to
boat mobilization and control.
I'VE anticipate preventing any loss
of life in areas now being flooded or
If there are more breaks" Hoover
said. Everybody is being fed, shelter
is provided as fast as needed and
health and order are being enforced.
We will need every penny of the Red
Cross quotas and as much more as
the American people can give
At the sandy camp for the flood
victims in Duncan Park on the out,
skirts of the town. Secretaries Hoover
and Davis and Mr.. Fieser were photo
graphed beside two old negro mann.
mics, both of whom were smoking
corncob pipes. They told the officials
they had come from st. Joseph.
Hoover stopped down and patted the
kinky head of little pickaninny who
yentured from a tent to see what the
crowd was about. Secretary Davis,
in company with Adj. Gen. Curtis
Green, then made detailed inspection
tour of the tented town and found the
camp ideally situated and carefully
laid out with a view to sanitation.