Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-08
HOOVER HEARTENS
PESSIMISTlC SOUTH
FACING NEW FLOOD


FACING NEW FLOOD
Continued from First Page)
and curves from the action of the tor
rent, the Hoover train of three rail-
road office cars and the engine, pushed
on the very edge Of the newly rising
flood, at Lake Village.
A panorama of reconstruction in
the face of the threat of water flood
passed before the eyes of those on the
train. Every mile traversed from
McGehee to Lake Village was under
from to IL feet of water only a short
while ago. Each farmhouse, store
and telegraph pole bore its high
water mark" the dark stain left by
receding muddy waters. The sound
of hammer and saw at work on dam.
aged buildings was heard all along
the line, and in the muddy, water
spotted fields were gangs of negroes
chopping young cotton plants, two or
three inches above the ground. This
cotton was planted scarcely 10 days
ago, but the rich deposit of soil left
by the April flood worked magic on
the seed doled out by the Red Cross.
Doomed in Few Days.
The tragic aspect of this panorama
was that all or much of this activity
is doomed to end within a few DAYS.
unless means are found for closing the
breaks in the Arkansas River, now
starting to pour a new wall of water
over surrounding territory. Even to-.
day the water had again returned rs
far inland as the Missouri Pacific
tracks, and the ominous murmur of
the onward pressing current could be
heard at every culvert through which
the water was rushing.
Indications were today that Army
Engineers would endeavor to take
emergency steps to close the flood
gates of the Arkansas at once, and
thus prevent the second catastrophe
to this cotton country. Secretary
Hoover was in long distance telephone
conversation with Jadwin, chief of En-.
g1neers, in connection with this plan.
The Hoover car is equipped with a
telephone. which is plugged in to the
nearest line wherever the train stops.
Unless some protective measure is
instituted at once, the towns of Nc
Gehee, Hally and Lake Village once
more may go under water. 1t will
be staggering blow, for each is lust
beginning to get on it's feet again.
after being in the grip of raging
torrent which tore out streets and side.
walks and filled the streets neck Ceep
with water.
Sees Damage i'm Town.
Secretary Hoover was taken for an
automobile ride through Lake Village
and to the edge of the rising water
just outside the towns limits, He
traversed business streets busting
with shoppers. plateglass repairmen,
farmers, carpenters at work on caved-
IN store fronts and others engaged in
helping the town recuperate.
Most of the show windows along
the main street were cracked or
smashed in by the flood and mer.
chandise on counters and shelves was
ruined
on the outskirts of Lake Village he
visited Chicot County's finest cotton
plantation, whose vast water-soaked
fields are striped with the green
rows OF sprouting cotton, and Just be-
yond could be seen the slowly creep
ing flood from the June rise in the
Arkansas River. Returning to Nc
Gehee, the train passed along a Sec
ton Of concrete State highway which
is beginning anew to go under water.
Motorists were driving their cars
through hub-deep water. guided by
tall stakes on each side of the road
to mark 1.-The channel" This high
way two weeks ago was under 10 feet
of water.
All along the route could be seen
men, women and children fishing in
the yellow pools and lakes remain
ing from the previous high water.
The natatorial enthusiasts, mostly
black, sat bareheaded and barefooted
IN the blazing sun, rare treat this
Spring, with their improvised fishing
poles propped between their knees or
held listlessly in their hands.
Fish Reported-Not Seen.
The official party has yet to wit
ness a catch. although the natives
declare that when the floor first re-
ceded the bitches and pools were full
of black bass, catfish and cells. This
fishing was a business and not a
sport, necessity rather than a lux
ury. All of these people but recently
were in refugee camps and they
found the family larder at home not
so full They will fish for sustenance
until such times as they can raise
some vegetables in their gardens,
supplemented by Red Cross food sup
piled to those actually in want.
McGehee, where last nights booster
meeting took place. is SCARED by the
flood. Most of it's principal streets
have been ripped wide open by the
current, and sections of it's concrete
sidewalks are disarranged and scat
tered around haphazardly. The Le-
gion hut, once on a smooth thor
oughfare. must be reached by foot.
1t was in such drab surroundings
that the assembly met to hear Uncle
SAM" as the darkies call Secretary
Hoover in these parts.
People Are Awake.
"There is one bright ray which
comes out Of this gloomy situation
| confronting the Mississippi Valley, ;
Hoover told the gathering.
ut is the realization that the 1885,
L..