Evening star., 1927-05-16
RIVER THREATENS
NEW DESTRUCTION
Rushes Through Ten Major
Crevasses in Bayou Des
GIaises LeVees.
Rv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, La, May 16.-
Rolling relentlessly down the fertile
west side of the Atchafalaya basin,
flood water from 10 major crevasses
in the Bayou des CLASSES levees today
drew closer to st. Mary and st. Martin
Parishes, spreading devastation on its
way to the Gulf of Mexico. The
threatened section is in the center OF
the ''Evangeline country" MADE
famous by Longfellow.
The Bayou des GLASSES crevasses are
approximately $50 miles northwest OF
New orleans, on the west side or the
Atchafalaya River.
Ayoyelles and st. Landry Parishes.
with their green crops or corn ana
sugar cane, already have been SUP
merged by the torrents tearing
through the Bayou des GLASSES ievees'
and thousands of persons nave Deeh
driven from their homes. Other thou
sands are preparing to seek safety'
Work Is Abandoned.
Work on the protection levee pc
tween Port Barre and Butte Ia noss
in st. Martin Parish was apahooIeu
last night when it became apparent
,ho+ tho Hood moving down the basin
through the Bayou des Glaises levees
would he from two to three rect
higher than the dixie.
For 80 days crews nave peen
strengthening embankments. scores
who had volunteered to aid IN the
work left for their homes to prepare
to fee before the advancing toe.
ARMY engineers estimated that lhe
water flowing from Bayou Des Gaises
bad covered 600 square miles, but that
the rapidity with which 1t spread
would be lessened from now on. En-
giners also said that the entlre
Stretch of so miles of levees aions
Ravou Des Glaises probably woulo De
carried away.
Report Levees Submerged.
Airmen returning from trips over
the dykes said that the Big beho
teyees were practically submerged Iol
20 miles. The stream OF refugees iII.o
Mansura and Marksville continued un,
shated as the flotilla of SO Coast Guard
s,rfboats. manned by trained li1e-
Ga wing crews from the Atlantic, Grea.
lakes and Gulf Coast stations. compeo
tne area, bringing out marooned resi-
dents who had stayed in their MONIES
in the face Of repeated warnings.
More than 1900 persons were
brought out of the area In two Gays
by the Coast Guardsmen.
The fact that waters in the ieVee
openings were dangerous-more SO, III
fact than rapids of some mountain
streams-did not faze the rescue
crews. The crevasse waters, polllns
like giant cauldrons. were filled Win
whirlpools and eddies.
AirpIanes Drone Overhead.
While the coast guardsmen piloted
their craft back and forth, seven sea
nlanes droned as they crulsed over
the area, spotting marooned persons,
signaling to the liquor cnasers Oh
normal times.
describing the flood moving down the
Atchafalaya Basin, said that 1t would
gradually increase to very great pro
nortions." Some relief for the main
line of levees along the Mississippi
was believed to be in sight. as the
Weather Bureau announced that with
in the next two days, "the sse In
the Mississippi below Old River
should diminish.
The end is not yet in sight, how
ever, as the crest of the flood moving
down the Tensas Basin had not
reached Ferriday, though slight fails
have been recorded at Newellton and
Talluiah, while the Mississippi River
at Vicksburg remained higher than
the record established in 1922.
Serious Situation Reported.
Aviators reported that serious situ-
alton existed at MorGanza, where the
current of the river at bend beats
on the levee.
Rackwater from the Atchafalaya has
spread over the lower part OF lber-
Vile parish, where there are no levees,
as lakes below are unable to care
for the tremendous volume of water.
Refugee camps were under con-
struction at ST. Martinsville and
Onelousas to care for the lower part
of the Atchaflaya basin. Advices from
st. Martinsville we're that 10000 per-
sons would have to be cared for there,
while between 1000 and 5000 were
expected to be concentrated at
Opelousas.
Hoover Back From Bayou.
Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Com
merce, who with James Feiser, of the
Red Cross. has been in the Bayou des
CLASSES section. returned here today.
MIR, Hoover predicted that the worst
of the flood should become known dur.
Ing the present week, and that, until
determined. 1t would be Impossible
To estimate either the losses or the
dimensions of our problem"
Opening of new sub-headquarters
at Alexandria for relief work was an
uounced by Secretary Hoover. in order
10 facilitate caring for 35. 900 persons
already in refugee camps in that area,
which number IL likely to increase to
IS 900 or 100000 within the next 10
days.
Nine Found Drowned.
ALEXANDRIA. La. May 16 P).-
A widow and her eight children were
found drowned in the attic of their
home today at Plauchville, according