The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-05-06
FLOODS FURY
YET UNABATED
NEW LEVY BREAKS INUNDATE
GREATER AREAS-FRANTIC
EFFORTS TO SAVE

BATON ROUGE, La, May g.
Flood waters of the Mississippi
were turned loose on half a doz-
en- northwest Louisiana parishes
this afternoon when the levee
near Milliken's Bend just north of
Vicksburg, Miss, gave way. 1t
was estimated here that the break
will result in the early inundation
of between 1000 and 5000 square
miles of lowland
Ten hydroplanes, two hundred
flat boats and five coast guard
boats, Mississippi river com
mission steamer, United States
engineers boat and a large num-
ber of additional craft belonging
to the Standard Oil Company are
available here for rescue work.
Rough estimates place the pop
ulation TO be affected at from 25,-
900 to 10000 including a score or
more of prosperous agricultural
towns.
NEW ORLEANS n Successful
termination of the fight to hold
the levee line against the charge
of the Mississippi river today be-
came a question of grim endur-
ance in the Natchez sector while
a relief squadron ploughed thru
the muddy waters to remove res
idents from the inundated low
land parishes of northwestern
Louisiana.
The flood waters from the Red
and Mississippi rivers, streaming
from breaches in the levee sys-
tens, continued their invasion,
widening their territory north
ward and westward as they NOV
ed to meet the coming flood from
the Arkansas river.
The dixie fight became desper-
ate on the west bank of the Mis-
issippi in the neighborhood of vi
dalia and crew worked thruout
the night on electrically lighted
embankments. At Newellton also
the situation became critical as
waters stopped over levee tops
and emergency measures were
speeded to stop the flow. The
crisis was expected between Delta
Point and Deer Park in the same
territory within the next two
days.
Crest Nears Vicksburg
With thousands of persons al
ready driven from their homes in
northeastern Louisiana, the crest
was only approaching Vicksburg,
Miss, many towns in Concordia,
Cathoula, Avoyelyles and neigh
boring parishes in Louisiana al
ready had been deserted, but in
others reliance was placed in pro-
lection OF levees. Residents
strengthened their defenses be-
fore the coming flood.
A rescue fleet, headed by flag
ship, and six steamboats,, four
coast guard patrol boats and half
a dozen surf launches, left Nat
chez today to comb the area COW
cred by water. Meanwhile, the
Allegheny, naval tug, with bar
ge in tow, moved to st. Joseph to
stand by to remove citizens in
case of a crevasse there.
New Orleans Is Safe
ENGINEERS said that the safety
of New Orleans was assured as
the Poydras break, below the city
was widened to 1000 feet releas-
ing a sufficient amount of water
to lower the level at New Orleans
from / to 2.5 feet.
The reparations committee, des-
ignated to assess damage caused
citizens of st. Bernard and Pla-
uuimnes parishes when the rag
inc waters were released upon
their homes and fields to save
New Orleans, was to meet today.
Before them the members had a
message from Gov. Simpson term
ing this voluntarily surrender OF
their homes by residents OF the
two parishes, zone of the most
patriotic sacrifices the world has
ever beheld"
The population of the refugee
camps swelled hourly as persons
arrived on foot, in wagons, in
automobiles, or were ferried to
safotv in flooded sections by the
relief boats concentrated in the
area. The task of rushing food
and other supplies taxed the i'm
mense facilities of the Red Cross.
Overhead were airplanes and
seaplanes, observing the trend OF
the pouring torrents, locating
marooned groups and speeding
supplies to advanced posts in the
newly flooded areas.