Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-04-29
INUNDATION OF
TWO PARISHES
IS UNDERWAY
Floods Pour
Through Levee OPP
en- to Save City OF
New Orleans


on THE MISSISSIPPI LEVEE,
Near Violet. Ia. April 2a.-CPp--A
break in he dykes here holding the
Mississippi flood waters was made
az 2.l7 l-2 o'clock ". M central
standard time today by state engi-.
neers
Dynamite blasted away stretcH
Of the dykes thousand feet Ion
releasing the surging waters IN the
hope that New Orleans would e.
cape from the flood moving down
the river from the vast Inundated
area ~ the n0rthward.
Two hours delay in the blasting
Of the crevASse ON the Mississippi
river levee south of here was made
necessary because the engineers
planting the dynamite were unable 10
complete their task by noon, which
had been set as the aero hour.
The spot selected for the break was
directly in front or a now deserted
small canning village and was one
hundred yards south of the sharp
bend in the river where the 1922
cFevasse occurred.
Dynamite was sunk at intervals
over n stretch Of levee one thousand
feet. Engineers sank 72a pounds of
explosives in three widely scattered
rows with AZ holes 10 each row, with
approximately five pounds 70 each
hole.
Residents of the vast territory 10
be inundated still were moving out
during the morning hours, their
household goods piled high On private
and military trucks. Here and there
men were 20 be seen driving mules
and horses from the danger area. "A
survey of the territory in the viri-
nifty of the break showed. scores 0f
deserted houses. Cross roads stores
had been abandoned and their stocks
moved to high ground.
Presents MmF-Like Scene
War-iike scenes were presented ~
plans went forward for the first
deliberate cutting of the levees since
the control of the father of waters
was undertaken ny this system VI
dykes nearly half century ago.
Long before the zero hour, armed
soldiers W the state began patrolling
the breastworks built against a
might rivers assault, armed cr4fr
moved On the river and seaplnnes
droned overhead, none OK them equip
ped, however, with anything more
I dangerous IMAM CAuitFAs
With the crack of dawn. " detmch-
ment W the national guard marched
! " the scene selected for the break
nc PoydrnS, ten miles south 0f New
Orleans and spread out fan-wise CO
give "a last warning 90 the lew hun
4 dred residents of the territory who
had failed to heed early adinOnitiuna
10 abandon their homes for safe
ground in " near New Orleans. The
soldiers guarded the roads from tnlW
city and three hours before moon ting
highways were cleared and the nruiA
within two miles Of the location nk
the break was closed GO traffic 0mAM
| those bearing military passes ven
admitted within the Gordon wv
troops and such passes were extFemal
| IN difficult tO obtain. Careful plAHA
FOR erection w the rrevnsSc have beBn
prepared Nv state engineers in com
Y sultatiOn with officers 0f the United
States army engineers c0rpar hmt
they were jealousy guarded for fem~
sons which were not disclosed.
Will Reduce Isevee Feet
The purpose was ID loosen the mas
sive levee along that stretch NY thp
use VI dynamite in many small
charges. thus leaving tO the force nl
the flOodwatrrA the cOmplrtipnA nl
the break, which is expected tn rn-
dnce the level of the water here mp-
\ proximately three feet i'm from three
CO. aix days
Extraordinary precautions were
taken To prevent accident and insure
the safety of AT th0Sd. who might w
within the restricted akca. 0rdsFA
issued from the first slate rrsuiiitmry
district provided that after tha mn-
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