Evening star., 1927-05-01
Officials Alarmed at Dangers
to Come as Worst Disaster
of Kind in History of Ma
ton Continues 10 Spread.
CUT BELOW NEW ORLEANS
LOWERS LEVEL SLIGHTLY
Greater Rise Forecast fer Next
Week on Tributaries-No Hope
Seen for Embankments Above
Mouth of Red River-Great
Fleet Is Modified.
By the Associated Press.


NEW ORLEANS. April 30--The
Nations most disastrous food was
spreading tonight with increasing
rspidity and Federal and State
officials made no effort to control
their apprehension of the dangers
yet TO come.
Driven madly by the slowly NOV
ing food crest, the Mississippi River
swelled over a part of the levee at
Vicksburg, Miss, flooding the lower
section of the city, and sloughed off
hundred feet of the main levee at
Glasscock, La, 25 miles south OF
Natchez, Miss. threatening inunda-
tion of Concordia and part of border
ing parishes.
Floods Continue TO Spread.
Increasing volumes of water flow
ing through the three gans IN the
Arkansas River embankments rapidly
were making complete the flooding
of southeastern Arkansas, inundating
the town of Gould and adding to the
flood depth in half a dozen otker
towns which may be destroyed
Flood waters around Yazoo City
and farther northward in Mississippi
continued their spread. devastating
new fields and causing half a million
dollars worth Of damage TO cotton
stored in compress in that city.
While news of these ma jor events
in the flood area were trickling in.
+nTHhnnIncr nf CT y
dangerous foods yet to come. The
Weather Bureau announced that "the
greatest flood of record" was in pros.
pect next week for the Oachita and
Black Rivers, adding that a serious
situation exists in northeastern Loui.
siana."
Urges Work on bikes.
AS a result of the break at Glass
cock, Charles II. West, a member of
the Mississippi River Commission. an
nounced that every possible effort
should be made to raise and strength.
en- the levees from the mouth of the
Red River to New Orleans"
The commissioner said the water
plunging through the Glasscock
crevasse would join with the Arkansas
flood waters which are sweeping into
Louisiana, and for the present should
lower the river stage from Natchez.
where the highest gauge in history is
recorded, to the mouth of the Red
River.
If the levees along the south bank
OF the Black and on the upper
branches of the AtchafaIaya rivers
give way" he added, this also will
act as lowering the Mississippi River
Tor the time being. There seems no
hope that these leVees will hold and
any disaster there will bring greater
strain on the Mississippi levees sepa.
rating this flood from the main river
south Of the mouth of the Red River
70 New Orleans"
Level Drops at New Orleans.
There was one bright spot in the
dark picture. the gauge at New
Orleans showing drop of one.tenth
Of a foot in five hours as a result of
the crevasse deliberately opened at
Caernarvon Is miles below the city.
The first effort at dynan1iting The
massive levee yesterday having been
only partially successful, the engi.
neers continued blasting today until
they had great rush of waters from
the Mississippi flowing into the now
almost deserted parishes of ST.
Bernard and Plaquemines.
so serious is the situation presented
In the remainder of the State, how
ever, that the Coast Guard, acting on
requests of former Gov. John NJ.
Parker, civilian food dictator for this
state, is concentrating here and al
Natchez the largest relief expedition
in its history.
One hundred and fifty craft. large
and small. are being assembled here.
coasts and the Great Lakes, and so
others viii be based at Natchez. In
addition every available Government
and many privately owned motorized
vessels are being requisitioned for
service.
Boats to Scout Area.
Former Gov. Parker plans to have
the larger craft visit any inundated
river towns and eyacuate refugees who
have been taken there by small craft
and who are 10 he concentrated in
TWO huge camps at Baton Rouge and
Natchez. Small boats will scout the
flooded area for the homeless and
marooned, and hope is entertained
that through these operations loss of
life, such as attended the floods in
Arkansas and Mississippi, will be
averted.
Return1ng 10 Memphis, after a week
spent in the flood area. Secretary
Hoover said he had found the situa-
ton so serious that he would return
To this territory next week after a
hurried trip to Washington to consult
with President Coolidge and the cab
met committee which is cooperating
with the Red Cross.
The immediate problem is that of
succoring 100000 homeless people and
rescuing Others" Mr.. Hoover said.
REHABILITATION has been given some
thousands, but many have to be at
tended to later"
Little Hope Is Seen.
Referring 10 the Caernarvon Gre
vase, Mr.. Hoover said it insured the
safety of New Orleans, but that it
created no hope for the vast area be-
tween Nicksburg. where the river is
more than q foot above the highest
previous stage of record, and New
Orleans.
The Presidents personal represent,
ative in the field said all the refugees
continued on Page 4. Column A.
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