Evening star., 1927-05-05
More Than $4,000 Driven
From Homes, Towns Desert
ed in TenSaS Parish.
TORRENTS STREAMING
THROUGH NEW BREACH
Armed Guard Called to Prevent Cut
in Levee-Refugees Fill Camp
Beyond Capacity.
By the Associated Press.


NEW ORLEANS, La, May 5.-Fifty
thousand persons were threatened to-
day with the wrath of the Mississippi
and its tributaries spewing sWirling
water from torn levees and backing
over loWlands to form an ever growing
lake which left only the tops of trees
above it's surface.
More than 1900 inhabitants were
being driven from Tensas Parish III
the first complete evacuation of the
parish since 1882. The towns Of ST.
Joseph, Waterproof and NeWellton
were being deserted, as were dozens
of smaller communities in the path of
torrents streaming through Il breach
in the levee at Winter Quarters, four
miles above st. Joseph.
Virtually all of Concordia Parish
already had been given over to the
backwaters of the Red and Old Rivers.
Twelve thousand residents were
affected by the flood in that parish.
where 425,600 acres of rich. alluvial
cotton and swamp lands were COW
cred, Vidalia and Ferriday, the sec
TONS principal towns, either already
were entirely under water or We're
expected to be submerged within the
next few hours.
Other Parishes Feel Effects.
Other neighboring parishes-Madi-
son. East and West Carroll, More
house, Richland, Franklin, Catahouia
and Ayoyelees-also were feeling the
effect of water from either the Mis-
sissippi or it's tributaries.
A man was reported drowned near
Winn Island, RichIand Parish, where
"a persons were marooned upon high
ground. Rayville also was reported
in a precarious position, being threat
ened by the waters of the Bouef River
and bv the overflow from Arkansas
streams.
Five thousand persons had been
made homeless in that section Withln
"a hours. oAItorboats and skiffs were
utilized by rescuers throughout the
night i'm saving men, women and chill
dren from housetops and trees.
Other Levees Weakening.
Another ominous threat impended
with various reports of other leVees
weakening along the Mississippi line.
Further West and to the South,
Rapides Parish officials appealed for
men and spades as many citizens
struggled with the waters OF Bayou
Rapides An attempt to cut the leVee
along that stream was believed fore
stalled with the arrival of armed men
to patrol the embanSments.
Monroe, in Ouachita Parish, already
threatened by the bulging Ouachita.
was forced to do an about face to fight
more eminent foe as Lafourche
Swamp, filled with waters loosed by
the Arkansas River, turned upon the
city. Work was started on a levee ex-
tension, which would place the town
behind a barrier htat would hold out
the water.
Refugees streaming into Delhi, 10.
Gated on a ridge in Richland Parish,
filled the camp beyond capacity. They
asked Adjt. Gen. Toombs for additional
bedding and cooking equipment Be-
tween five and eight thousand persons
still were to be removed from the
levees in the neighborhood of st. Jo-
seph. A plea was made for boats.
Barges also were asked to remove
1000 head Of cattle.
Meanwhile, the largest rescue fleet
ever assembled on the river, composed
of steam boats, Coast Guard cutters
and other vessels, was moving along
the river and nosing through the inun-
dated 1owlands. picking up refugees.
The fleet will follow the crest of the
flood as it moves to the Gulf of Mex
leo.