Evening star., 1927-05-23
NEW FLOOD TRAPS
zoo IN LOUISIANA
Danger to Levees Increases
as Streams Rise After
Torrentiai Rains.
BY the Associated Press.


NEW ORLEANS. May 23.-Tor.
rental rains, which have added to
the hazard of the levee fight along
the east bank of the upper Atchafala-
va, were imperiling many lives less
than a 100 miles away in the lower
west basin OF the same river today.
Sudden rises of the Vermilion River
and Bayou Heche brought by five to
eight inch rains, augmenting the
flood waters already pouring into the
streams, carried them out of their
banks last night into the lowlands be.
tween Lafayette and BreauX Bridge.
Between 100 and 200 persons in the
bottom lands along the Vermilion were
believed trapped by the sudden rise
of the stream and boats were dis.
patched to their rescue.
Rise Comes Suddenly.
The rise of the streams came with
startling suddenness: hundreds of per-
sons who had delayed abandonment
of their hames awaiting a nearer APP
proach of Athe flood waters rolling
down the Atchafalaya basin still were
in the district. Late yesterday after
noon the lowlands were dry and the
streams within their banks. Eight
hours later they had broken from
their beds and were overspreading the
lowlands, blanketing them to depth
of from two to five feet. The water
still was rising at the rate Of foot
an hour.
Breaux Bridge was completely cut
off from communication with the rest of
the world except by boat. Southern
Pacific branch lines tracks in the
town were two and a half feet under
water. The town of Vermilion also
was under rapidly rising water.
Oil Fields Inundated.
SO swift was the current sweeping
through the section that one man who
was caught in the waters had most
of his clothing torn away by the
stream before he could struggle back
to dry land.
The oil fields and salt mines of Anse
la Butte We're reported covered.
For the first time in history st.
Martinsville, an old town, rich with
the traditions of Acadians, was dis
appearing beneath the flood. Water
already was tapping about the base
of the Evangeline Oak and was eX-
pected to enter the 16O-year-old
church.
All women and children were re-
ported safely out Of st. Martinsville.
Many Of them had fled to a refugee
camp installed at Greenville, but the
driving rains flooded the site chosen
for their quarters there and they were
again forced to seek shelter from the
, waters, removing to the concentra-
ton camp at Lafayette. The popula-
tion of the camp there already had
been swollen to 15,500.
Still Hope for Sugar Bowl.
The fight along the east bank levees
of the upper Atchafalaya still was
successful, the citizens were hopeful
of saving the rich parishes of the
| sugar Bowl" from the flood. A rag
ing current was tearing tiercely at
the sodden walls Of mud protecting
Pointe Coupee and the other four
parishes between the Atchafalaya and
the Mississippi Rivers, however, and
a desperate fight was being main
tanned. This point was about 120
| miles northwest of New Orleans and
on the west bank Of the Mississippi.
The crest Of the flood had passed
on the lower Mississippi, DR.. I. M.
Cline meteorologist at the New Or
leans Weather Bureau, believed. and
the river will continue to fall between
the mouth Of Old River and New
Orleans.
The fall will be slow, however, he
said, since some Of the flood waters
from the Tensas Basin still are find.
ing their way back into the main
stream through Old River.
The real crest of the flood, he said,
has not yet passed out Of the Tensas
Basin, but the greater part of this
overflow is passing down the Atcha-
! falaya Basin q through the breaks
%&N a.,, wToa o 4