The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-04-30
MORE CHARGES
OF DY Ma MITE
PLACED TODAY
Yesterdays Attempts to
Break Huge bikes Were
Only Partially Successful
FLOW Is VERY GRADUAL
Artificial Lake 60 Feet Deep
and Half Mile Long
Formed at P0ydras

New Orleans. La. April 30.-
(AP) - Additional charges Of
dynamite were fired today at the
opening In the Mississippi river
levee on the east hank Of the
river Is miles below the city In
an effort to widen the breach
and allow for q greater flow Of
the flood waters. 4 call wan
sent to New Orleans today for
two more tons Of dynamite.
The request for more dynamite
WAS sent by q motorcycle courier
by Il. b. kohnke. engineer. who
sent the following Message:
"Don't fail to get two tons Of
dynamite by b0at today. will
lay over and work tomorrow.
Spare no expense"
The first charge Of dynamite
shot into the levee today WIDEN
ed the gap near the point where
the break waa greatest and the
water began to rush through with
greater speed.
New Orleans, April 3O.-tE-A
widening lake Of water was spread
ing gradually today over parts Of
two deserted parishes to the south
ward from three small crevasses
made in the Mississippi levee yes
tcrday so that the threat Of seri-
Gus flood might be removed from
New Orleans.
The blasting Of the broad earthen
eMbankment thrown up to keep the
vagrant river in its channel was not
as successful AS state engineers hod
ant ipated, but erosion in the deep
trenches cut by the dynamite charges
was noticed early today.
George {. Schoenberger. chief
state engineer. announced that the
leyee definitely had been broken
and that there was an opening GO
feet wide at the ppd of the series
Of gaps through which water was
rushing into the parishes of ST.
Bernard and Plaquemine. He added
that he expected the opening to widen
rapidly and that it would have an ap-
preciablc effect on the river level
which would be felt at New Orleans
within AZ hours.
Rush Fails to Come
A situation so serious that it was
deemed necessary to deliberately
break the dikes for the first time in
history has served to focus the eyes
Of the world here. but the spectacular
rush of waters, sweeping all before
its fury, failed to matcrialize.
The first blast in mid afternoon
cut trench about 10 feet deep and
six feet wide, allowing small stream
from the coursing flood to find its
way to the lowlands. A second blast
10 minutes later and third within
minute or two Of that failed. how
ever, to produce even as good results
as did the first.
Only thin streams eased through
the openings and force of men
worked with pick and shovel to
widen and deepen the crevasscs.
Finally more dynamite was used and
slightly larger cascades resulted.
The blasting was done on each
side of the dividing line between St.
Bernard and Plaqueminc parishes
and directly in front of the little
canning town Of Caernavan. which,
like most Of the other villages in
the threatened area, had been de-
serted by it's inhabitants.
Slowly the water found it's way
across the highway skirting the
base Of the levee, overran a meadow
and spread out over the town, reach
ing finally to the Caernavan Canal,
wrecked in the 1922 flood which
crashed through tho old levce near
the Poydras settlement.
Flow Very Gradual
All night the streams tumblcd
down the side Of the embankmcnt
to push forward the waters in tne
lowlands. but so gradual was the
flow. that few of the houses in the
canning town had been damaged.
The breaks in the levec were made
a mile south of the 1922 crevasse
tContinmed on page three)