New Britain herald., 1927-04-28
Vast Army of 5000 Persons Moves on New Orleans as En- gineers Prepare to Open Levees and Flood Their Lands.
Many Resent Orders to Nacate and Troops Guard Against Trouble -Epidemics Break Out in Ii Refugee Camps.

New Orleans, La, April se.-LP- Stately four oaks. surrounding the home where General Pakenhan. leader Of the invading British in 1915, died. witnessed the passing Of another army today.
 Historical Setting
 Instead of the muskets Of invad- ing British, the giant oaks looked down upon the trucks and wagons loaded with household goods and personal possessions of the hun dreds of refugees from St. Bernard and Plaquemine parishes as they lied before the threat Of invading waters Of the Mississippi.
 Past the plains Of Chalme.te. where Andrew Jackson fought back the British with his army of Creolss and freedmen aided by the pirate oe Lailtee they streamed, some wistful and sad and some frightened anu impatient at delay some morose and grim.
 Many were cheerful and regard cd the forced evacuation as a stroke Of fate. dealt by the hand of the irresistible river. Others regarded the peaceful homes which they passed with eyes which saw in them only the reflected comforts of their own homes which they were leav- ing.
 The Old and Young
 Women and children. old men and boys made up the groups which passed first. Mules and horses. hav and feed stufts. bed clothing bat tered trunks, all trailed behind or filled automobiles and trucks which passed. Now and then a glistenina, new automobile passed with its load or refugees.
 Again a truck trundled past, chl- dron sprawled across mattresses watching with wondering eyes the exodus which was carrying them into the city. Or farmer strode grlmly past trundlng his belongings in a wheelbarrow. 4 trapper, his feet accustomed to the "terre trem- blante.' the dangerous sinking soil of the marshlands, walked With nervous stride, shouldering his gun and followed by his dogs.
 But the giant granite shaft on the p'alns Of Chalmette occupied n point of vantage from which could be seen not only the plodding army ot refugees but the other hundreds who were journcyins up the river toward the concentration camp at the army supply base.
 Moves Upon City
 In harges and motor boats .he army moved upon the city. The fed cral barge line acting under ins.ruc tons to render all possible help to the refugees, put barges at their disposal and towboats dragged the lo"land parish residents up the river between levecs which showed but a few feet above the water lin,.
 All roads leading into the &. Bernard highway were congested with vehicles filled with citizens who warned Of the coming crevasse. had hurriedly assembled their nov able belongings and were hasteninx toward New Orleans.
 Sheriffs and deputies visited out lyins parishes during the day ,n warn such inhabitants as had not been informed of plnrs 10 break tho levee.
 
 3.0o0 Leaving Houses
 Thus the five thousand residents of st. Bernard and PlaQnemine parishes in Louisiana were abandoning their homes and carrying all their port able possessions to New Orleans ur- der the menace of Mississippi flood waters to he loosed tomorrow by tne deliberate breaking CT their pro- ,"cting levee.
 The scenes along the dusty high ways lea ding to New Orleans. where men, women and children were 'rudgirg behind every kind of wheel ad conveyance were strikingly sin- liar 10 those enacted tS years ago when the civilian populations of France and Belgium fled before ad- 'ancinC hostile armies.
 To Open Ic,cc Frida,
 The great Crpvasse, designed 10 sacrifice the two parishes in an at 'o mpt to save New Orleans from Hood waters, will be created at noon tomorrow in a manner as yet un- designated by engineers who feared hat revelation Of their plans might lrouSe troublesome resistance.
 Although many of the parish resi- Tents received the official edict ot punishment from their homes with good grace. bitter resentment was apparent in the bearing of others. Many farmers and trappers ratrolled he levee with avowed intention of any move 10 break it, de ,pite assurances of city and state officials that complete reimburse nent would be made for all dana- 'ges.
 Troops On Guard
 State militia and New Orleans po- ice patrolled levce above New