The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-05-18
20 Parishes NoW>
Covered by Floods
Greatest Flood in LOuisiana's
History yes Toward
Gulf cf Mexico as Men
Work Frantically, Day and
Night, to Save Levees-
One Man Credited With
Saving 163 Persons
New Orleans. La. NAV ls-

New Orleans, La. May lS--
Complete evacuation of an
area IS to 20 miles wide between
the west bank of the Atchafa-
laya river and the higher ground
along the western boundary Of
st. Martin parish was advised
today by the weather bureau In
flood bulletin charting the
course of the flood down the
Atchafalaya basin.
New Orleans, May lS.-lP)--With
5000 square miles inundated and
the waters from the breaks sin the
Atchafalaya river and Bayou des
CLASSES levees constantly covering
more territory, residents Of south
central Louisiana today he.plessly
watched the greatest flood in the his>
tory of the state as it moved toward
the Gulf of Mexico.
An undeterMined number Of lives
have. been lost and prospects are that
many more will perish before the
waters finally fall. At Melville, 13O
miles northwest of New Orleans on
the Atchafalaya river, where the most
serious break occurred yesterday, 10
.aegroes were unofficially reported
drowned. At Rosa Plantation, near
Melville, the fate of 40 persons was
not known here. They were thought
to have been trapped in the lowlands
where Is to 20 mile an hour current
was flowing.
Aviators who flew over that section
today believed the people had been
able to reach high land or levees.
The states flood headquarters said
today no official confirmation had
been received Of any deaths in the
flood area. Adjutant General Tooms
wired from Marksville that he had
found Mrs. Dupre and her eight chill
dren who had been reported drowned
at Plaucheville.
Man and Two Sons Drowned
w. T. Clark, u rescue worker Of
Alexandria, who is credited with
saving 163 persons in the Bayou des
CLASSES section, reported the drown
ing of a man and his two sons yes
terday. Clark said he removed the
mother from the roof of u floating
house, and, before he could reach the
others, the house careened and they
were swept away. The bodies were
not found.
Army engineers said that 20 par
ishes were covered in whole or in part
by the flood waters and that ap-
proximately 5,2OO,COO acres had sheen
inundated. To the north of Bayou
des CLASSES, flood waters still COW
cred l3 parishes between y the
Arkansas line and Old river. Approx
mately 5000 square miles remained
inundated in that area, it was esti-
mated. Below Bayou des CLASSES, an
area of 1850 miles has been flood
ed. Backwaters on the east bank Of
the Atchafalaya have covered 250
square miles in lberville parish.
Men Work Long Shifts
Two thousand men, working in two
12-hour shifts, were fighting to save
the levee at McCray, on the east bank
of the Atchafalaya opposite Woodside
and $50 miles northwest of New Or
leans. Two concrete mattress aking
boats were en- route to the scene. IL
was thought that, with the aid OF
those, the elnbankment would hold.
bikes at Morganxa, $50 miles from
New Orleans on the west bank Of the
Mississippi, and 1t Plaquemine point,
IS miles below Baton Rouge on the
east side. were reported in better
condition due to the work OF armies
NJ man n " ss