Evening star., 1927-04-24
FLOOD REFUGEES
REEL FROM BOAT
First Contingent From Green
vile Arrives at
viCkSburg.
sy the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
VICKSBURG, Miss. April 2S,-The
nrst weary contingent of flood refu-
gees from Greenville arrived here to-
day and moved into camps on the
Nicksburg Bluffs, where relief organi-
cations gave them food. shelter and
medical care.
Tripping, stumbling, staggering
down the gang plank Of the Govern
ment steamer Tollinger, approximate
ly 1000 of the fugitives from the
water-invested city were welcomed by
the city's population.
So nearly exhausted were the traV-
elers that they moved out from the
sand bagged levee with slow and halt
ing steps, while American Legion
naires, Red Cross workers, river boat
employees and city police helped them
to dry land.
OF the number perhaps 300 were
white persons and the others negroes.
.A;rcns the whites, men were few.
Women with children in arms or
hanging on to their fingers. fell into
the embrace of friends or relatives as
they left the ship.
In Family Groups.
The negroes came mostly in family
groups carrying on theier heads and
shoulders and under their arms bun
dies of clothing, small house furnish
ings and children who gazed in wide
eyed amazement at the great throng
which greeted their arrival.
All faces showed the strain of suf-
fering. Most Of them came off the
vessel with laugh or an attempt at
laughing. There were many trem.
bling mouths and anxious eyes, but
few wept and these tried to concea!
their tears of relief
The white children swung down the
Rangway clasping a precious package
of food or some priced rlaything. The
little black folk often were clinging 10
q. pet puppy, q cat or even a rooster,
all much subdued by trying expert
ences of flood and flight.
Much greater excitement was ex
hibited by the thousands who watched
from the railroad embankment on top
OF the levee, from box cars and from
places of advantage along the bluff
side. These sympathetic watchers
sometimes broke into cheers at the
sight of friends from the lowlands or
called loudly for stretchers and aid
when the crippled. the sick or the in
firm reached the land
AadBb1t DOSS DHNHWeTbU.
A score or more of rabbit dogs
shifted in bewilderment at the scene
to which their adventure had brought
them. Running here and there they
tripped against their masters legs or
lodged The unsympathetic kick OF
boatrnan's boot Some dogs were
brought ashore in the arms of their
owners.
The white persons for the most part
were met by friends or were able to
provide their own necessities under
the direction OF the organized agen-
cles. The negroes almost without ex-
ception knew only that they were
neelng from the hostile waters.
Where are you going, uncle?" q
reporter asked the aged head of
family which stood close together In
the mass of waiting negroes upon the
Il don't know, boss" was the reply. 1
1--WE are here-that's all we know.
Our house near Greenville is fun of
water and maybe we won't ever see it
gain"
Trust "VVhIte Folks
This man. like hundreds of his fel,
lows, stood waiting for the directions
of the relief workers. quite willing to
do as he was told and trustful that
the white folk" would continue to
provide his daily food.
The Toliinger viii return to Green
vile as soon as possible.
The main levee at Greenville is
serving as an evacuation camp from
which the inhabitants are being
loaded onto the rescue boats, ex-
planned Sergt L. r. Bryon Of the
Regular Army, who was in charge Of
the National Guard detail on the
Tollinger
The people at Greenville don't
seem to know whether they want to
leave there or not" the soldier said.
Many of them have there all they
possess and they do not wish to aban-
don it to the flood. We could have
brought more on our boat than we
did, but the uncertainty Of what they
ought to do kept many who wanted
TO leave from coming with us.
Many Of the negroes are so weak
with hunger they can hardly walk
Many have been on the levee for sew
eral days and nights, exposed to the
Rain and cold.
Crowd Was Orderly,
Last night when we left Greenville
about midnight the passengers just
SiuItlDGu dDN II uiJCAA AAlNAA SUM anu
everything was quiet and orderly
throughout the trip. Besides the
people, we brought cats, dogs chick
ems and pigs, which they refused TO
leave behind.
Before we left Greenville the big
steamer Minnesota was docking there
and ii was said that the Minnesota
would take out 5000 refugees today.
A wild clamor Of excitement broke
out in Vicksburg when the Tollinger,
long awaited here, rounded De Soto
Island, which lies opposite the north
ern part Of the city and steamed slow
~ up the lagoon that flows between
the island and the bluffs. Automobile
horns sounded, whistles were Shrek
ing and watchers along the water
front began to yell.
Down from the upper city hundreds
OF the residents ran to be at tthe land
ing when the refugee boat should
dock. They saw that the Tollinger
was pushing four huge barges, three
of which were covered with negroes
and their belongings. The fourth
barge, which brought the whites, was
protected by an inciosed shelter like