Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-05-20
800 MEN Lose
FIGHT AFTER
NIGHTS WORK
Red Cross Prepares to
Care For 50 Families
Made Homeless BY
New Onrush

KENNETT, Mo, May 20.-tPl-
An army of workmen lost a terrific
fight with flood waters OF the st
Francis river when the levee crum-
bled seven miles northwest Of Ken
nett last midnight The break was
expected to iSundate approximately
As 900 acres of farm land and cover
Highway 81 to depth Of several
feet. No towns were endangered.
Between 700 and 500 men had
been working desperately along q
stretch Of levee IA miles long to pre-
vent a crevasse. While about 300
men were working at Millhouse
levee, considered the weakest point
there was q rumbling sound and O
roar as flood water swept away the
dirt barrier and poured into fertile
farms, running ell crops In its path
The sound Of the rushing waters was
heard for miles ard farmers were
awakened in time to make prepara-
tionS to leave their homes. The cre-
vase had widened to 200 feet this
morning.
The break occurred at, a spot
considered the weakest in the 1evee
stretch where several hundred men
had been working desperately for
several days 10 avert a crevasse. No
large town is in the path of the flood
and 1t was believed all residents of
the area had moved to safety.
Hunrreds OF other men were boil
stering two other threatend river
breaks inthe Mississippi valley.
| Great apprehension was felt at
Mounds Landing, Miss, where 200
men were strengthening the Miss
issipi dyke that went out with dis
astrous results during the 1927 flood.
While no immediate danger OF q
break was seen by engineers. Gov.
Theodore Bilbo, of Mississippi, re-
quested the Adjutant General tc
have state troops prepared TO move
into the area in case Of emergency
The reelfoot levee. ten miles south
of Hickman. KY, was reported
crumbling for a distance Of 300
yards and men we're raising earth
works.
Possibly SO families will be home
less by night as result Of the break
They will be cared for by the Red
Cross, which established an emer-
gency office here Saturday.
ST. LOUIS. May 20.-tPl-For the
first time this year government
| flood warnings were issued yeSter-
day here and at other points along
the lower Mississippi river. 1t was
the fourth time this spring. however
that the river had gone over flood
stage at st. Louis and q stage OF sc
feet was forecast for Wednesday
six feet above the flood mark. The
river was more than 80 feet early
today.
/ Slight danger was anticipated IN
the lower valley, government fore
casters said. as streams below st
Louis were not as high as two year:
ago when the last disastrous flood
waters of the Mississippi swept over
the countryside.
NEW ORLEANS. May 20.-tPD-
Pounding waters. whipped by high
winds. today had shaken the Mound
Landing levee. 18 miles north OF
Greenville. Miss. on the Mississippi
river. Army engineers prepared to
bolster the wall against a possible
break.
It appeared today that "free Ia
Dor" would be utilized in working al
Mound Landing DESPITE the fact
that Governor Theo. Bilbo early last
night ordered 300 convicts sent tc
the scene to aid. The convicts were
held az the prison farm when IL was
learned government regulations
against prison labor would prevent
their being used. They viii go tc
Mound Landing. however. In case oi
necessity. while national guardsmer
also were being held In readiness tc