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SPREADING

MISSISSIPPI FLOODS New Breaks in Levees Inundate Large Areas FATE OF NEW ORLEANS CITY MAY YET NOT ESCAPE [By Telegraph—Per Press Assn. —Copyright.] Received May 3, 10 p.m. (A. & N.Z.) NEW ORLEANS, May 2. The spreading floods in the northern parishes of Louisiana have rendered thousands homeless. On Monday evening some improvement was reported in the conditions in south-eastern Arkansas and Mississippi. Relief workers are turning their attention to the question of sanitation and rehabilitation.

The Red Cross at Washington has appealed to the country to provide another 10,000,000 dollars for relief work. The flood situation in New Orleans is generally believed to be more serious than is commonly understood, due to the tendency to minimise the city’s danger for the purpose of sparing the feelings of the inhabitants, who resent the suggestion that a calamity is impending. Nevertheless, the actual anxiety cannot be over-estimated. The facts are that the levees are practically bankfull, despite the blasting, which appar-' ently lowered the water one-tenth of a foot. At the present stage there is a depth of approximately 20.8 feet, meanwhile there is a three foot flood crest at present between 150 and 200 miles north of New Orleans, which it is - estimated will take about ten days to reach the city, and unless the water lowers the necessary three feet to absorb this before it arrives, one of the greatest cities of the United States will be flooded, which would be an overwhelming calamity. This is the present situation as nearly as anyone can estimate. It does not necessarily mean that New Orleans is doomed to be flooded, because artificial breaks may yellower the water by the necessary margin or other circumstances may yet avert the danger but it is at present premature to declare that the city is saved and the water is being watched with the greatest anxiety day by day. Meanwhile, with new breaks on the west bank of the Mississippi near the Arkansas-Louisiana border, the devastation there is expected to be at least equal to, if it does next exceed that in the Mississippi region. With the new brakes on the west bank 3000 more miles are expected to be inundated and 200,000 persons will be added to the 300,000 already homeless. The problem of caring for the latest refugees is causing very grave concern because the establishment camps are already crowded to overflowing. It is impossible to obtain accurate [ estimates of the total number of dead since the flood inception, but it is 'reliably reported that the drowned i bodies recovered number nearly 400, ! while there is a considerably larger number missing and unaccounted for.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19270504.2.44

Bibliographic details

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19831, 4 May 1927, Page 7

Word Count
441

SPREADING Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19831, 4 May 1927, Page 7

SPREADING Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19831, 4 May 1927, Page 7

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