Wednesday, July 24, 2013

EARLY LAFAYETTE SPRING FLOODING

SPRING FLOODING.
The flood in its full force has reached Louisiana.

 Besides the coast parishes and the Lafourche region a great part of St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin and St. Landry are submerged. Sugar planters in these parishes are generally the heaviest losers. Reports from the overflowed districts, meager as they are, give us terrible accounts of the suffering and hardships by the afflicted people of those sections. It is indeed one of the gloomiest periods in the history of our State. We learn from a reliable source that the section house at Bartel's station on the Morgan road, had to be fastened down to keep it in position ;  in another instance, a coach had to be chained to the track to prevent it from floating away. A great part of the Morgan road bed between Centerville and Berwick City has been washed away. The people of St. Mary loudly complain of the latter - the Morgan road bed - as being an artificial obstruction to the natural flow of the water and hold the company responsible for damages resulting from it. We learn that in Centerville, a hundred yards or more of the track was torn up by citizens to make a passage for the water. We have no mail from New Orleans since last Saturday, 1st inst., and the prospect is, we shall have none for some time, except by way of Galveston, or Washington. In consequence of this interruption, the Morgan and La. Western companies have suspended their employees, with few exceptions. It is stated by railway authorities that the Morgan road cannot be put in running order before the 1st of June. It is to be hoped that this is a mistake. Lafayette Advertiser 4/8/1882.




THE FLOOD.


MONDAY MORNING, April 10, 9 o'clock a. m. - In the 24 hours ending yesterday morning at 7 o'clock, there was a rise at Franklin of half an inch. There was no rise at Morgan City.

 At Bayou Boeuf two inches rise.

 At Tigerville two inches rise.

 At Chacahoula 1 3/4 inches rise.

 In the Terrebone swamp a rise of four inches.

 At New Iberia and Fausse pointe the water as come to a stand.

 On the Houma branch the plantations of Messrs. Pierce Butler, Ed McMullen, W. A. Schaeffer, H. C. Minor and Judge Goodson are still holding out.

 From Port Allen, West Baton Rouge, Sunday afternoon, Judge Hynnes telegraphs us :  River gradually receding. Levees all good. We feel perfectly safe. Backwater also receding.

 Saturday last there were shipped from New Orleans by boat, for Franklin, 19,500 rations for 1000 persons, and 15,000 rations for 1000 persons to Morgan City. These are supposed to last fifteen days.

 Messrs. Ayers & Cannon, of Galveston, Tex., they telegraphed that  they and friends would gladly contribute to assist the unfortunate in this section.

 Capt. Mossop, of the steamboat Corona, refused to make any charge for transporting to New Orleans the people of Morgan City who landed from the J. S. Mercer, at Plaquemine. Water on a stand here now.


 From the Morgan City Review and in the Lafayette Advertiser of 4/15/1882.



More flood stories:


 The flood is interfering with us in more than one way. A regular civil term of the District Court ought to have been opened at Abbeville last Monday, but was postponed until the 17th inst., owing to the absence of Judge Clegg which is water bound somewhere below Morgan City.

 Sheriff Mouton returned from his visit to Baton Rouge last Saturday. He reports traveling either by rail or steamboat to be below par right now. On his return he was three days in Baton Rouge and as many at New Orleans, waiting for a boat. He saw the valiant Gen. Leon Jastremski, of the Capitol City, who made him the bearer of greetings to his friends of Attakapas.

 After undergoing the suffering which follows from utter ignorance of what is going on beyond our native heath for several days, relief came at last when the train from Houston on Saturday night, 8th inst., brought the New Orleans mail. We eagerly seized the N. O. Times-Democrat, though the copy was several days old, and sought tidings from the flood; these we found distressing and are, no doubt, familiar to our readers. It seems to be generally believed that the flood has reached its highest point everywhere, - and the slow subsidence of the waters is to be patiently awaited. This will, it is believed, require several weeks.

 Some time since we noted a cold snap as being the last of winter, and up to this week we were right. On the night of the 12th inst., however, a change took place which put us in error and caused a general demand for blankets and heavier coats. As a premonition of the change the wind blew with considerable force and the rain fell in torrents accompanied by peals of lightning. It is thought the wind may have had the effect of driving water from the Teche and Atchafalaya to the relief of the overflowed region, though a swifter current would render the condition of the bridge over Berwick Bay even more perilous. 
Lafayette Advertiser 4/15/1882.  


  
Levee Break. - The Morganza levee has broken, and already the flood has submerged a long stretch of the Texas & Pacific railroad and a number of the finest plantations in the valley. A special to the Times-Democrat, of the 23rd inst., says: "There are now no less than nine crevasses in twenty miles on the Point Coupee front, and the magnitude of the disaster at Morganza is minimized by the fact that the whole system seems to be doomed. It is utterly impossible to fully comprehend the magnitude of the misfortune hat must result." All the country between the Teche and the Mississippi will be more or less devastated.
Lafayette Advertiser 4/26/1890.



Levee Breech Affects Rail Service. - The breaks in the Mississippi have cut off communication with New Orleans by way of the Texas & Pacific railroad, and now that road since Tuesday has been running its freight and passenger trains through this place through Cheneyville, where they can strike their own line. After the overflow in 1884 the bed of the Morgan railroad, subject to overflow, was raised several feet higher, and it is not likely that the present water will reach such a stage as to cut off communications with New Orleans by this route.   Lafayette Advertiser 4/26/1890.





THE FLOOD.

Telegraphic reports from the overflowed regions indicate the decline of the flood to be more rapid than was anticipated. There is no water on the track of the Morgan road above Washington, over which trains will shortly run. The greatest depth on the track between bayou Sale station and Berwick is six inches ;  the greatest depth between these points when the floods was the highest was five feet. The decline East of Morgan City has been equally rapid. The work of repairing the damage done to the road near bayou Sale, is well under way and we are informed that the greatest force the the nature of the work will permit will be employed. The bridge at Morgan City remains intact ;  it has unquestionably gone through a trying ordeal and the success with which it withstood the force of the strong and rapid current proves it a substantial structure, and a monument to the skill and knowledge of the builders and engineers.

 We have good reason to think that trains will run through again before the middle of next month.  Lafayette Advertiser 4/29/1882.



MASS MEETING.

Pursuit to a call, a meeting of the citizens of the Parish of Lafayette, for the relief of the sufferers of the overflowed districts of the State, was held at the Court House in Vermilionville, on Sunday the 26th of April, 1874.

 The meeting was called to order, and, on motion of Hon. A. J. Moss, the following officers were unanimously elected :

 M. E.. Girard, Esq., President; Hon. Eraste Mouton and Mr. Alexandre Delhomme, Vice-Presidents; Mr. Wm. Campbell, Treasurer; L. P. Revillon and W. B. Bailey, Secretaries.

 After an eloquent and feeling exposition of the object of the meeting by the President, the following resolutions were adopted:

 Resolved, that a committee of five to be appointed by the president, full powers to carry out the object of this meeting.

 The president then appointed the following named gentlemen on said committee : A. J. Moss, Wm. Campbell, H. Eastin, Albert Judice and J. J. Revillon.

 On motion the president was added to the Committee.

 The petition from the Hyperion Brass Band, asking the use of the Court House for the purpose of giving a ball for the benefit of the sufferers of the overflowed districts was read and unanimously approved by the meeting.

 The following preamble and resolutions were then adopted:

 It is Resolved, that the committee be and they are hereby requested to issue as many lists of subscription throughout this parish for the aforesaid purpose of obtaining the sum of 5 cents from each individual therein.

Resolved, that each list so issued to any person shall be headed. Only 5 cents from each and every man, woman and child in Lafayette for the relief of the victims of the overflow in Louisiana.

 Resolved, that each list so issued shall be countersigned by the chairman of the committee mentioning the name of the person to whom issued.

 Resolved, that all the names of persons contributing to this charitable act shall be written on the lists of subscription - one name answering for one family or house, if desired by the giver.

 Resolved, that upon the collection of any moneys under these resolutions, the collectors shall turn over the same to the relief committee of the parish.

 Resolved, that those who may be asked to collect as aforesaid, are earnestly requested by this meeting not to accept upon the lists above mentioned, more than 5 cents from any body, and to note the names of all givers.

 On motion the meeting adjourned till Sunday, May 3d, at 11 a. m.
                M. E. GIRARD, President.
   L. P. REVILLON , W. B. BAILEY, Secretaries.
Lafayette Advertiser 5/2/1874.






The Flood at Brashear. (Now Morgan City)

 We clip the following from the Brashear News of the 2d. inst. :

 The back water has nearly covered the whole town, and with the exception of a few high places scattered here and there, nothing is left but the public road on the river front, where the ridge is several feet higher than the water of 1828 and 1867. The suffering in town is great. The rear was inhabited by colored families who earned their living by gardening. The majority owned the lands they cultivated and their community was peaceable. The depth of the water now covering their ground averages two and a half feet, and about sixty families are in distress.

 BRASHEAR is filling rapidly with water. All the rear including Freetown has an average of three feet of water. On south side Railroad Avenue nearly all the merchants have abandoned their stores and dwelling houses, and on the north side have built bridges and raised store floors ;  the bridges all rest on the railroad embankment. The railroad depots are filled with goods stored from overflow. The only space left depots unoccupied by merchants is that occupied by the public market.

 The water from the swamps is rapidly flowing into town, and altogether we have barely three acres of dry ground left, and that owing to protection of the old fort embankment on Fourth street.

 FREETOWN. - The residents of this portion of Brashear are old colored people most of whom earn a living by picking and curing moss. Their occupation is now entirely gone and they are therefore thrown upon this community for support.
Laf. Adv. 5/9/1874.

First Train After Flood. - The first through train over the Morgan road since the flood came up last Monday, since which time the local train has been running regularly. The repair of the damage done by the flood to the road bed, sufficient to permit the running of trains was accomplished much sooner than was anticipated, and the reports current as to the extent of such damage were in now way exaggerated. Freight trains will begin to run on Monday. Lafayette Advertiser 5/13/1882.


From the Lafayette Advertiser of May 16th, 1874:



Mississippi Flood Relief Efforts.

 Judge Moss returned from New Orleans last Thursday, where he had been commissioned to go by the Executive Committee, in the interest of the victims of the overflow. He informs us that he succeeded in procuring transportation and rations for those who wish to avail themselves of the assistance offered them by the people of this parish, and that quite a number will be likely to do so. The steamer "E. W. Fuller," Capt. Pharr, arrived yesterday with about twenty of them and it is expected that Mr. Joseph Boudreaux will bring from Lafourche a much larger number, the next trip. Laf. Adv. 5/16/1874.



Ball Given For Flood Sufferers. - The grand ball given by the Hyperion Brass Band, at the Court House in this place, on Sunday the 9th inst., for the benefit of the sufferers of the over-flowed districts, was a success in every respect. The large hall of the Court House was elegantly fitted up and brilliantly illuminated ;  and the tables groaning under the weight of refreshments of all kinds and served by fair ladies, was really beautiful to behold. The ball commenced at an early hour and old and young did tip it up on the "light fantastic toe till the 'wee small' hours of night," and then retired to their respective abodes contented and happy.

 Mr. Wm. Campbell, Treasurer of the Relief Association of this parish, informs us that the amount of money realized during the evening was beyond his most sanguine expectations. Lafayette Advertiser 5/16/1874.

 The thanks of the community are extended to the young Hyperions and the noble ladies who assisted them, for their valuable and generous services in the cause of suffering humanity.
Lafayette Advertiser 5/16/1874.



Benefit Fair to Be Given. - The ladies of this parish propose giving a Fair at an early day, for the benefit of our distressed and suffering brethren of the overflowed parishes. We feel assured that they will be as successful in their laudable undertaking as the young Hyperions were, with their ball, on last Sunday evening. Lafayette Advertiser 5/16/1874.



 
 






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