Flood Continued

From October, 1926, when the Neosho River overran its banks in Kansas and Oklahoma to last week when the Mississippi attacked levees in southern Louisiana, flood conditions have prevailed in the Mississippi Valley. Since the middle of April the Mississippi has been on the greatest flood of its history. Last week best estimates of the situation gave the following summary:

Extent. From Cairo, Ill., to the Gulf is 570 miles air line but 1,090 miles by the river line. Southwestern Illinois, western Tennessee and Mississippi, eastern Missouri and Arkansas, northern and central Louisiana have been flooded. Hardest hit has been Louisiana. Two Louisiana parishes were inundated when the Poydras levee was dynamited; 5,000,000 acres in north Louisiana were under water last week with 4,000,000 more in imminent danger.

The entire flooded area through the valley was estimated at 15,000 square miles, an area larger than Belgium, three times the size of Connecticut; almost as large as Switzerland.

Homeless. The Red Cross definitely listed 323,000 refugees in its care. This estimate did not include 35,000 to 50,000 additional refugees in Louisiana. If the hardpressed Red River levee line broke, as seemed likely, another 200,000 would be in the path of the waters.

Deaths. Death estimates have varied at from 350 to 500.

Property damage was beyond, estimate. Millions of acres of cotton land were under water, with the flood moving on the "sugar bowl" section of Louisiana from which comes much of the nation's sugar.

Relief. The Red Cross, on a $10,000,000 flood fund "drive," had by last week raised $8,500,000. More than 100,000 refugees had been vaccinated; disease outbreaks were confined to some 25 cases of typhoid and a few of dysentery. Countless boats and 48 Army and Navy planes have been employed in rescue work.

Personalities. Secretary of Commerce Herbert C. Hoover headed a flood commission appointed by the President. Henry M. Baker, Red Cross Director of Relief, supervised Red Cross work. One-time Governor John M. Parker of Louisiana was appointed by Mr. Hoover as flood relief director in his state, was aided by present Governor Oramel Hinkley Simpson.

President Coolidge appointed a special flood commission; as nominal head of the Red Cross, issued calls for relief funds; steadfastly refused to summon special flood session of Congress; argued that the emergency would be over before Congress could act.

Millions of words have been written about the flood; most of them endlessly reiterating news of thousands homeless, of counties and parishes inundated, left readers with a deep but vague impression of the great disaster. Had a reporter explored the flood area with an eye to specific highlights, notes for his story might have read somewhat as follows:

P: Near the Bayou des Glaizes Hills, La., a plantation owner had somehow secured a circus tent, into which flocked all on his plantation and neighboring refugees.

P: At the Forest City, Ark., refugee camp two babies were born; were christened Overflow Johnson and Highwater Jones. Several other babies born in similar camps have been christened "Refugee."

P: At Poydras, La., one Ted Herbert, deep sea diver, dived into the Mississippi, set off more dynamite at the Poydras Cut. The current pulled his diver's helmet over his head, almost drowned him. Diving a second time he discarded the helmet, and, as he had no other diving equipment dived naked like a South Sea Islander. Superstitious, Diver Herbert said that if he let his picture be taken, certain death would follow.

P: At Pineville, La., waters lapped toward the grammar school. Elmo Rich, 11, waded in them, stepped into a deep hole, drowned.

P: Along Macon Ridge, La., deer and wild turkey fought for food. Other deer and fawns, frightened, hungry, entered refugee camps, were made pets by children.

P: At Vicksburg, Miss., steamer-captain Harris Clifford landed a boatload of refugees; nursed a deep flesh wound where an insane Negress refugee had bitten him in the hand.

P: In the valley of the Atchafalaya river, flowing through swamp districts of Louisiana, bands of outlaws looked forward to starvation or surrender. Houseboats guarded them from the flood, but food grew constantly scarcer. Rescue meant prison.

P: Near Memphis, Tenn., bootleggers built stills in treetops above flood waters, peddled their wares by boat. Officials seized 12 giant stills, two with capacities of 750 gallons; destroyed 45 vats each holding 1,000 gallons of mash.

P: Around Richland and Madison, La., the flood swept through the finest hunting grounds on the continent. Here Theodore Roosevelt and Flood Relief Director John M. Parker used together to hunt quail, deer, bears, wild turkey.

P: At Peoria, Ill., High School Seniors Al Landers and Frank Polkington bent over, let themselves be hit with a stout paddle at 5-c- per hit. They collected $4 (80 blows); gave the $4 to the flood relief fund; sat gingerly.

P: At New Philadelphia, Ohio, the New Philadelphia Ministerial Association denounced Sunday theatrical performances for Flood Fund benefit as "baneful sophistry of doing evil for the advancement of good."

P: At Dayton, Ohio, a flat-bottomed boat which had seen service in the 1913 Dayton flood was put on exhibition with a sign: "THEY HELPED US IN 1913-- LET'S HELP THEM NOW."

P: At Rayville, La., inundated by flood waters, inhabitants sailed into stores in pirogues (similar to canoes); without disembarking made purchases from clerks mounted on platforms beneath which the flood water swirled.

P: At Belzoni, Miss., five men were lodged in the County Jail, held without bond. They were charged with looting in the flooded town. Other looting reports came from surrounding farms.

P: At Waterproof, La., water many feet deep swirled through streets, inhabitants for the most part left. But telephone women, their switchboards mounted on scaffolding, stuck to their posts, kept service continuous.

P: Flood water swamped Mer Rouge, La., scene of famed 1924 Ku Klux Klan-Captain Skipworth trial. Bastrop, La., also scene of Klan sensations, was threatened by advancing waters. The flood also menaced St. Martinsville, La., whither traveled Longfellow's Evangeline, where stands the famed Evangeline Oak.

P: At Vicksburg, Miss, where more than 15,000 refugees were encamped, herds of cattle bellowed through the main streets.