464 



LOUISIANA. 



ceipts amounted to 4,483,351 bunches, against 

 3,715,625 at New York. 1,840,519 at Boston, and 

 1,818,328 at Philadelphia. During the first six 

 months of 1893 the total receipts at New Orleans 

 were 2,210,271 bunches. 



The Jackson Monument. A movement has 

 been made by the " Daughters of 1776-1812 " to 

 obtain custody of the Jackson monument on the 

 plains of Chalmette, rescue it from the decay into 

 which it is falling, and, if possible, finish it ac- 

 cording to the original plan. The design was 

 adopted by the Jackson Monument Association, 

 May 30, 1855. The shaft was to be 142 feet in 

 height. As it now stands it shows 56 feet faced 

 with Tuckahoe marble from New York. It was 

 designed to place the marble steps at the base 

 after the completion of the shaft. 



The Lottery. The Louisiana State lottery 

 received in January a charter from the republic 

 of Honduras. The concession is a monopoly of 

 the lottery business for fifty years. The Hon- 

 durian Government grants to the company the 

 island of Cuanaja, in the bay of Honduras. 



Storm and Flood. In March, sections of 

 Catahoula and Concordia Parishes were over- 

 flowed, bringing misery and want to many fami- 

 lies. In May, bad breaks occurred at Bayou La- 

 fourche, Grand Lake, Ark., Lake Providence, 

 and Wyly's Levee in East Carroll Parish, four 

 miles south of Lake Providence, resulting in im- 

 mense damage to growing crops. The Governor, 

 with others, made a tour of inspection of the 

 levees, and summarized the results of his observa- 

 tions as follows: 



There are about 90 miles of levees in Arkansas in 

 which the people of Louisiana, and especially those 

 of the parishes composing theTeusas basin levee dis- 

 trict, are directly interested. Of this stretch about 17 

 miles have been built this year by the General Gov- 

 ernment, and are in a fine and safe condition. Con- 

 tracts covering about 25 miles additional have been 

 given out by the General Government for the present 

 year, and when these are completed they will form a 

 stretch of 42 miles of good and safe levees. The Gov- 

 ernment has also repaired and raised other levees dur- 

 ing last season. All aid possible should be rendered 

 that State in this direction. Most of the old levees in 

 Arkansas are in a wretched condition, poorly con- 

 structed, and inadequate to resist any flood of the 

 magnitude of that which now threatens us. 



The levees in Louisiana I find in tine condition. 

 Immense dikes bave been built which will resist al- 

 most any flood in the river, and at points where any 

 weakness has manifested itself the danger has been 

 promptly met. 



The break in East Carroll occurred after this 

 report was made, and was regarded as the crown- 

 ing catastrophe of the season. The crevasse was 

 300 feet wide, May 23. It was in the heart of the 

 finest portion of East Carroll Parish, about half- 

 way between the upper and lower ends of its 

 levee system. The plantations adjacent are nu- 

 merous and of the highest fertility. The break 

 was at the lower end of Providence reach, in the 

 bight of a bend, and in a position to catch the 

 full force of the river. By May 30 the crevasse 

 had widened to 3,000 feet. Those made home- 

 less by the floods were sheltered in two large 

 camps, supplies were distributed, and many of 

 the men were employed on the repairs. Two 

 hundred tents were sent for to shelter those 

 coming later from the rear of the parish and 



from Madison. At least 5.000 colored people 

 were driven from their homes. 



May 29 a crevasse occurred at Amos bayou, in 

 Arkansas, bringing more destruction to homes 

 and crops in north and east Louisiana. 



A part of Baton Rouge was inundated from a 

 crevasse in June. Two breaks occurred, June 

 17, on the east bank of the river, one above and 

 one below New Orleans. The one above, in the 

 parish of St. John the Baptist, was very serious; 

 1,000 men were set at work upon it, but in spite 

 of their exertions the ends were continually giv- 

 ing way, and the United States engineer was 

 called upon for assistance. The line of cribbing 

 was doubled in width, and 100,000 sacks were 

 brought to be placed in position. They were in 

 piles 30 or 40 feet high on each side of the cre- 

 vasse. A line of men carried these sacks from 

 the piles to the cribbing. On each side of the 

 crevasse a line of men reaching for half a mile 

 could be seen, each one with a sack of earth on 

 his shoulder. This continuous procession was 

 kept in operation until far into the night. The 

 towboat " Jaokson " steamed up to the crib 

 work, and, with numerous electric lights hang- 

 ing out from the cabin, turned the night into 

 day. This enabled the men to work all night. 

 The crevasse, which had widened to 170 feet, was 

 gradually closed. 



June 27, the New River country, which has 

 been frequently flooded, suffered from an over- 

 flow from the Rescue crevasses, exceeding in 

 depth, extent, and suddenness any previous in- 

 undation. There was but one house along the 

 25 miles of the New River settlement with its 

 floor above the surface of the water. Ten lives 

 were reported lost. 



A cyclone devastated the little town of Lock- 

 port, on Bayou L'afourche, Sept. 7. Eight per- 

 sons were killed, and many more injured. 



The most dreadful disaster of the year was the 

 storm of Oct. 1. It came without warning, be- 

 cause it came in directly from the sea, having 

 been encountered 25 to 50 miles out, south of 

 New Orleans, blowing from the southwestward. 

 It moved so rapidly that it struck the city only a 

 few hours after it was first encountered" at sea. 

 The section devastated was that lying about the 

 mouth of the river, and as far west as Last Is- 

 land and Bayou Grand Caillou. The greatest 

 fury of the storm was spent on the oyster settle- 

 ments at Bayou Cook and the Cheniere Islands. 

 The storm struck the district at 7 o'clock in the 

 evening. Not a house was left standing, and 

 more than half the population was lost. The 

 survivors were in the most destitute condition. 

 Grand Isle, a summer resort lying directly in 

 the path of the storm, had a miraculous escape, 

 due to the fact that the land upon it is higher 

 than that of the Cheniere. Many houses were 

 blown down, but only 25 lives were lost. At 

 Cheniere about 800 lives were lost. The whole 

 loss of life was estimated at 2,500. Prompt as- 

 sistance was sent to the survivors from New 

 Orleans, from other parts of the State, and from 

 other States. 



Court Decisions. Decision was rendered in 

 the United States court, in the case of the wid- 

 ow of an Italian who had been lynched at the 

 parish prison. She was an American, and with 

 her husband continued to reside in Louisiana 



