MISSISSIPPI FLOODS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 May 1927, Page 2

MISSISSIPPI FLOODS

(Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.)

3(1,000 FLOODED OUT. NEW YORK, May .9

A message from the city of New Orleans states that Air Parker, former Governor of the State of Louisiana, who is in charge of the Flood Relief there, has announced that the Mississippi river has broken through the Bank Levee at the AYi 11ikens Rend, above Yieksbui'g. Tli is break, which i- one of the worst in the career of the Hood, was entirely unexpected. There was no op‘portunity to warn the thirty thousand inhabitants of the Madison Parish, which, it is expected, will he entirely inundated in a few hours. The levee at Duckporf, which was regarded as one of the strongest in Northern Louisiana has also broken, and raging waters are pouring into the towns of Duck-port, Bulltown. Fern'd ay and Vidalia.

NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, a city whose history is more romantic than that of any other American metropolis, and whose history goes hack to the year 1718. when it was established by the French, is situated on the Mississippi. 100 miles above its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico and is the chief city and port of entry of the State of Louisiana and the chief trading centre of the Gulf. The main portion of the city is on the left bank of the river where it was originally built. The city has been enlarged and now covers about 209 square miles, of which, however, a large part is unreclaimed swamp. The actual city is about forty square miles in area. As a large portion of the city is below high water level, large levees have been built, 15 feet wide and 1-1 feet high which extend for some distance up and down the river. Drainage is a very important and costly business in the low areas and all seepage and sewage lias to be pumped away. The river at the city is about a quarter to half a mile wide and has n ship channel of a depth of 30 feet. The banks are lined with docks and the city is connected by direct steamer routes to most of the important ports of the world. The older parts of the city with their old French and Spanish architecture are very picturesque, but New Orleans is not noted for the beauty of its architecture. The most important buildings arc the Federal Building, the new courthouse, the Cotton Exchange and the Cathedral of St. Louis.

Xew Orleans lias the largest cotton market of the world excepting Liverpool. and handles annually about two million bales. As the outlet of the vast Mississippi Valley the city commands a large export trade, shipping, in addition to cotton. sugar. rice, wool, lumber and tobacco.

Manufactures produce about £lB.oGO.OOO annually. Xew Orleans was settled in 171 S by the French and was named in honour of the Regent, the Duke of Orleans. In 1788. when the population was about -iGOO. a large part of the town was destroyed by fire. The town became a possession of Spain in 1763, but was reconveyed to France in 1860, and passed into the United States in 1803 by the Louisiana Purchase. During the Civil War, Xew Orleans took an active part in naval and military operations. The latest estimate places its population at 414,493 people.