Show CREST Of flOOD SWEEPS SOUTH lOUISIANA Thousands Flee to Safety as Waters Break More Levees BOATS STAND READY I IRed Red Cross Appeals for foi I Fund BA BATON O ROUGE La May 3 United Press Press Louisiana today became the battleground f t the Mississippi l flood as as the crest of the I destructive e stream swept southward southward south south- w ward ward- rd straining and breaking I through levees leves which have held the river In check Thousands of men women omen and children are trekking from froni the low lands to places of safety on bluffs on on bluffs and high spots spots' across the river Additional thousands have been warned to evacuate their homes in parish threatened by a break In the Red river at Echo Baton Rouge the capital Is turning its attention from politics to the sterner business of rescue e and and relief of suffering All flood lood relief agencies center here and are are I personally directed by former John M. M Parker J. J P R Q N Coast guard boats privately tely I owned vessels and United States navy craft are b being assem d d for forthe forthe forthe the emergency apparently cannot be averted FIat FIat-bott Flat bottomed skiffs skiffs' propelled by by- outboard m motors ors are being being- used to j patrol atrol submerged districts between Vidalia and New Orleans Although Although- ugh the largest city in the South South- New Orleans is apparently safe from the flood danger duo dUe to toan toan toan an artificial lal ial levee opening at Poydras Poy- Poy drag dras fourteen miles mils south backwater ter from ter-from from St. St Bernard p parish Is seepIng seeping seeping seep seep- ing into the Jow ow Industrial sec section lon by by- byway way way of the Lake Borne Born ship canaL The water loosed on the valley to save the town ii la 1 Ing to plague New f r leans which thou thought ht the flood floo danger was past Attempts Attempts Attempts At At- tempts of hundreds hundreds' of workers to erect a n. l levee vee along the canal bank have proved unsuccessful so far In any event eve however the water from the canal canalIs Is IS' IS much less ess to be feared than the torrent of the Mississippi Mississippi Mis Mis- and dam damage ge from this source will probably be comparatively comparatively comparatively slight VICKSBURG Miss May 3 United Press Safet Press Safet zones Inthe Inthe in inthe the flood belt It today strained ex exhausted exhausted ex- ex hausted resources for tor the gigantic task of c caring ring for refugees almost ce certain to be added to the number of homeless through floods In Louisiana na and southern Arkansas Ar Ar- kansas MORE nORE HOMELESS With the the Red lied Cross estimating the number of or h homeless in Mississippi I sippi Tenn Tennessee Arkansas KenI Kentucky Ken Keni- tucky Illinois Louisiana and MIs- MIs I J on page 7 a. a CREST OF OFF FLOOD LOOD SWEEPS SOUTH INTO NTO LOUISIANA LOU A Continued from page 1 at 2 OOOO preparations must be made to care for Cor almost an equal number of refugees e cd unless a miracle stays th the flood alone with a population population tion o of something over and refugees now in camps s' s planning tp care for additional additional addi addi- ti nal flood d victims 0 There is a note of hope how howyer Ve relief workers in the area if If there can be said to be any bright spot In the desolation before the the-m- them the the death toll from the flood has has' not been beer In Increased and major majol disease epidemics epidemic have been averted avert avert- ed pd d In spite of unfavorable conditions condi contU Number of ot dead In the river states sates 0 Is estimated at t The Inundated inundated In inS undated area will probably equal square square miles mlles before the end endt pf it t the w Cl 0 W WASHINGTON May 3 AP AP- AP Impressed with the dire plight of thousands of ot sufferers tn n th the Mis Mississippi river r flood area area and an 1 the he grave crisis caused by further crumbling of levees President Coolidge has appealed to the tho nation to Increase ase to 10 Its donations donato dona dona- to s toi tor relief work This Is twice th the amount which was originally requested and means that the Arp American public must duplicate te Its Us performance of oC the past week J If the presidents president's n new nw w figure figur 1 is to be reach reached d. d The rhe first fund has has' been slightly lighty oversubscribed scribed SECOND SECOND APPEAL S The c conclusion to double the first firsta a appeal peal w was vas s reached after an e extended ei- ei tended d conference between President President dent Coolidge and Secretary Hoo Hoor tr r who had Just returned from the flood lood zon zone Assured that tint 10 10 would be the minimum needed to care cate for Cor the h great throng of or refugees the president again urged to forward tl n to the thi fled Red CrOss CrOs The situation In the Mississippi Valley He Mr Ir said In In hi 3 0 Y f 0 f C second nd appeal has haz a developed Into a gra grave gra e crisis crisis' affecting a wide area In several states tates There are n now w mote more than flood refugees who have been driven from their h homes This number is being In Increased Increased Increased In- In creased daily as fresh breaks in the le levees I Inundate the country on either side of the river d driving the Inhabitants to points of safety These refugees refugees' are being fed ted sheltered and clothed by ly the American Red fled Cross acting is as the agent for the American people The burden of their care will continue for lor many matiy more weeks |