The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 5

The Sum Vr port Time Saturday, Sppt. II. 1'J6. Betsy Clobbers Capital Willi Destructive Force i -I- P.v NORMAN RICHARDSON Times State Editor ISATON ROUGE It was so calm in the eye of Hurricane Betsy at Baton Rouge that hardlv a leaf rustled then the world boyan to fall apart as Beisv smashed across this capital citv. 7J 70 6i ool 6 A lew minutes before 4 a.m.,j ing across the deserted marshland.

BOATS HIT HOMES Small l)oats were. blown against homes while many others bobbed and weaveel through what once were woods on the outskirts of Baton Rouge. After it was finished with one area, it barreled on to others with unstoppable force just behind hundreds of evacuees fleeing at the last minute while water made last desperate efforts to creep onto and over streets and highways. At least one definite fatality was marked up when an elderly man was found face down on what appeared to be a splintered pier or boat house near Baton Rouge. Nearby, in the Mississippi River, a large black car bobbed up and down as waves reached up to eight feet.

Several barges drifted from one side of the river to the other while a big ocean-going cargo ship calmly drifted endlessly down the river, dragging its huge anchor chain along the bottom of the Mississippi River. In several hours the long wait was all over but the memory of Hurricane Betsy will live on, stored in the minds of thousands of hurricane veterans alongside the names of Audrey, Carla. Cindy and Hilda. INSl RE TEACHERS YOL'NDE Cameroon teach-lers will get free insurance. the rampaging winds were almost indescribable.

Shutters were ripped from homes, trees were uprooted, roofs were picked up and in the ground like matchsticks and the wind shrieking a maddening song of agony. Rain fell in blinding spurts and debris blew past like fire from a cannon. Al'TOS Tl'MBLED Abandoned autos, or parked autos, were tumbled over hy the angry giant named Betsy and windows were smacked in. Signs were crumpled against the windowless stores and small trees and bushes leaned away from the Gulf while downed electric lines dangled in the rain-pasted streets. The winds wailed incessantly as they tore at cafes, homes, MAP TRACES the path of Hurricane Betsy from her birth as a tropical depression in the south Caribbean Sea, off the Windward Islands, until her death over northeast Louisiana yesterday.

(AP Wirephoto Map) Terror in Orleans of roofs Thursday night and Friday morning by fast-rising waters, and an appeal went out for private boats to aid in the rescue operations. (Times Wirephoto by Langston MeEaehern) RESCUED RESIDENTS in a New Orleans subdivision step "ashore" (in back boat) while another private boat prepares to go back into the area for another human cargo. Hundreds of persons were trapped in attics and on top Former Shreveporter Relates Betsy's Fury Betsy Misses Cameron in State Sweep By MIKE COCHRAN CAMERON, La. i.T Hurricane Betsy teased but failed to terrorize this spunky fishing village and relieved citizens poured back from the north to their homes Friday. "It's a relief to come back home and find a home here," sen ice stations and stores.

I Then the hurricane's eye came sections of Raton Rouge and everything suddenly ceased, 'lit parsed over with no warning I at after almost an hour. Just as suddenly, the backlash I hit and it sounded like a thou-'sand eerie freight trains rush Reports Adding I Hurricane Damage Mounts In Parishes Near Capital said Mrs. Lester Richhard, who 'during the night. Some tele Russell Cecola, D. D.

S. John H. Grogan, D. D. S.

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Winds of up to l2o miles hour were recorded in lower Lafourche and Terre- bonne parishes. Early reports said some persons were trapped. 'EDITOR'S NOTE: Jack Bran-non, a Carthage, native and brother of Shreveporter James Brannon, was formerly a resident of Shreveport. Here he describes to Times State Editor Norman Richardson the night Betsy hit New Orleans). BY JACK BRANNON NEW ORLEANS It started in hoe, the hard part, around 6:30 p.m.

Thursday. It continued to increase, one gust after another, getting stronger and stronger each time. The power went off at my house at 9 p.m. and Mayor Victor Schiro told all of us in this area to evacuate. My family went over to the house of my wife's aunt about four miles away where the ground is higher.

We could feel the walls give a little all night. We could tell when the eye passed over. HALF HOUR CALM The gust vanished and it was calm for maybe half an hour or more and then the gust picked up some more. This time they were much stronger. The only thing you could hear was the slate blowing off roofs.

You could hear the torn-down electrical lines popping in the streets. There really wasn't too much noise outside of that. Awnings were blowing all over. We came back about 7 a.m. Friday.

1 had no water in my house but it was up to the door-sill. In my back yard, I had at least 12 to 18 inches of water. My trees were uprooted and some of the shingles were blown off my roof. Hurricane Hilda was a child compared to this one. We were in that one, too.

We're just cleaning up today. The water got under my washing machine and dryer and deepfreeze on the low back porch and I had to come out here and raise them up. All my power is still off. All I can say is I don't want to go through any more of these things. If another one comes, I'm going to a motel or hotel.

You just never know when your time's coming. phones were out of operation. Parish schools closed and about 3,300 refugees from the St. Mary Parish area were sheltered in Opelousas. Port Barre and Washington schools.

A telephone check of damages in the area was cut short when local newspaper telephone spent 24 hours trapped atop a water-surrounded house in 1957. It was then that Hurricane Audrey ravaged Southeast Louisiana and killed 500 persons in Cameron alone. Mrs. Richhard was among an estimated 95 per cent of the Cameron populace who fled Thursday amid the threat of Betsy. The killer storm pounded New Orleans and points eastward, but did little here except cause alarm.

"We're usually safe here if the storm goes east of us," she explained. "But if it hits to the west, we usually get the water. reportedly in buildings that were collapsing, but the sheriff's office could not be reached from here Friday to verify this. BATON' Telephone communications with surrounding parishes still were difficult Friday, but a first glimpse showed apparent severe damage from Hurricane Betsy. In Port Allen, across the Mississippi River from here.

Sheriff Belvin Bergeron said powerful Betsy did about twice as much damage as Hilda last year. Port Allen buildings reflected considerable damage, the West Baton Rouge Parish officer said mostly in damaged roofs, twisted aluminum awnings and broken plate glass windows. circuits failed. i Earlier call attempts were 1 fa TODAY 9:30 A.M. SHREUE-CITY by inoperative circuits iin the towns.

Some of these included Clinton. Hammond, i Covington, Donaldsonvillc, Jack-j son. Independence. Ponchatoula iThibodaux. Bogalusa.

Franklin- ton and Greensburg. Murray C. Fincher, vice presi- ALWAYS FIRST QUALITY Many evacuees in the parish' bundled into schools, 'he courthouse and a fire sta-l lion. "The cane crop looks awful," i "When Carla hit Texas, we got all the water," she said. that was in 19G1.

Mrs. W. A. Shores expressed distaste for the storm-forced dent and general manager Southern Bell's Louisiana tions, said the fierce storm lefljj about telephones inop-j; crative. Equipment damage is running Warning Held Too Late Stranded Betsy Victims Suffer Anxious Hours extremely high, he said.

i Fincher pointed out the esti-' mate of out of order telephones1 may go even higher, since the company has not heard from many outlying areas. "Despite the damage." Fincher! said, "restoration of service will JUST 25' NYLON-REINFORCED Sheriff Bergeron said. "The stalks were twisted in all directions." Hurricane Hilda a year ago did an estimated damage of $.10 million to the state's cane crop. This year's crop was reported very susceptible to storm damage and reports indicated Betsy packed a far greater punch than Hilda. Damage in St.

Francisville and outlying areas of West Feliciana Parish was comparatively light, a sheriff's deputy said. Most areas were without electricity. Two or three buildings in St. Francisville had windows broken, but property damage was relatively light, hardest hit was a supermarket, which received undetermined roof damages. Two house trailers were blown over, but the sheriff's office said no i he accomplished as quickly as DEN HOSE 50 -Ft.

humanly possible." Some 200.000 of the 330.000 inoperative telephones arc in New Orleans. Fincher said materials and supplies as well as cmgerency repair crews are being brought exodus, but added: "You never know. We don't want to ever stay and take a chance. It's sad, though, just to see everybody trying to grab everything they can and get out." As Betsy smashed on inland during the day, residents clogged the highway leading through the flat marshland back to Cameron. Cars, trucks and trailers all packed with family possessions, and many carrying livestock-streamed along the highway from northern refugees, principally Lake Charles, a perennial hurricane haven.

Most of the bars, restaurants and other businesses were closed, but by mid-afternoon the town showed signs of renewed life. Deputy Sheriff John A. Roux said that more than half the evacuees had returned. He said they were delighted to find the town intact. "I know how they feci, because I'm one of them," he added.

Roux stayed behind Thursday night after helping direct what he called "a good evacuation." "At one time, there was a 40 mile string of cars and trucks between here and Lake Charles." he said. "Since Audrey, we don't have much trouble getting them out of here." A female deputy added: "When they say go, we go." Iin from other stales. I "Some are already here. I Others are on the way," he said. "These crews will work many long hours until every i storm-struck phone is back in' service." Fincher said.

calls went out for amphibious vehicles and private boats to aid in the operation. Over 700 families live in the Pine Village area and adjoining Gentilly East Subdivision. Most chose to ride out the storm. Others claimed they were not given ample notice to evacuate and had no choice but to wait and climb higher ahead of the water. RESCUE BOATS Small fishing boats time and again went into the flooded area and filled up with human cargo.

Students from nearby Tulane University arrived and paddled even smaller boats into the area, rounding up whatever stray animals they could find swimming or clinging to tops of cars or trees. More and more spectators arrived, clogging the already busy BY NORMAN RICHARDSON Tinres State Editor NEW ORLEANS They came barefooted, in pajamas, scared and clinging to whatever wet possessions they could carry. They wore housecoats with blankets draped around them. Babies cried and dogs struggled to jump out of boats carrying them to safety. Old women somehow looked a little older and they sobbed softly while others wept openly.

Children made games of the rescue operation. This was Pine Village Subdivision on the shores of beautiful Lake ronchartrain in New Orleans, scene of anger and frustration yesterday. They were among the thousands trapped in their homes by vast rising water shortly before midnight Thursday and only-discovered at mid-morning Friday. Crowds gathered at the scene shortly after the word went out that perhaps hundreds were trapped in attics and on top of homes in the flooding area. Police cars screamed in ahead of National Guard trucks while frantic "In the meantime," he pointed cut, "Southern Bell appreciates the work its employes are per-' forming under the trying circumstances caused by the hum- injuries were reported.

POWER FAILURE In St. Landry Parish, winds of 70-80 miles an hour in gusts caused considerable damage to roofs and trees and caused a complete power failure in Ope-loiisas. Much of that city remained without electricity. Betsy dumped 3.4 inches of rain on Opelousas jcane. In downtown Dcnham Springs 'most plate glass windows weie blown out.

A city-owned two-'; 58" diameter 9 First Come First Served Be Here 9:30 A.M. Sharp For This Value! diameter! Vinyl hose reinforced with nylon triKk tire cord! Flexible even in zero weather! Nozzle shutoff! Brass couplings! While 25 lasts at this cleanup price today! Shrcve City Penncy's story recreation center lost its i top story to the storm. The fronts of" several other buildings; were blown down. A number of; power lines were down, and1; highway and streets into the area, inundated by upwards of jClicss Game (Adjourned debris piled two and three feet deep in some streets. i Thibodaux took the brunt of five feet of water.

In many spots of the two subdivisions, the depth reached eight to nine feet. "We're wiped out just completely wiped out," cried one woman over and over. Another stepped on to the dry intersection leading into the areas and said, "I'm sick, I'm sick. I've been in a boat since 5 a.m. and I'm sick." Still others bemoaned the fact that they did not get out Thursday night.

50 Ft. GARDEN HOSE 100 vinyl hose! Brass couplings. '2-inch diameter! While 20 lasts! Shrcve City Penncy's in a convent back there," said Mrs. Paul Lombardino, pointing a finger toward Gentilly. "I've lived in New Orleans all my life and I've never scon anything like this and I don't want to ever see anything like it again." Mrs.

Berry a 77, walked and waded a block and a half early Friday through waters CHRYSLER'S All NEW 1966 ECONOMY CAR CHARGE IT! Mile Warranty HAVANA Bobby Fischer1 of New York and Borislav lvkov of Yugoslavia adjourned their 10th round match in the Capablacna Chess Tournament Friday after 41 moves. Fischer, denied a visa to visit Cuba, has been playing by way of telegraphic setup in New York, wiring his moves to Havana. The match was postponed Wednesday when Hurricane Betsy interfered with communications. Fischer and lvkov, tied for second place in the tournament with eight points behind Vassily Smyslov of Russia, who has 8'a. will resume the match Sunday.

Plu Tax and raging almost to her shoulders. "To hear water lapping at your rami irriM Patrolman Takes Wild Ride on Ship NEW ORLEANS W) When parts of the warehouse began hurtling at him Police Patrolman Joe Scholl boarded the ship moored at the wharf early Friday. licens WRAY IMPORT MOTORS Market at Fannin Foremost Deluxe front door is the most horrible sound in the world," said aging Mrs. Aielene Gray. Times newsmen got past two roadblocks and into the Pine Village area and were immediately surrounded by a delegation of women compiaining they did not get ample warning espe "This is the first time I've ever had to leave my house because of a storm and I've lived here all my life." She wore a housecoat over faded blue pajamas.

Up on the corner where the boats with their human bundles came in. a young man greeted each child with a peppermint stick. A few feet away, a young girl twanged a guitar to the delight of children and spectators Both were small but appreciated contributions to the rescue effort. 24" Folding Brazier COME AS YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR CAR cially in the Gentilly area. "You know when we got the word to evacuate," asked one.

"when the water was all of a sudden rushing into our yards, that's when. All day long we've NOW 7n4 They say it was worse in other parts of outlying and inaccessible New Orleans. If the a dramas there match those her at Gentilly and Pine Village, it is hard to visualize. Value-packed! Hoi chromed grid with handy charcoal feeder door, rugged beaded tleel bowl, towel-tool bar handle. 1" polished aluminum legv Convenient Drive-In Window Complete Selection been trying to find out if our homes are still there, and what shape they're in.

and if those we know are still trapped and in there. We can't hear a thing. They tell us no rescue unit has gone in there yet can you imagine, no rescue unit has gone in there," she cried, getting angrier by the minute." I hope you print this." However, shortly before noon National Guard units moved into the disputed area and began bringing out residents. As the woman had said, they were indeed trapped and had been most of the night and morning. SITTING ON ROOFS A trip through two blocks of the area under water showed cars submerged, men and wom REDUCED! WHILE THEY LAST TODAY He figured it would he safer.

About 10 minutes later, the ship ripped loose and hightailed it up the Mississippi River while the crew scrambled desperately and Patrolman School stood bug-eyed on the bridge. The Wing Arrow, without power and hapless in the mighty winds of Hurricane Betsy, careened around the harhor area, bashing into other ships. "We must have been making 25 miles an hour," said Scholl. "Away we went across the river, bang "into a cluster of barges, and stuck in the mud at Algiers Point. "Then the wind man.

was it howling the wind pushed us off the mud and back across the river. We clipped a couple of ships coming back. We went by so fast I don't know which ones. "Back on the New Orleans side, we smashed into the Bienville Street wharf. Our bow hit the Joseph Lykes and locked on, rhen we swung up against the Sav Fuel.

"Soon as the wind let down a little I was glad to get off. For a while I figured I had really jumped from the frying pan into the fire." Damage to the ships involved v.as reported heavy. "ft 2-INCH ROUND HI-BACK JUST 8 CAST IRON GRILLS, BOTTOM DRAFT NOW toe 1 1 JUST 6-24" MOTORIZED BAR-B-Q JACK MIUER is rwHy Penncy' Shrcre City Store Saturday One-Day Only Cleanup! ir: to matte you oeai CHARGE IT AT PENNEY'S SHREVE CITY! 1 Phone 861-2429 SHREVE CITY OPEN QQj 9:30 'til 9:30 en sitting on top of roofs or staring blankly out attic windows. Many of those brought out needed medical attention and were quickly placed in private cars and driven to hospitals and clinics before rescue units began to arrive. "There are 12 sisters trapped STORE HOURS DAILY 3106 YOUREE DRIVE 3 LOCATIONS 3106 YOUREE 2914 JEWELLA Our Newest Location 8100 Mansfield Road.