The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-03-02
The River.

Inc RIVER.
| The Unprecedented rise in the Mississippi which
has been steadily progressing for some time, and
has now acquired character in some degree alarm
ing, is naturally subject of general interest and
| conversation. Never before within the memory OF
any person living, has the volume of water COM
prised within the banks of the river, been so i'm
mensely sweed at present, and the fact is still
more singular, when we reflect that it occurs at a
season of the year when the water is at a compare
lively low stage. The old father of waters rolls past
our city with majestic grandeur, and seemingly with
resstless force, and it is indeed surprising the en-
bankments which have been raised to preserve the
land flom his entertainments, should be found of
sufficient strength to oppose his advances success
fully. So far, with the exception of some slight
breaks, there has been very alarming crevasse !;
but must say that the danger of such an event,
at the present. seems very imminent. Should the
levee break any where near and above the city, on
this side, the most disastrous consequences might
ensue. There can be no doubt that all the back
portion of the city would be submerged, and proba-
bly, great amount of property destroyed. Even if
crevasse do not occur, when the river falls, many
portions of tie levee, and some of the wharfs may
sink in, as was the case in lS43, when, after the
subsistence of The waters, nearly all the wharves
in the First Municipality were destroyed. In this
manner much property may be lost.
We are glad to that in this emergency the
city authorities have taken the matter in hand, and
we presume, will take such measures may he
necessary. In accordance with the suggestion of
the Mayor, the Councils of the First and Second
Municipalities met last night and appointed COM
mittees of conference. At the Third Municipality
Council there was no quorum, and consequently
nothing was done in that body. Mr.. G. t. Dunbar,
the Surveyor of the Second Municipality, presented
a report, by which it appears that the river is now
sixteen inches higher than it was during the great
flood of 1916, which was the highest water ever
known here. The report contains other interesting
facts and suggestions, which be seen by refer
ring the document ITSELF published in the pro-
ceedngs of the Councils
There is one subject of interest connected with
this rise which is worthy of some attention, and
which was adverted to in communication pub
lished in our columns few days ago. We alude
to the fact, that although at this point and ors
distance above, the river is now higher than it has
ever before been known, further up it has not
reached so high stage as during the flood of 1874.
This may be in part accounted for by the extraor-
binary rise in Red River but that does furnish
seasons of high water relieves the Mississippi of
almost as much as Red River brings in. We must
then find some other method of accounting for the
paradox and we think it may be found in the sug-
gestion put forth by Darby in his History of Loui-
siana That writer remarks, that even when he
wrote, the annual rises in the river were becoming
more elevated, and he accounts for it by the fact
that continual retaining and cultivation of new
lands deprves the river of part of its lateral
vors, and the building of levees increases the
quantity of water confined in the channel This
process increases in extent every year, and there
fore each year the old levees have to be strength
ened and increased in height. This idea of Darby,
we think very reasonable one, and is the only
rational hypothesis upon which we can explain the
comparative discrepancy between the height of the
water here and above Vicksburg.