The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-26
The lamentable condition Of the almost
submerged city Of New Orleans on the
morning of the 18th inst, is well described

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submerged city Of New Orleans on the
morning Of the 18th inst, is well described
in the New Orleans papers, asfollows'
The ovEarLow. sun down yesterday the rise
during the "a hours preceding had been exceedingly
slight, and many close observers declared that the
water had absolutely recedod tribe. The wind
blew yesterday pretty steadily from the North, and
to this y chiefly attributed the stationary condition
Our city Is assuming cnrous aspect. Boats ply
about Common Gfavicr and Canal streets In al d.
rections. The First Municipality this side OF 81.
Louis street Is overlooked all the way up to Rampant
street. Ladies project parties os pleasure and gen.
tiemen row them about even at the risk Of
sional ducking. California boots water proof arc In
great demand, and many an amphibious individual
may be seen trndglng safely along In the wild OF wa
tiers, with his neither members panoplied In imper-
meable caoutcouc. Those tenants Of the barn-yard
who ara provided with webbed feet, enjoy hugely the
luxury Of swim in our miniature seas, and bare
legged nrchns furnaces In the torrent and push each
other In the deepest parts. The people who uTe sur
rounded by the flood, seem to have accommodated
themselves with praiseworthy fortiiude TO their novel
condition, and very philosophically made the best Of
bad bargain. II the overflow lasts much longe-,
swimming will become MS essential part Of educa-
ton as Il isin the Island of Otaheie.
We len the crevasse last evening at o'clock, hay.
ing proceeded thiiher on board ofthe steamer a. W.
Tdnieer. The works that hav been constructed still
stand pretty well, but they oppose no barrier what
ever to the immense rush of water which In our
opinion Is pouring through In q much stronger yo-
hume than when we Were on the spot on Saturday
last. Assuming the width Of the breach at 100 feet,
and the fall Of water at feet, with current Of l.
knots, Il would show an hourly discharge Of az
600 cubic feet Of water. How this immense body Is
TO be worked off, Is puzzling, but we believe 1.-Two or
thee wide channels are dug through the Metnrie
Ridge the overflow may no, only be prevented from
extending but will also materially recede. For In
stance The ssaal now being dqg through the Metal
Of 30 feet fall Of feet md current Of five miles,
and ought thus when completed, TO carry of Is, o40
900 cubic feet Of water per hour or In round figures,
one-third Of the volume that Ia now pouring In at
For the present, the works have been abandoned,
Mr. Dunbar having come 10 town last evening for
the purpose Of attending meeting of the Survey
ors al tho May Office this morning, there to de-
break, TO be adopted In conjunction with the neigh
boring planters, who have volunteered all the assist
ance In their power. The time for half measures
some common plan, and to carry II on even If il
should involve an expense of 100000. What is
such sum compared with the loss which now slares
our citizens in the face A mere trife; and II the
neednl should be lacking, we feel convinced that
some Of our patriotic citizens would cheerfuy step
forward and volunteer a loan. IT we are deceived In
these expectations the city must have recourse to
the Banks, who, In such an emergency dare not re-
fuse their hid TO the Corporation.
Under other circumstances. we should counsel
recourse TO extra taxation in preference 10 running
in debt, but the community cannot stand IL. The
water has cancelled most summnrily oil the leases in
the inundated District, so that 1t would scarcely DO
70 tax landlords who are thus suddenly deprived Of
their rents. We presume that the city has already
spent $4,000 at least II will take al the most mode
and II the wharves do not cost during the summer,
$3.50 900 In addition, We shall be most ngrceaby de-
ceived.
But we ore wandering from the subject, and have
merely 10 repent that we nlenaced by the most
imminent danger unless the break is promptly ar
rested. STOPPED IT MUST DE AT ALL nAzARDs.-
N. o. Bee, 18Th inst.
THE crerdSses along the coast, says the Point Cou
pee Echo present truly dcplorabc spectacle. West
Baton Rouge u inundated from the lower Inouth
OF False River down TO the plantation of Mr. BUTLER
a distance of some fifteen twenty miles. The cre-
vase at Br,le Landing covers Il vast extent Of
country; dwelling houses and sugar houses almost
invisible with the exception Of the roof and Chin
neys. Those in the parish of Ascension have been
stopped by the determined enegy OF the inhabitants
although not less formidable In their commencement
than those now in successful operation.--Neio Or
leans Bee.
Still ANornEn CaEvAssE.-Sc Scarcely was il an
nonnced that the crevasse nj the Powder Magazine,
on THE opposite side Of the river stopped when
the river made another breach in the levee ut Tunis
q short distance below Aleers, on the same side.
The break was made between five and six o'clock
last evening, and we understand, commenced with a
width of about twenty tn. 0. Delta, 18Th inst
THE ISuNDATIos,--Thc water in the rear of the
city fell from three to four inches yesterday, from
about ten o'clock In the morning, when II com
menced falling, till night. This Is attributed, and
we presume cOrrec tly TO the opening OF some eight
or len large passages through the levee Of the lake.
which give outlets 10 the water flowing through the
cuts made in the Meaire Ridge. Another cause Of
aence of strong westerly wind through the day,
which lowered the water In the canals and bayous
running from the city and its baubourgs to the lake.
- o. Della, 1871 inst. a
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MIIe lCen TAyI nnl had alsn declnreI thai In no