Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-06-07
Core pondence ofthe 81 Louis Republican.
New ORLEANS, May 22d, 1sig.
The Crernsse- Over. aow of .Nsw Orleans
ILaLh af liz Gin Thnlern

New ORLEANS, May 22d, 1919.
The Crepasse- Ouer, aow Of .Nsw Orleans
Health of The City Cholera.
Messrs. EDIroRs: Yon have doubtless
already been informed Of the "Crevasse"
fifteen miles above this city. II has been
running now for several weeks, and has
actually baffled all attempts to arrest it,
The whole country Immediately above and
back Of the city, is inundated with water.
The great "Father Of Waters" is brim
full-and like roaring lion, sis seeking
whom he may devour." A "Crevasse."
is an awful catastrophe in this country
Its disastrous consequences can hardly be
realized by persons at distance, who
have never seen the country, and witness
ed its operations. Nearly the whole State
Of Louisiana has been made by the alluvi-
al deposits Of the Mississippi. For ages
and ages that mighty river has been en-
ployed in carrying lands from the coun-
tries washed by the Ohio and Missouri, TO
make here great State in the mouth of
the Mexican Gulf. When the river is
high, it is walled within certain limits by
the construction of levees. At this mo-
ment the Mississippi is nearly ten feet
higher than the surrounding country
From the rear of a plantation, steamboat
floating on its surface, looks as though it
were blowing the air. Every lick Of it,,
paddles sends wave over the levee.-
Every plantation has its guards out to
watch and give the alarm, in the event of
its bursting its bounds. In case the levee
gives way the signal is given, the planta-
ton bell rings an arm-messengers are
dispatched on fast horses to the adjoining
plantations planters, overseers, negroes
all, run for the crevasse-they tear up
the fence, drive down piles in circular
rows-cram in hay, straw, bags, brush,
bags filled with earth, everything they can
get, and then throw on fresh earth, which
in this country is ofthe consistency of put
~. Finally, they succeed in stopping the
chasm, and the old "Father" goes on to
root hole somewhere else. But the Gre
vase above the city has resisted all at
tempts to stopit The most skillful engi.
neers have given it up in despair. Hum
dreds Of families in this city are homeless;
or have been driven into the upper stories
of their dwellings. The water is within
two squares Of the St Charles, and rising.
The city has expended nearly two thou
sand dollars for boats for the bene fit of the
immediate districts. In the streets are
thousands of wounded fish, and poisonou,
reptiles. The city authorities have EN-
ployed Capt. Grant, from Mobile, to SUI
perintend the works on the crevasse, by
which it appears still further efforts will
be made to arrest>the floods running the
city and country above. Like the quack
doctor, he hopes to throw il into Gifts"
and being great on "fts," he says, he j.
bound to stop it. In consequence of so
much water all around, the air is cool and
the city healthy.
Cholera has almost entirely disappeared.
II has been making dreadful ravages on
some Of the plantations near Donaldson
vile, and on Bayou Lafourch. Col. Bib,
has lost about seventy negroes, and Bish-
op Polk twenty three. The disease seems
to travel strangely-here depopulating-a
whole plantation, then skipping over sew
eral and appearing again on another, with-
out any apparent cause for III eccentric
movements. Most of the blacks who have
died on these plantations, seemed TO have
no premonitory symptoms or pain. lsee
by the papers, and hear from various
sources, that this dreaded scourge is rag
ing in St Louis. This was to have been
expected. If proper efforts are made TO
cleanse the city, and proper attention paid
by the people 10 diet, it may soon pass
over. But you may look for its return
again in the fall. The attack has been
universally repeated in this country. AT.
ter the spring rains shall cease and this
dry weather commence, after the sun shall
stew and simmer the stagnant waters for
some weeks, in the nasty sink-hole in and
around your city; after it shall have IFS
natural effect on that beautiful repository
Of offal of slaughter houses and poisonous
substances from lead factories -Chouteau's
pond-then look out for its return with
consequences more alarming than you now
experience. The first shock will cause
most people to be careful ; but familiarity
with the monster will produce Indifference
indifference neglect, and it is to be fear
ed, 'the last end will be worse than the
first" This is precisely the way things
have operated in Louisiana. At no time
has its ravages been so disastrous on the
plantations as now. The people imagined
The disease had passed over, and ceased
10 use preventive measures-and now they
see the consequences Of their Indifference
and neglect.