The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-29
Telegraphic Exaggeration.

The Northern people have very vagus idea. of
the nature of The calamity with which this city is
afflicted 1t is, indeed, great in its EXTENT in the
losses which it has caused and still threatens and
the mseries it infics upon thousands, but it is moi
the overwhelming and fatal blow to our existence
which many seem TO suppose. They appear to
have conceived the idea of violent Eruption OF
the river into our city, sweeping away houses
forcing the inhabitants, in crowds, TO flee swiftly
for their lives before the torrent. The following
Geographic dispatch. dated Baltimore the Eth inst
gives the Eastern papers terrific description of the
scene of horror here
The Southern mail has arrived, bringing New
Orleans papers of the 10Th which contain intelli-
gence of the increase of the crevasse at Jefferson,
above the city. The water has reached the new
canal in the Second Municipality. and the nhabi-
tants are escaping in boats. The roar of the water
heard for miles, and great is lis progress that
il carries everything before it. The loss is i'm
mense-25OO hhds. of sugar, which had Just arrived
and landed, has been destroyed All hopes of
stopping it have failed, and it is believed that the
Mississippi will now seek a new channel
This is vivid fancy sketch, but without much
likeness to the reality, as we see it here. The ere
vase, from which we now suffer is break in the
levee, fifteen miles from town. 1t is about 200 feet
wide, and the water PUSHES through with great We
ocity indeed, for there is rapid descent and the
face of the country falls off from the river gradn-
ally down to the swamps and the lake in the rear
interrupted by one or two low ridges. The rushing
Of the water can be heard at some dis.anee-but
compared to the mighty mass of the Mississippi, ii
is mere rill. A stream has poured through this
opening, until it has gradually filed mp the swamps
and covered the low lands between the crevasse
and the back part of the city, and at last invaded
the city itself, and is gradually rising. But its pro-
gress is not SO terrific and dangerous that men flee
before it. abandoning their property. Its rise is
measured anxioiisly by inches from day to day and
the damage which it causes, except at the mouth
Of the crevasse, or in some place where it breaks
through an embankmen', is not from any rush of
the stream, but from its slowly sapping and under
mining edifces, and its destruction of crops by the
mere act of submerging them. II comes onward
ssealthy-rising, line by line, so quietly that care
full measurement is required to show that it has
increased. 1t has thus risen until the rear of the
city has been covered with water, in some places
several feet Deep Some of the streets. as viewed
from Carondelet or Baronne down, look long
sheet of water, creeks, in which boats are plying
between the houses, that seem built in wafer.
But the inhabitants have generally removed
such at least as were able-and none were without
timely and painful knowledge of the peril before it
reached them The suffering is undoubtedly great,
and it falls unhappy those least able to bear it.
and they have need Of all the aid which the SYM
pathies and the means of their more favored fellow
citizens can supply in this time of distress They
ere driven from their homes their little traffic de-
stroyed, and put to extraordinary and unforeseen
expenses. This is true, and but ieeby expressed
but it is far from being true that the torrent has
swept off hogsheads of sugar, any other species
Of ponderable property, which the owner was de-
MED time enough to remove.
The bed of the Mississippi has not changed, nor
Is there the slightest sign Of any such natural phe
by artificial MEANS the fall of the Mississippi will
dram of the water, and great city will remain |
damaged indeed in its outskirts by the encroach- |
ments OF the wOndrous flood, but untouched in its |
great marts and the mighty quarters in which it |
has built up accommodations for the vast commerce
which centres here. The affection which is upon |
US now will indeed he made profitable, we hope. to |
future security from any similar calamity. It will |
force upon the authorities the duty of taking
fua steps for the protection of the city against pos
sible inundation hereafter. The bitter experience
Of the last month has shown how much destruction
little neglect and some parsimony may produce,
and will be warning, that cannot be sighted, of
the duty Of ample and early preparations. at what
ever COST to guard the city hereafter. Nobody
doubts that the city be perfectly protected, and
NOBODY will hesitate to authorize any expenditure
which may be required for the execution of all the
pscessary works.