Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-05-31
New OrIeans--The Crevasse. &c.

} tunate, apart from the annual scorge-the yellow
fever, and the inundation of set of desperadoes
whose actions have given it the character, unjust
ly, as the writer of this testify, of immortality
She has now to contend against an element which
in its mastery and power, can laugh to scorn the
futile efforts OF man to avert stem-t is that o
water. The crevasse which has now taken place
in Carrolton, ak miles above the city of New Or.
leans, is one which is likely to cause great de-
stfiction ofproperiy, if not fe--it is Immediately
at the bend OF the river, and if not checked, may
eventually change its course, which, below thi:
bend or curve, sweeps along the left bank of The
river. This crevasse, however alarming as il MAY
fseem, (and there are grounds for alarm) open:
Immediately into low land, which will carry the
water to the swamp, from whence it must neces-
sarily flow into lake Ponchartraln; and to protec
the city, thousands are now engaged in throwing
up embankments, dykes, and levees, to avert its
course from the>city, lying, it does, below the
level Of the river for many miles, above and below
the creyasse.
| That our readers'may form some idea OF place
which, in commercial point Of view, and in pro-
portion to the number of its inhabitants, has not
an equal upon the face Of the globe, we furnish
some facts in relation to it not generally known
or rather we may say, remembered New Or
leans is literally built on old fiat boats, floating
timber, and scattered RATS. In I7lS Governor
Benvelle explored the banks of the Mississippi,
in order to choose spot for the chief settlement,
which had hitherto been at Baoxi. He selected
the present site, and left fifty men to clear the
ground and erect the necessary buildings. Where
the city, that is, the business portion of it, is now
located, at that period swamp-a sheet of
water These fifty men cleared that portion known
now as the Spanish or French part of the town,
and even at that early period. they encountered
difficulties similar to the many the city has had to
contend against ever since. raf
In l7l9 the Mississippi rose to an extraordina-
ry height and as the Company did not possess
sufficient force to protect the spot they had cleared
from inundation, they had to abandon it, in other
words they were compelled to quit. In 1922, it
could boast Of one hundred cabins, large wooden
warehouse, two or three dwelling houses, and a
miserable looking wooden warehouse was used as
chapel-a place of prayer In 1924, it was vis-
tied by terrible hurricane, which leyelled to the
ground the chapel, the hospital, and thirty houses.
In 1869, the yellow fever, which has continued to
be an almost annual vsiter, made its appearance.
An idea is entertained by many that i. was brought
oyer by British vessel from the coast of Africa,
with cargo of slaves. If we had not stronger evil
dence to prove its home origin than what we have
of this, we might infer that it came as curse upon
the whites, in the same vessel with their victims, for
it is also curious fact the negroes almost nyari-
ably escape the fever, nor has it ever assumed "a
mong them the form of an epidemic. This is a
sequal which requires more philosophy than we
are masters of, SO leave to those who can trace
causes, and follow up their effects.
Fears have often been entertained, and frequent
y expressed, that the leyees of the Mississippi are
not sufficient to resist the great body Of water that
is continually bearing and wearing upon them
and these fears have in several cases, IA in the
present, been realized. In May, 1916, the river
broke. through, about nine miles above New Or
leans, and three above the present creyasse it
destroyed several plantations and inundated the
back part of the city TO the depth Of three or four
feet The creyasse was finally closed by sinking
a vessel in the breach. In 1914, another crevasse
occurred at Bonnet Care. In 1896 serious one
occurred at Algiers, Immediately opposite New
Orleans. The writer of this was present, and he
truly say, although its width was not more than
fifty feet, he never saw saw, Niagara excepted, a
more staltling sight. Yet was it checked, and by
human efforts, the element was STAYED, and the
genius and art OF man, using the memorable words
of Canute, exclaimed $50 far shalt thou 90 and
no further"
In 1917 another crevasse occurred higher up,
which was filled up and effectually checked by the
hardy labor Of an hundred slaves. The present
one will open the eyes of the people of the Cres
cent City to the necessity of throwing up and
around all the turns and bends Of the river. near
TO them, stronger levees, and erect dykes. And |
no doubt, the scientific will suggest to the author
ties the propriety of finishing the several canals
which were long since commenced, for the pur-
pose of draining the swamp, and which IN the
event OF another or other crevasses. the water
could be carried orr, and the city protected
he whole OF this section of the country ex-
lending the distance Of eighty miles on one side
iad twenty or thirty on the other, is secured from
an overflow, by embarkment called ''lhe leyee :"
rom six to eight feet high, and sufficiently broad
or the most part, TO furnish an excellent highway
The river, in at ordinary rise, would cover the +
greater part of the beautiful plantations if thew Il
we're not thus protected.
The rlyer-the majestic father of vatars aou,s