The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-05-18
The Mississippi Valley and River.

The Mississippi Valley and River.
LETTER NO. vI....Upon Levees.
To the Editors Of the Men Orleans Crescent:
GENTLEMEN-Having investigated the Tides, Currents.
Typographical features etc., etc., of the Mississippi, now
to the second part of the subject viz the nuty Of
the Leyee system, at present carried the injuries to be
apprehended TO the navigation Of the Mississippi, and the
dangers likely result the citizens of Louisiana from the
adoption Of artificial outlets, hydraulic safety vaveshe
deepening of the natural beds Of bayous Lafourche
Paquemine and Aachaaaya the formation Of eHtofs
to restrain and protect provide for the discharge of
floods in this river.
Levees in all first constructed by man for the
purpose Of restraining the Of rivers ETC., within
tain compass and to prevent the adjacent country from being
oyeSiown in oodime. Many rvers of the old world Eave
had their banks protected by leyee and that this
ancient mode of preservation from nundaton reorted TO-
there be doubt, both the Babyonans upon the
Eupates; and the Romans upon the Po. etc., etc., had
course to this system See Heedotus Pny, Solnus, Sabo
etc., etc., who inform that in SUMNER when the
melted upon the mountains of Armenia, there vast in
crease OF water in the Euphrate which caused overflow
its banks. To the damage which both the country
and the town received from these nundaons very
siderable distance above the city artificial canals
dug which turned the of the Euphates the Tgrs
before reached Babylon and the country yet
from being flooded and keep the river within its channel,
they earned prOdgous banks (or evee both sides Of the
nver 6tft oih bricks eemeHted Nth bitRmsR which COM
menced al the head of the artificial canals, and extended be-
low the city.
1t is pleasing that early an age we should have
explicitly handed down to posey such undispued instances
oil the shining and brilliant intellect of the Build
ing of Babylon, and the formation of its canals and
evees, all of which works ascnbed Semramis and
Nitocr-two ladies of the bloodroyal Semiramis, it is
stated, employed two million men at the works
have referred to those works. because il might hereafter
be attempted to support the Levee SYSTEM the ground
that used with effect of DID, and therefore that is
the universal for the dangers of upon the
Msssipp-but not The Euphrates a pigmy EGter
rtH in comparison to the Father of Waters The
that stream did carry such ponderous sediment in sou
ton; the banks of that river firm and compact, while
the delta of the Mississippi is easily abrased. The
who could employ two million upon such work, had
means unlimited at her command which have ShG
directed the course of the Uh0tUer and when the
channel dry, built brick levees cemened with bumen
Could the Mississippi be diverted from its channel, and again
at pleasure be TetHed to cOuld two million men be
ployed upon -coud bricks and hydraulic lime sufficient to
arch its bottom, and construct vees, upon and against its
banks be obtained, then they might be efectua Could
and une-could alcohol be poured upon fire. and
ignite. then and not until then will it be possible restrain
the Mississippi, permanently, by eVee The present Levee
system, then, fraught with and glang evils both
with respect to the organization of the law regulating the
construction and repairs of evees. The existing laws
garding leyees, by which il made compulsory upon front
propor to keep the evees in repair productive of great
and serious injury to the community. large proprietor,
with say 300 feet of evee, upwards may keep his portion
OF the bank in repair but his neighbo either side (sma
andhodes) may reason thus; Mr.. A. he large propneo)
ours break matter how strong good Mr. AS front eyes
may be, his plantation viii be inundated. And on the ot
hand, the large proprietor Mr Al may consider; WELL Their
no use in my attending to the stability Of my evee becaus
my neighbos and c, at any rate. will repair theirs
let mine, therefore, take its chance. do by wha
right am obliged build evees protect the property
Others and, if do not, theirs will break, and shall b.
Hooded have heard these given for unsafe evee
being permitted to remain so.
Such system of comparing would be easiest if there wa
law passed by the Legislature appointing Inspector
Levee for the whole State and subnspectos for each Par
h, whose duty would be exercise strict surveillance
over the safe condition Of the Levee take soundngs pc
nodcay at the concave bends and yigiany watch
the first appearance of danger and have it promptly
effectively remeded For the deayment such expenses
there should be uniform levied the whole State
well as for the erection and maintenance of all evee Thi
al hrst may appear an unfair proposon
the river Levees will stand for time immemora while thu
eoncaFe bends, the Levees to be built periodically
and to be yearly removed farther back make the
cavng and encoachment the subsatum, their
dauon-he natural bank; but although individually, each
planter does not Immediately suffer from the effects of Gre
vasse still in short time the back caused by the
how fills up the canals impedes the discharge of his drains
and choke the pump of his draining machine IT. however
these EVIL effects did not accrue the great republican maxim
the greatest good for the greatest NUMBER would ensure
the adoption of means, by which general fund for the
building and repair of Levees would be secured without the
interference of individual and private caprice. This principle
should not alone apply to the banks of the Mississippi but
the banks Of rivers and bayouss tributaries and not alone
to Leve but to all methods adopted or here
after to be adopted for the prevention of overows of the
Mississippi.
great and nsuperabe objection to evees an unasstef
system, for the prevention of overows upon Mississippi
etc., etc. is that il ending still beginning sys
system which requires that the work to-day shal
be repeated tomorrow. The delta of the Mississippi is as
before stated essentially auva, composed of soft oo
debris, easily acted in instance, by uoratc inu
but especially when take into consideration the pecu
liar conformation OF its bends, In connection with the ab
nature of its banks, must at be convinced that
matter how plausible the theory and how stable the super
structure, whether be called Leyee artificial bank
when the subsructure that the natural bank not to
depended upon gives and carries the Levee matte
how broad its base-no matter how consolidated its sruS
urehe Levee share the fate of the sandy oundao
upon which it stands.
have carefully investigated this matter and find th
when crevasses have occurred upon the Mississippi the
arose either from caving of the natural banks, from Il
effects of that destroyer of evees the cawsh having bors
the evee and thereby occasioned ousHg which, not ha
ing been attended resulted in burst break or sudd
rush OF the waters upon and uncoRsoidated eve
which gave way, because the pressure equaize
and the component parts had not had time to density Sue
was the occasion of the break at Mr. Sauves plantation
January last QS50), which, however, happily aeste
| by the activity and energy of the planters.
AT best, the Levee system is make-shift-a temporar
reef which, by vigilance and unceasng losses to th
oecupers of PROPERTY at the bends and continue
yielding to the uninterrupted call of the Father of Rivers
Give gye of land houses gardens etc. etc., can be kep
off little longer. To-day reres your levee beyond you
ancestors improvements acres; give up the houses
parees and Improvements built by your father and IN eN
years your son will be Obliged to give the habtaton bull
by you, to build new levees raise new dwelling
the current is diverted from the concave bends unless t
easily yielding bank is defended from the abrasive effect
the waters The system propose tet sgeet h'S' VIII adj
to the securing power of the current, will clear away tn
deposit on the bar at Baze effect of the Leve
system is apparent upon all rivers where has been adopted
Let me instance the in Italy Its bed Is raised above tn
.F tla hnuan nft tbG adj
This is the effect the Levee system; it induces deposition
of the edimentary particles exemphhed in the Of tn
| Po and also regret say, in the Mississippi.
The Evil of Cutoffs and Artificial Outlets, Hydrauli
Safety.valves, in my next
Yours respectfully, THos. LAFGRELLE, NJ. c. E.:
Neo Orleans, May 10, 1850.
i LEWIS, Ship Chandler aud Family Grocer, No. o.
y. Front street Third epaity-BEEF, Pork, FLOUR