New Orleans daily crescent., 1859-05-30
Rsfo1roRIAL. SKETCHES OF THE GREAT
II FLOOD OF 1850

lxsPoxron1AI. SKETCHES OF The GRE1
rLoop OF 1855.
spsslsl i ~ NV ori.s.s crs.ssnt.l
Il UNI0N PoINr. LA, Nay "a, 1859.
A1ssvs. Edo Scarcely had /. closed my col
muuicasisn q the 10th, dated Il Matches, IN which
Informed you Of he stoppage OF the crevasse at Poll
4 Pleasant than news reached that city to the efie
4 that the work had again given way and that q
4 water was rushing through with renewed and II
creased violence. A packet appearing q that M
ments boand up, your ccsrespcudent took passag
and is but Just returned 70 this place from visit
the crevasse found TIE planters for miles aroun
gathered at The scsne OF the heak, taking council t
gether q to what course they should pursue 10 n
gard to The matter. Several planters whose plant,
tons were not atcted BY the first break, are, singu
lariy enough entirely inundated by this reapse''
the levee, and uere for taking immediate and enel
getic measures to close IT, while the majority Of thos
oyerfowed before and whose unweried efforts to clos
he creyasse had proved inefsctua, were at frs
opposed 10 continuing the war with the watery ele
ment A large force was, however, finally set a
work and little steamer, bnilt purposely as leve
epairer, brought into rcquisition, and when lef,
CiOSSt
again. ...s az
The planters in the vicinity Of this break are, how
ever, generally under the impression that should th
break be speedily and permenanty closed. the over
flowed lands in the vicinity would not be ct for culti
vstion this season.
Having II my last given you as full description
Of the damage past present and prospective, causei
BY this crevasse. continue the panoramic view O
the country below, merely adding that the loss tt
Madison county In crops, damaged fences and build
ings, added to the expense incident to the closing
the crevasse and repairing Of the broken lsvees will
not fall short Of $780, 900.
!. Immediately opposite the town Of Point Pleasant
on the Mississippi side is the mouth Of the Big Black
river TIE back water from the Mississippi, aided BY
one Or two rapid rises in this tributary has served to
inundate and render unprodnctive some 900 acres
Of ne cotton and corn lands in its bottoms and for
miles along the blns which follow the course Of the
larger river. The Plantations are generally small
but well worked and but seldom oyerflowed. About
six hundred head Of horned stock has also been lost
in this range Of overflowed country. About eight
miles back from the river and opposite point about
two miles below the Big Black, is Bayou vidala all
the rich plantations adjoining which are rendered un
productive for this season by means Of the !" back
water " above referred to.
Mr.. A. Nolen, near the mouth of the Bayou, made
about three hundred bales last year, and was not
troubled with water on his plantation last year. but
has not an acre ont this season.
The Dunbar plantation adjoining the last contains
about 1900 acres under cultivation and last year pro
duced 1000 bales of cotton. The place is now en-.
rely inundated and will not raise bale this season.
Further up the stream COL Thistle made about Ilo0
bales last year. This year the plantation is unfit for
cultivation and will not produce a bale.
The Bettis' plantation adjoins the last, and CON
tains about three hundred acres under the plow It
made full crop last year, but will not be worked
this season.
The Love place, adjoining, produced geo bales last
year-tbis year is wholly inundated. ql
Other places adjoining, containing an aggregate of
.ome 1909 of cotton lands which were product
I've last season, are wholly submerged. Between the
mouth OF the Big Black to about twelve miles below
irand Gulf, in Claiborne county, Mississippi, where
he next actual crevasse occurs, the bottom is yari
bile in width, and the lands only partly reduced to
nltivation. Three thousand acres will cover the ex.
ent of the cotton lands inundated from the mouth of
be Black river to about one mile above the break
lst mentioned. This crevasse is in the levee of Mrs.
'vens, and although not Of great depth is nearly
ALI mile in width, and mandates, it is estimated
bout 10000 acres OF cultivated lands. Mrs. E. cul.
ivates about 800 acres She made about half a crop
ast season, but this season Will not plant an acre.
The plantation of C. D. Hamilton containing 500
under cultivation, adjoins and is wholly under
Fater. This place was also overflowed last year.
The plantation of Hugh NJ. Coffee, containing 800
~ notko la q, e a. rr-
'alf a crop last year.
Mr.. Chas. A. Pearson has 200 acres adjoining the
ast. he made about half an average crop last year.
ut will not work an acre this season.
Mr.. J. B. Thrasher's plantation adjoins and con-
aims 1900 acres Of rich cotton lands. MIR. r. made
20 bales last season. This year the place is wholly
nprodnctive.
Mr.. R. Ballard has about the same number of acres
l200) and made about 600 bales last year. He con.
butes nothing to the cotton crop of this year. For
,nately, Bayou Pierre empties into the Mississippi
ear this crevasse, and has savedan immense tract of
,untry below from inuniation.
The Bayou Pierre valley is in much the same con.
tion as the Big Black bottoms described above.
bout $500 more acres of cotton land are said to be
,vered in the bottoms Of the Bayou this season than
at.
From this point down to Natchez, on the Missis.
ppi side, the damage to the country is compare
vely light With the exception of about 500 acres
the vicinity Of Rodney the county of Jefferson is
OF affected by the food, although the river has been
ghteen inches above the previous highwater mark,
Tensas Parish lies opposite Jefferson county on the
ouisiana side and is badly flooded again this season
aving, as the reader will remember suffered to con.
derable extent last year-the bottoms in the North
rn or upper portion of the parish being wholly inun,
ated from the Point Pleasant creyasse, while the
entral and lower sections Of the country have been
lily one-half under water The recent fall of seye
ii inches in the river has drained off large fields ad
ling the river, on which planting has in many in
tances begun with fair prospect of securing half
rops. This added to the fact that during the last
ear several thousand acres Of new land have been
objected to cultivation and the negro force consider
bly, increased in the parish renders it likely that the
rops Of this year will fully equal those of last season.
The river continues to fall at this point, and from
bove hear that in places the planters are at work
their evees. The crops, where they are seen along
le river never looked better at this season of the
ear. UBIourrors
The LATEST FANcY.-Messrs. johnson Il Turner. |
the elegant and elegantly stocked stores under the ST
hares Hotel and under the City HOTEL IA Camp street bava
thatr ,cs,a1o a~.rt,. l-z..-