New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-07
THE LEVEES.

During the recent sessions of the legislature we
several times called attention to the absolute
necessity of providing for the protection of our
alluvial lands against inundaton. The legislature
very properly took the subject under advisement,
and adopted system which, we presume will,
ultimately achieve the desired object The whole
matter was placed under the control of a board of
levee commissioners, and a fund was appropriated
to enable that board to act with energy and
promptness. This at least, was the idea of the
law but we regret to believe that the amount
which our limited resources enable US to devote to
this object, is not commensurate with its impor.
tahce. Nevertheless something can be done by
the board, and we have every confidence that the
members will falfl the expectations Of the public
as far as their means enable them to do so.
They have been in session during this week
and, we believe, have not yet adjourned. They
meet at a time when danger of the most alarming
kind is threatening our whole riparian territory
The foods from the upper rivers are coming down
upon US with almost resistless power, and our
levees, in many places, incapable of sustaining so
enormous pressure, already give indications of
yielding to the rising waters. Indeed, in several
places crevasses have already been announced.
The productive lands of Carroll and Madison,
Tensas and Concordia are threatened with over
flow. Near Baton Rouge a similar peril exists
and even in the neighborhood of the city very
serious breaks have already occurred.
These catastrophes were to be anticipated, but
they are none the less destructive and lamentable
because we had reason to expect them. During
the war our leyee system was suffered to go to
ruin. Necessary repairs could not be made, and
in many places, what was considered O military
necessity was invoked for the absolute destruction
of many of the finest levees in the State. The new
levees which have been constructed have not yet
had time to acquire sufficient consistency to ena-
BILE them to resist the pressure of the food. AL.
ready, as we have said, they are giving way, and
should We have such rise as that of 1858, the
whole of the aluvial portion of the State may be
submerged.
Such disaster would be far more calamitous
now that we have no surplus wealth to fall back
On, than it would have been when our people were
rich md prosperous. 1t would almost ruin the in
dustrial prospects of Louisiana for many years
This consideration should, therefore, urge to dt
everything in our power to avert such {. calamity
to strain every nerve, to use every effort in orde
that we may not be disappointed in our hopes o
reviging our commercial and agricultural pros
perity. It is unfortunate that we could not at thu
! proper season take effective precautionary mea
sures against the crevasses which almost alway
characterize the season of high water, an
| which this year were sure to be more thai
usually numerous and destructive. 1t is unluck
thai we did not Or could not complete our leyees
and strengthen them sufficiently to afford securt
against this seasons food. But as our conditio
is now condition Of extreme peril, it become
the more necessary to direct our immediate effort
into that channel in which alone our efforts can b
effective. We cannot perhaps do much thi
season, in the way of construction, but we prob
ably can do good deal towards stopping the ere
vases as they occur, or guarding against them il
such places as seem to be most exposed to danger
We hope that the board of levee commissioner
will direct its immediate attention to this point
Before the war, we had adopted a-system for clos
| ing creyasses-a system which had received tn
sanction of practical and scientific men, and whic
had proved effective in actual operation. Indeed
no levee system can be considered even approx
inlately complete without such an accessory Th
best levees will break at times. The most perfec
levee system is liable to this imperiection. Henc
the necessity-a necessity which at this time
paramount and imperious-of adopting some gel
eral plan of closing crevasses as they occur. W
do not think that it is too late to adopt such pal
and we are convinced that money could not /
applied to better purpose. The gentlemen con
posing the board of levee commissioners are INTEL
gentand experienced men, They know the subje'
in all its practical bearings, and we persuade
that they will agree to everything that we hay
said GU the subject.