The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-04-17
THE MISSISSIPPI LEyEEs.

Gredt ItsSe Gt nte U0oefo " o'o IL
sissippi.
The levees all along the Mississippi
re breaking. A dozen crevasses have
zen made and every available man is
gagged stopping the leaks. The new
lee upon which Louisiana has recent
expended half million has broken
several places. 1t requires men day
d nirht to watch for the first indica-
ms of a break. The devastation is
..rming. The calamity is thus com
.,nted on by the New Orleans Times:
The intelligence of an uncomfortable
..cvasse in Grand Levee created serious
] Urn in this city yesterday. That Gre
.sse must carry with it a fearful Had
desolation. For three years in sue
,sssion the hopes of the planters have
seen destroyed over broad stretches Of
*.rtile lands by floods which broke
a,rough the insufficient artificial barriers
..ised against them, and the present
overflow threatens to be not less de.
rtructive than either of those which
preceded it. 1t is sad indeed to con-
template these repeated disasters, com
ing, as they have done, on the heels OF
theirs scarcely less serious in their char
acter. Whatwas left by the ravages
If war the waters have swept away, and
thousands upon thousands ofour people,
both white and colored, must be relelv-
ed by charity or starve. The levee
which has Just broken was but recently
completed, at cost to the State of near
ly half million dollars. On it our
people had staked their credit and their
hopes, and the investment has proved
an utter loss. Not only will the crops
and stock of thousands of our citizens
be lost, but they will be driven from
their homes and subjected to swamp te-
vers and other ailments which will
greatly add TO the burden of their mise
ries.
But it is not alone from Grand Levee
that the threat of a general overflow
comes. In no portion of the State are
the levees of sufficient solidity and
height to resist the unusual pressure to
xhich they are now subjected. Every
where the river threatens to overlap
or thrust aside the narrow combining
walls of earth through which men in eff
feet haN said "Thus far shalt thou go
and no further and here shall thy proud
waves !" The might Of the Mississippi
is we'll known. When the proud river
marks out for itself new dynamic laws
and seeks fresh channels of escape for
It's continent waters, it is no easy mat
Ter to bring it back into its old lines and
limits of restraint Such is its position
at present. A month earlier than usual
the waters haves attained an unusual
height-one never before known at this
season of the year-and from all quar-
tiers come cries Of melting SHOWS and
still greater floods.
The Natchez Courier, of the Goth ult.,
says:
During the twelve hours from sun
downon Wednesday to sunrise on Thurs
day, the river at Vidalia, opposite Nat
chez, rose three inches.
A view from our bluff shows terri
bly, angry and swollen stream of water.
Lake Concordia looms up like great
arm which the Father of Waters is ex-
tending to warn and punish. The river
extends to the levee Immediately in
front Of the courthouse and looks as if
every little swell would send the bound
ing current over the only frail barrier
that still protects the beautiful planta-
tions OF that parish.
Marengo levee is still reported as in.
tact though very great apprehensions
are hourly felt as to its safety.
Mr.. Lyle, ofthe Concordia haeNigen-
Ger, writes us under date of IL o'clock
last night :" Since my paper went to
press, information has reached me that
Marcngo levee is liable to break at any
moment. Slushes are continually tax
ing place and seipage water flowing
in"
The grand levee at Morganza broke
day before yesterday, turning the angry
flood of the river into the southwestern
parishes of Louisiana, to find its way to
the Gulf through Berwick's bay. This
disastrous break, while it spreads ruin
over seven parishes of the State, will
yet free the lower river from Bayou
Sara down from danger. 1t has already
affected the stage OF water above the
break. At Red River landing, when
the Quitman passed Wednesday even
ing, there had been a fall of nearly eight
inches, and it was reported the fall caus-
ed by the break had been felt above
Fort Adams. -
The chief engineer of the first levee
division writes rather discouragingly
ae,:.C closing the Roman crevasse, fifty
SIX miles above New Orleans. He is
still hopeful, but cannot reject all doubts
The original gap is widened to the ex
tent OF Que hundred and fifty feet, aud
the water passing through it is from six
to twelve feet deep.
81 The Natchez Courier, of the soth ult.
says:
Notwithstanding the influence of the
Morganza break, the river at this point
rose three inches during the twenty
fonr hours ending yesterday noon. II
is fearfully high. The marks at Browns
saw mill, just above the city, indicate 8
stage Of water already higher than the
f,ood Of 1882" and worse remains be
4.iind.'n
intelligence was received Yesterday
noon that there was but little chance
ofholding the Marengo levee Longer
han twenty-four hours unless the water
ELI. And we hear that Colonel Bah
IL.