New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-26
THE LEVEES.

The Wallace Crevasse - The Porchl
Break-No Fall Of Riverat lbePvilDe.
We present the following extracts sbout
the levees and the state Of the river from
our exchanges. The st. James Sent;nel Of
the twenty-second says: -
At an early hour Thursday morning q
portion Of the levee fronting the plantation
of Mr. j. s. Wallace, some three miles below
College Point, on the left bank Of the river,
gave way, and the water came rushing in
at a tremendous rate, and had soon indn-
dated strip of land in process of culsiva-
ton. about ten acres in width and reaching
back to the woods.
The aperture in the levee was at first
comparatively small, but therush Of water
gradually widened it, and yesterday evening
the water was pouring through a break
forty fee: in width.
Two hundred men were working on this
break yesterday, and there are hopes enter
tanned that it will be closed today. A
seni-circular breakwater is being con-
structed around the aperture ON the river
side, the water being very shallow there on
account Of the batture land which lies
along that portion Of the levee. This
breakwater c0nsists of q frame work ten
feet wide. made by driving pickets and
scantling deeply into the ground, and filling
H.
loose and in sacks.
Our citizens in general rushed promptly
to the rescue, and labOred with q will to
stop the crevasse. We noticed several
white men welding mauls, carrying and
saving lumber, and performing such other
work as the occasion required with an ap-
parent readiness that deserves great praise
MIR. AdOlphe Tureaud, one Of our Repre-
sentatives in the Legislature, divested of
his coat, was helping to carry hand bar
row, upon which sacks Of dirt were con-
veyed out upon the pier to be dumped into
the water.
There were some fifty Chinese engaged
upon the work, and We must say that they
were the LATEST set of human beings we
have ever seen. If the gang employed
upon this work is a fair average of the
.'heathen Chinee," then the sooner the
Southern planters get over the Chinese
fever the better it will be for them. A gen
tleman whom we met at the scene of the
crevasse,s who ie an 0verseer on large
plantation, and has a gang of these Chinese
labOrers under his Supervision, told US that
zone nigger is worth more than four China
men any day." From limited personal Oh
servatiOn we are inclined to concur in his
fOrcibly expressed opinion.
We hope to record the stoppage of this
crevasse in our next issue.
Fortunately Mr.. Wallaces residence,
which is but short distance below the
break, sits on gentle elevation, and has
not, we believe, been reached by the
water that has inundated portion Of his
plantation.
The Republican Pioneer, of the same date,
published in St. John the Baptist parish,
says:
A break in the levee fronting the planta-
ton of Mr.. Edward Poche. on the left bank
OF the river, occurred last Wednesday
made to prevent the serious fatality of o
crevasse, all these exertions have been
fruitless, the water washing away all works
erected in the endeavOr to shat out the
water, and widening the break with such
rapidity that it now extends to over two
hundred yards, so that all hope of stopping
the crevasse has been abandoned, and the
work on the same entirely given up. The
people living in. that part Of the parish
suffer greatly by this inundation.
We copy this from the Iberville South of
Saturday:
In spite of the reports of q fall in the
river at Memphis and Vicksburg, there is
no fall at this point as yet. On the con-
trary, there has been rise which we
average at about one inch in twenty-four
hours. The sOutherly winds that have pre-
vailed during the first part Of the week
were sufficient to back the water up stream;
but we do not attribute the gradual rise to
this cause. In our opinion, the bulk of the
waters has not passed US yet, and will not
for some days to come. The river is now
quite high enough to endanger the country.
Vigilant watching Of the levees, and timely
work on them whenever they become
abraded, are the best safeguards.
the parish, although there are apprehen-
sions with regard to some Of the levees.
Our town levees are in good condition. We
hear planters say that they need rains for
their fields. We say to them that the
levees do not want q single drop Of rain.