The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-05-05
rns Sssa.st 81; oSs;v,lasss.s, . Il,

Yet affer aM the very lucid and; slenHthya
|intormAtiM upon the anbjeot, mo true
cohceptioR$can be formed tpf Sstths nature
oEshe oalahity and the = ppeaxsnoa sof
the locality: Feeling desire te siew 81
prop.Ta personal swhat:we had hoard 20
Wagoner, on Thursday, bound, with
quite a party Of e7oufbaonisss, for the
great break. Nineteen miles from tho
city, at Fairview plantation, was dis
covered the first intimntion that the
Father of Waters had broken the bounds
OF his confinement, for for back could be
seen q stretch of the watery element, ex.-
tending beyond the reach Of the eye in
one direction, and swallowed by the
woods in another. The distance Of this
second stream from the river varied as
We progressed. at times three-fourths OF
mile distant, and ngain but few yards.
When within about five miles Of the cre-
vase we came npon what was apparently
a valuable plantation, but now covered
by water to the depth of ten feet; sugar
house, negro quarters, dwelling house,
all standing in the midst Of the wild
water, presented q desolate picture sad
dening to behold. AS we advanced. the
| wilderness Of waters seemed to spread,
until rounding bend in the river, the
mighty rush and roar was before us in
oil it's grandeur. Quickly landing.
tour of observation soon convinced .us
that, the sight presented must be seen to
be fully understood. The levee at Bon
net Carre is very high. perhaps twelve
feet or more, and extends for several
miles up and down at the same altitude
Stand on the broken edge of the levee,
one can gaze down upon the huge 70:
lume Of water as it rushes through gap
1900 feet wide. foaming and seethipg,
while It's angry roar impfesseB sense of
fear upon The listener. Very near the
break is @ small collection of houses.
back OF them plantations, and still far
ther removed long lines of forest; over
and through all the flood pours with
resistless force, rushing up and down
the country as feroely us if in search of
something upon which to satisfy its
vengeance. From the village oil light
aud life have fled, and the deserted
houses, with their open. doors, told too
truly the painful story. We were in
formed by Mr.. Hatch. assistant State
engineer. that the current OF the water
rushing through the break ie fully eight
miles an hour, and that on Thursday
about fifty additional, feet Of the levee
had been washed of, although the dny
previous about 200 feet gave way. It
needs no second view to. convince the
beholder that no mortal power can arrest
the flow OF the water, but there is en-
ployed a.large force of laborers, who are
engaged in constructing .hnlkheads, the
purposes OF which are to prevent further.
damage to- thalevee. The unfortunate.
cooper, to whom r. 8 p attributed the ditefll
mishap, hos evidently taken unto Him
mi of
is now made to do duty as hotel for the
sons Of toll engaged upon the works,
and happening, as we did, to look in at
supper time. we were particularly struck
BY the reflection that the amount. of
provisions that crowd could consume in
one short day would be fearful to see."
No words can convey the desolata ap.
pearRnce OF the village Of Bonnet Carre,
abandoned. as it is, to the watery waste,
which covers, as with, a garment, tub
once pleasant spot, When the people
will again be permitted to return to their
homes, is o matter only of conjecture,
for. even after the water shall have ceased
to dow from the river, the flood will re-
quire many days to snbside. In some
places the water is twelve feet deep,
reaching beyond the second story OF
many houses. We were informed by q
gentleman residing near the flooded Sec
tion, that when the unfortunate cooper
discovered the water in the river rising
toshe level ofhibt roadway in, the gap
through the levee, he placed board
across it tor bars old Ariohe Sepe out.
When the board .was no longer useful,
and the water continued to rice, several
OF the inhabitants near hit upon the
happy exp6diept Of barricading the cre-
vase With an old f1at.bont, but like the
formal people OF Potlsville, they lis
puted about the manner of placing it;
while thus engaged, the object of their
sollcitude was, captured by the raging
element and swept through tho break
like the binding lightning. What was
done after that was just what had been
done, and the result is what we know.
Had the maker OF barrels bnt reniem
bered the little story about the aoorns
and oaks, the citizens of Bonnet Care
might still be In the possession of their
once happy homes, and the creyasse not
q nine days sensation.
Ne,o Orleans Times.
NEW ORLEANS TRAVEL NoRru.-On
Monday last, the Chattanooga and Me.
ridian Railroad (Georgia) was opened it's