The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-25
The Mississippi Crevasse.


above New Orleans, through which vast
volume of water rushes with roar like
thunder, piling itself up in the middle in the
form of an arch, of which the centre is five or
six feet higher than the sides, and flooding tho
rich lowland, cotton and sugar plantations of
Orleans parish, is the most serious crevasse
that has been reported for many years. The
torrent has cut a channel through the levee
six hundred feet wide, and steadily, foot by
foot, the great levee continues to crumble into
It's boiling waters. A continuous body of
water extends from the Mississippi to Lake
Pontchartrain, many miles wide and eighteen
feet deep, Transforming New Orleans into an
island. and threatening the northern railroads
that have their termini in that city.
TO understand the threatening nature of this
overflow, which Is considerably more serious
than the food tides which sometimes sub
merge the cellars about West street, it must
be remembered that the lowlands of Louisiana,
which arc by far the greater portion Of the
State, are much below the fiat of the Misssis-
sippi. The land upon which New Orleans lies
is so low that the water in the sewers runs
away from the river, and so fat that there is
not natural knoll foot high in the whole
city. The river itself runs along slight
ridge of land to the Gulf at the rate
Of six or seven miles an hour. The low
country through which this tremendous
river runs at this tremendous rate must
necessarily be guarded by dykes and levees,
and accordingly all along its two sides. from
Cairo down to the mouth, distance of over
twelve hundred miles, heavy earthen walls,
averaging about twenty-five feet in height and
one hundred in width at the base, stretch
along the shores to keep it within bounds
Before the continuous encroachments of the
treacherous current and the undermining of
water rats and frogs these dykes become frail
and insecure, and, on the recurrence Of the
yearly spring freshet, which vexxees the
Father of Waters on his route to the sea,
they are sure to give way at some of these in
secure points, and, once given way, the thun-
dering tide, dashing in a continuous heavy
thud against the opening, soon widens 1t and
cuts clear way to the open fields and low
lands beyond. Before the war these occur
rences were not very frequent, the planters all
along the lowlands being required by law and
self-preservation to keep personal supervision
over the levees in their immediate front, and
to put every negro in their service at work
upon any threatening or insecure place but
very disastrous crevasses occurred neverthe-
less. Now, crevasses are quite frequent and
quite disastrous. The levees have not been
repaired, except imperfectly by the State of
Louisiana, since the war when they were very
much cut up by rebel riaemen in order to make
upon Union transports. Nor are the planters
as fully empowered to put the negro laborers
1T work upon them as formerly, the latter
usually protesting against any extra labor not
put down in de contract"
The crevasse at Bonnet Care comm ences
covers the narrow neck Of land that lies at
that point between Lake Pontchartrain and
The river. There is nothing, therefore, to
shut out the flood from the city except its
natural decrease Of depth and absorption by
Spreading over great space of ground the
lykes, which it is to be presumed the au-
horities are hurriedly throwing mp against its
approach, and the falling of the river. Our |
special dispatches state that it is beyond con-
rol, and that it has been gradually increasing |
n depth and width. The danger to the city of |
New Orleans is considered very serious; and |
al srly yhnr ~, L0I, 81
water as this is plunging like the rapids of |
Niagara upon it.
THERE IS Nor LIKELY to be a very exciting |
ocal contest the coming fall. The members
# the Legislature are to be chosen, and that's |
Ill. Even the Common Council have had an !