New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-23
CONDITION OF THE LEvEEs
POVERTY POINT AND MARERo
BONNET CARRIE cREvAssE

| IOVERTY IV4N1 AMI MA0kExsV
BONNET CARRIE CREvAssE
The Engineers and the Governor
We present the suhjoined report Of the
Chief Engineer, General n. JEFF Thompson,
and the correspondence between Engineers
Thompson and Hatch and Governor War.
moth
Orp1cR BOARD OF STATE ENG!yEEEs,
Saturday, April 70, 1871.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
have the honor to give to our fellow
citizens the following information. From
letter to me from Captain Ed Smith, the
| superintendent at Poverty Point crevasse'
Of the twentieth instant, learn:
The tug also got aground to-day, causing
some delay. However. the flow of water is
considerably checked, and think we shall
have the erevasse closed by Saturday night
or some time during the day on Sunday.
We will need funds to pay off ON Saturday.
The work at the Marero crevasse has
|
the water has been checked, and measures
have been taken to close it at once.
For the following information our thanks
are due to the officers of the Ouachita packet
Mayhower.
| Passed Bonnet Care crevasse at II A. N.
| today; saw steamboat SOladO lying a
quarter Of mile above the ''break;;" met
tugboat with model barge in tow ct thirty
mile point; saw large force Of hands at
work on the levee at Madame Bourgeois;
could see NO water running through the
| levee; learned that the "break" at that
point MADAM BOurgeOis) was closed.
The steamboat SOlado and the tugboat
with barge carrying steam pile driver and
piles were dispatched last night to Bonnet
Care break, the hands arriving some hours
| in advance of the tugboat were ordered to
Madame Bourgeois levee From theinforma-
ton above, their usefulness was manifested.
Not one official word has been received
from the Bonnet Carre crevasse during the
whole day, though every conceivable order
and plan has been devised to get constant
information. The telegraph operator at
Premier Station ran from his post of duty
when his feet got wet, and the plans Of yes:
terday for information were frustrated.
Not one word of the trouble above has been
received and therefore l give you the fol-
lowing correspondence, that you may know
that we are trying 10 do our duty; and if
the other banks will only act as promptly
and as cheerfully as the Citizens Bank did,
we may raise means to prevent, restrain, or
close crevasses. Rumors tell ME that the
water is falling-it is certainly lower to-day
at New Orleans. Please read the following
correspondence. Your obedient servant,
| II. JEFF THOMPSON,
Chief State Engineer.
New ORLEANS, April 81, 1871.
To his E1cellency q. C.. warmoth. Governor Of
Governor-It is our painful duty to in
form you that several serious crevasses are
now destroying a vast amount Of property
and the crops in our State, and many points
are imminently dangerous. We are using
every means and exerting every effort to
check this destruction. but we are totally
unable to compass the object unless you
come to our relief. We are entirely with
out money or the power to raise it, and the
work necessary to save the country can not
be done without the cash to pay for materials
and labor. At the Poverty Point crevasse
| certain gentlemen came cheerfully forward
and advanced the necessary funds, byt a.
ether points the planters either can not or
will not furnish the money, and are relying
upon the most Intellectual system Of voluh-
teer labor or vague promises. Some plant
ers are working systematically with their
own employees, and others are refusing to
make the slightest effort even to save them
| selves.
The Point Manor crevasse will destroy
many thousand dollars worth of property.
and the Bonnet Care crevasse will destroy
! millions if not closed.
Being entirely helpless without assur-
ances from higher authority that our obi
gations'or promises will be paid, will your
excellency give us some endorsement.
that the people may know that there is hope
of an appropriation from the next Legisla-
tIre to meet these liabilities.
We have the honor to be, your Excel
lency's obedient servants.
N. JEFF THOMPSON,
Chief State Engineer.
W. J. HATCH;
Assistant State Engineer.
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Executive Department, ;
Eew Orleans, April II. 1917
General II. JEFF Thompson. Chief State Engineer:
In response to your letter of this date, in
which you set forth the great necessity for
money to procure labor and material, at
once, to protect property to tho value of
millions now threatened with destruction
by crevasse and overflow, inform you that
l have succeeded in obtaining loan from
the Citizens Bank of fifty Thousand dollars.
In order to relieve you as much as pos
sible from details not professional, have
secured the services of the Hon. John
Lynch, Chairman of the finance COM
mittee Of the Senate, to disburse this money
on presentation to him Of proper vouchers
~ g.