The Republican journal., 1874-05-07
The Louisiana Leyees.

In view OF the suffering caused by the
late crevasses on the Mississippi. the fol-
| lowing taken from Il carefully written ac-
count of the Louisiana levees which ap-
pears in the New York Times is of inter
| est:
1t should never be forgotten that the
alluyial banks of the Louisiana rivers are
all in their natural state, more or less sub
Jeet to inundation. The reclaimable allu-
Wan is anfnclrned plane gradually descend
ing from the river front back until lost in
the dead level, popularly known as the
swamp. Without exception these river
banks, whether of the Mississippi. Red
River, or at the bayOus Subordinate riyersl
connected with the parent streams. are
more fertile than any other portions of the
State This fact is attested in their pri,ni-
tive condition by prodigiols growths of
timber, by luXuriant cane-brakes. by
gigantic vines. and tangled vegetation,
yet even more by the benficent sion that
this inferior vegetation. however abun-
dant. seldom Oyertops the better products
Of the soil The garden spots Of Louisi-
ana (and they are garden spots indeeN
include the lands lying on each side Of the
Lower Mississippi, commencing on the
CIV
Orleans, and extending about one hundred
and fifty miles, until the high lands are
reached at Baton Rouge. On the west side
the belt Of rich land continues in an lm-
broken level through the entire heart of
the State, until it reaches the Arkansas
line The land on both sides OF the river,
for agricultural purposes varies in avail
able extent of surface from one to two
miles nj
gested, sinks into or becomes lost in the
swamp.
The "lcNee system. 50 called. WAS
originally commenced by a few planters.
living in the vicinity Of New Orleans
throwing up Slight embellishments to bro
tect their plantations from the Spring tide
Very little effort was required to do this
for the river ''above,n in those searlipr
times, had wide waste to food. t,radu
ally, as population increased, the levee
extended upward and on both sides of the
river, and without thought of the eventual
consequences, the small and great outlets
We're one after another closed For wears
this outrage to the descending flood was
not proverbiallv resented, for great over
flows Were exceptional; but when cotton
became Of immense commercial mpor-
.oiiNt itt itNttH ldplul extended IN 4
solld embankmcnt, including hundreds of
miles, reaching on the east side, from be-
loW New Orleans to the high lands ut Baton
Rouge, and on the west side from New
Orleans tn the Arkansas line. and thus a
large portion of the State, which had been
annually overtloWed, was suddenly rescued
from lnundatiou Then il was that the
imprisoned current chaied in its bed. and,
each season, found 4 weak place some
where tO discharge its waters. The result
was loss 70 the planters annually of
larger sum OF money than it would cost
to carry out perfect system of drainage.
TO such an extent had this madness reach
| ed OF closing up outlets that, in ''the Con
cordia district there was 1.-THE grand
levee, ah huge embankment possibly forty
feet high, under the protection of which
We're immense plantations. then surfaeee
twenty feet below the level of high water
In many instance4 tho chimncys ot the
"mastera house" did not reach AZ high as
the "Water lme. marking thr annual
overflow "l The river before 1he grand
leVec' Was built Between the Federal
and confederate forces, on the Louisiana
side OF the il1cl, engaged IN the struggle
tor Nlck4bur", THIS grand lcyct' and
other, We've destroyed, and the 9urruund
IN" country was submerged