New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-17
Crevasse in Carroll Parrish.

Governor Kellogg received letter yes.
terday from General NJ. jeff Thomp
son, dated at Providence Landing, on
Saturday last, in which the Chief State En-.
gineer announces the breaking of the levee
known as Upper Bass" built during the
season of 1928. The disaster occurred at
five o'clock on Friday evening, the thir-
teenth instant. About a dozen plantations
are overlooked, and the planters, Of course,
will lose this seasons crops.
From the Lahe Republican, of the four
teenth, we gather the following additional
particulars concerning the condition of the
levees in Carroll parish:
The rapid rise in the river caught the
Levee Company mapping as usual, and but
for the prompt and efficient efforts of our
own citizens, would now have been pouring
through or over Elton levee. This levee
has been neglected from time to time, and
whenever any work has been done it was
either 'skimped" or placed upon a line so
near the river that the same work had to be
done over again the next wear. Whatever
has been the cause of this, such are the
facts, and on last Sunday the prospects
were gloomy enough; but Major Richard
son, assistant engineer, happened to De on
hand, and did all possible in his power
The result was that on Monday morning
Mr.. w. C. Sanford had organized large
force and was busily engaged raising and
strengthening the levee at this point, 80
that when Major James arrived on Tuesday
with large number of men, Mr.. Sanford's
work had so far advanced he was enabled
to leave its completion to Major James and
discharge his force.
Much credit ia due the men who so
promptly obeyed the call to work on the
levee in our hour of danger; and to General
Sparrow. S. Lewis, K. X. Anderson, Colonel
F. M. Hays. F. NJ. Meirose, Judge e. +.
Moss, Mr.. Hamilton, C. Ed. Shearer and
others, for their prompt iiberality in fur
nishing the much-needed funds for the pay
ment of the laborers, thus establishing a
precedent and confidence with that class of
our citizens who are the main dependence
on occasions like this.
We trust this our last lesson. will be
enough, and that in the future work on the
levees will be commenced and finished in
due time-if for no other reason. on the
score OF economy, for green levoes' built
at high water, with dirt from the "land'
side are costly things, not to mention the
bad and damaging effect upon our planting
community.
We regret exceedingly to be compelled
to announce to our readers this week the
sad news of the breaking Of what is known
as the Rhodes levee, just below Judge Mont
gomery's residence, and Immediately OppO-
site Judge WHY'S plantation. This levee
has been in danger for some days past, and
would have had water running over the top
of it the first part of this week had not Mr..
Hustled in charge of the Penitentiary hands,
raised it some sixteen inches above its origi-
nal heights But the whole levee was en-
tirely too narrow in the base to withstand
the pressure of water against it, particu-
lArly as the entire line had become thor
oughly saturated with water, and being
entirely of a sandy soil, it was to be ex-
pected that it would not withstand the pres
sure.
We understand that Major James, with
l20 additional men, arrived few hours
previous to the break occurring. and put
his meA to raising and Strengthening the
lower end of this same levee, and inspected
personally the levee for some distance above
where the break occurred, and seeing no
evidence OF immediate danger at that point,
placed his nsen at points lower down that
gave more evident indications of immediate
danger.
The whole secret of the business is that
unless We have ievees built above high
water and with efficiency OF bass to stand
tho weight Of water Against them, Ne may
expect TO have yearly just what hes %
Cured % yesterdAy's orevasse. and even
aow, while writing this article. No have
1uness VI csssassaa In general places bslow