New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-07

High Water and the L>vees.

The Mississippi river has now almos,
reached that nninteresting point-higt
water mark of 1871. This condition natural
~ attract, the attention Of all, for all are
directly interested.
Opposite the French Market and just be
low things look bad. The water is over
the whs"yes aud is or'y prevented running
into the sheets by the railroad tracks; in
deed the water is close up 10 the rail
| Teams, to reach the outside wharves, were
driven through the water to reach freight
and haul it away.
| City Surveyor Bell yesterday visited tie
| upper portions of our city, going to the
limit and then mailing a close inspection all
| the way doNl. Tt s1 sit was made partly
| n response to a dispatch from the sergeant
| commanding the Carrollton station.
Above at Camp Parapet, and il that
neIghborhood, the danger las been sugges-
tive of crevasses, but laborers have. sue
ceeded tolerably well in fighting the food;
still the leYee is table u break at almost
any moment.
On the right bapk people anticipate an
overflow at severs1 points, but at dark last
evening nothing had been reported of a
startling nature. At Westwego a large
number Of men we're at work repair 1g the
bank. The S ght break at the head Of Yer
rett street, Algiers, was repaired by citizens
who reside in that section.
AT Lorisa street, Third District, water
ran over the levee, but sufficient labor and
earth were obtai1ed to prevent crevasse.
General Thompson has gone to Thibo-
dary, having been Informed that Two miles
below that city that there was crevasse
full fifty feet long and six feet deep, Sun
day night. This may possibly interrupt the
trains on Morgan's railroad.
Our country exchanges do not bring us
good news. The Ouach ia Telegraph of the
third instant says:
The water in the overflow between here
and Delta is said to be rising at the rate Of
two inches IN twenty-tOur hours. The rail
road 10 longer sends trains from this end
of the road. and from the other end only II
Tallulah. Hand cars are used on this end :,
shifts supplying the means of carrying the
mails in the intervening distance. Box
cars, ballasted have been placed by the
company Oh LrtSultS 10 prevent une water
from tiating them Oft. The condition of the
planters in the overlooked district is repre-
sented as very distressing. There does not
seem any reasonable hope OF an early sub
sdence of the flood.
The Plaquemine Sentinel has the follow
ing in its issue of the fourth instant:
Tuesday evening last, thirty-hrst ultimo,
break occurred N the st. Sophie levee at
the rice ftlume in front OF c. S. Claibornes
farm. The neighbors Immediately rallied
and closed it in short time; but during
the rain storm that night it again broke,
and threatened to be serious. The neigh
bors again rallied, and after several hours
labor succeeded in closing it il a substan-,
tial manner. The rice hume is certainly
either improperly made or insecurity
fastened in the levee.
The Ponte Coupee Republican. OF the
fourth instant says:
The levee II rcont of the Bcvard planta
ton and the Catholic church reinspished
its foundation y the turbulent, wildly
rushing waters OF the Mississippi river
dr. ing the past week. Owing to the timely
assistance rendered by the planters of
Crosse Tete and False liver, who turned
out en- nlas5e and threw up temporary
levee Immediately, the peril that for awhile
tbrf Il ned the dest- uctIOn of crops in this
parish was checked, and we can now snap
our fingers at the old Father OF Waters
rushing madly but harmlessly along.
From the IbelS lie Republican We gather
the following items:
The chief engineer of the ievee company
visited Iber1 lie parish last week and ap-
pointed four inspectors, two for each bank.
The Republi,a1 casts aside ali reliance on
the levee company, and calls on citizens to
help themselves n this hour of danger. 4
crevasse was prevented at Mr.. Rivers AGA
dia plantation few days ago. Dir. Voght,
on the Elmer Bader plantation, gathered
force of 200 men from the planters, and this
prevented a great disaster.
Many planters held public meeting in
Plaquemne last week, AMI adopted resolu-
tlOns authorizing the police jury to take
prompt measures to avert the calamity of
crevasse. The jury Immediately commenced
operations, hiring men and purchasing
material, and expect the levee company to
settle with the parish.
Tie Donsldsonvile Ctief Of the fonrth
instant says:
At veIv early hour yesterday morning
the embsukmenG Of loose dirt thrown up
across the roadway Il rough the leyee at
the river ferry landing, at the head OF
Chetimaches street, gave way and the
water poured IN at a lively ra' ?, filling the
cutters and flooding Ms. ;ssi. i street as
tar as the lower n + 'c' on OF Crescent
place. Timely alarm of the break W IS
given, end otter two or three hours hearty
work the tow of wafer was checked and
the defective elnbankment made secure.
Let this break be a WAXING to our people
to watch closely all points of the levees
which show signs Of weakness and repair
them at the first Indication OF danger.