Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-04-28
THE MKSSIsslPpIFLooD.

i
New Orleans correspondence, under date Of
the 10th inst, gives much pertinent informs-
ton in regard to the current destructive oyer
flow Of the Mississippi river:
The food Of 1874, came without anything
| or anybody being prepared for it. Since the
| rise OF 1871 up to this year there has been no
high water of any consequence. Inc leVees
that were battered, broken or swept away by
| the food three years ago had not In the
me antime been properly repaired or rebuilt
| The water in 1872 and 1873 barely reached
the base Of these broken levees, hence no
harm was done during these intervening
years. The Louisiana Leves Company and
the commissioners in charge thus became
over confident, and, judging from these two
years, seem to have forgotten that the Mis-
sissippis great spring rise was OF almost an
nual occurrence. Thus the first year of this
company's organization there was NO high
water, the second year likewise, and this cor
| poration, ignoring the fact that the water was
unusually low these three years, seem to
have thought that 1t was owing to the COM
pany's efforts that for two years the people of
Louisiana were saved from the dangers of
overflow. Thus 1874 came, and the Louis
lana Levee Company, with also the three
commissioners, although having received
over 81, 100000 in levee taxes, were in no
wise prepared for the rise of this year, which
is the greatest that has occurred since the
country has been settled, here, at New Or
leans, two days ago, the river being eight
inches higher than it ever was before.
The coast planters, in the meantime, had
relied on the Levee Company. Thus came
the great flood of 1874, with nothing to resist
it, deluging thousands of square miles of
land, destroying crops Wherein millions Of
money had already been invested, drowning,
not only the beasts of the forest and field,
but many human inhabitants of the desolated
region. Thus came the great hoed, making
an inland sea of the most fruitful portion Of
the earth, riding in on its pillows such
spectral ships as bankruptcy, famine and
death.
Below the mouth of Red River few miles
was the great embarkment known as Grand
Levee. This had a base of 200 feet and was
thirty feet in height. with the water near the
top. Several hundred yards of this has given
way, and furious torrent rushes with roar
through the breach spreading devastation and
desolation for hundreds of miles.
The waters of the Grand Levee break have
already met those of the Port Hudson Gre
vase, which is more than forty miles below,
on the west bank of the river, opposite Port
| Hudson. This latter crevasse is several hum
cred yards in width. Through this second
break q volume Of water rushes, which has
already submerged over one hundred square
miles of territory.
BY these two crevasses many crops have
been entirely destroyed, immense numbers Of
stock have been drowned, and many people
ruined and reduced TO the extremities of
starvation.
Thirty miles below the Port Hudson break
is the West Baton Rouge crevasse, whose
width is also several hundred yards. The
turbid torrent that flows through this breach
has already inundated many large sugar
plantations and small farms.
Then further down the river is the Plaque
mines crevasse, which, deluging very pop
ulous district, damages the country to the ex-
tent of millions. This will probably submerge
| a larger area of cultivated land than any Gre
vase on the coast.
Forty miles above New Orleans, on the
east bank of the Mississippi, with a rush and
roar, pours the Bonnet Care crevasse
through break in the levee nearly one half
mile wide. In the Bonnet Care bend the
Mississippi is only four and half miles dis
tant from Lake Pontchartrain. The water
from this crevasse is already swelling the
lake, till now it has crept up to the base of
the back drainage levees Of this city.
DO Tue DOHHcJ ChEIc CTtNasSe HAS
flooded a large area of sugar and rice land,
has broken the line Of our greatest railroad
aud is threatening New Orleans with overflow
from the rear levees.
This city has river front of fourteen miles.
Three days ago in many places the water was
pouring over this front. A force of over 1000
men was instantly set to work at raising the
levee in many parts until at this date the
danger is averted and the river has suddenly
fallen ten inches. which fall is due to the i'm
mense outlets above, all taking out = great
yet comparatively small tribute of the Mis-
sissippi's immense volume.
Below New Orleans is the fairest, most
prosperous and most fertile portion of Louis
lana. This region has natural advantages of
climate and fertility which render it probably
the most productive land in the South. For
the first time in sixteen years it 10 Delayed.
and is now pouring over its fields and farms,
engulfng them in one common ruin.
On Greenwood sugar plantation, twenty
miles below New Orleans, east bank, 10 the
largest crevasse of the lower coast. The
volume of water which rushes through this
opening has inundated and destroyed the
crops and fourteen immense sugar estates and
many highly improved farms.
After this, all the way down till the levee
lands terminate, are many small crevasses,
from fifty to 100 feet wide. These are in the
rice region, which they are desolating.
Nearly the whole Lafouche sugar and rice
district is flooded and laid waste by the great
bayou crevasses in that section of the State
This bayou and coast land, which the food
is thus desolating and devastating, before the
war produced nearly all the sugar consumed
in the United States. On it has been pro-
duced all the rice crops Of Louisiana. Now
it is stricken by great calamity which
threatens the suffering State Of Louisiana
with bankruptcy and general ruin--a calamity
more terrible in its present and ultimate re.
suits than the great CONGREGATIONS in Chicago
and Boston. The most fruitful portion Of
the State is an inland sea, q bowling waste of
waters, where vultures flap and futter over
floating carcasses, where venom0us reptiles
coil In the rafters of deserted houses, where
all around is wreck and ruin, with no means
for man to ward them off, and no hope when
the flood goes down but for it to leave where
plenty was nothing but famine and pestilence.
GENEVA AWARD BILL.
The Geneva Award bill, reported from the
judiciary Committee, provides for the Presi-
dental appointment of court of Ave com