New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-27
Communicated.
The Mississippi River.
EDITOR REPUHL1cAS:


peared in the April mum Der OF the New d
leans Monthly Reeie,o, on the subject OF tn
contemplated works to be undertaken &
the mouth of the Mississippi, and in refe
ence to the levee system. The write
| evinces the possession of much scientif
knowledge and disp!ayes the sane acumen
sustaining the views he takes OF the subject
he treats, that he exhibits in another d.
partment where he stands as jurist {
acknowledged ability. have desired, her,
tOfOre, to express few opinions on some q
these important topics, but have, from tn
want of time, been precluded from doing &C
but now having temporary leisure, vii
make the effort.
Ia regard to the deepening Of the cutie
of the Mississippi into the Gulf, confess
want of knowledge Of the subject sufficient
ly assuring to authorize me to otter al
opinion. But the thought have been abl
to bestow upon the matter inclines ne t.
believe that Mr.. Eads' plan will prove
success. On the subject of levees 1 hav'
devoted much consideration. and much oh
servation for many years. My experience
and knowledge OF the OveIfio VS. of the Mis-
sissippi are not recent or limited. bav'
lived man and boy on the banks OF this river
and within the range OF its inundatlOns, TO-
very near, if not quite seventy years.
have distinct recollection Of every grea
freshet of this river since The year 1909.
have, in earlier life, derived from tradition
what deem reliable information in regard
to great overflows that occurred long AZ
terror to my day and generation. l learned
when boy, from old men living in widely
different parts of the State, that flood
occurred in the year 1896, about like those
Of 1913 and 1915. which were very Dearly II
rot quite the height of that OF 1898, which is
so commonly referred to as ''the great flood y
l learned further, from tradition, that pre-
vious to 1896 there occurred food surpass-
ing the height of that Of 1915, or of that OF
1928, by four feet. / regard the recitals Of
many old people, made to me when a youth
in regard to this extraordinary rise of the
Mississippi, as true. There are now living
many persons who have heard in early life
these same recitals. There was much un-
certainty prevailing as to the year in which
this gigantic overflow happened, and after
much inquiry and examination l was en-
abled, from cOncurring oral statements and
writings of old dates, to fix satisfactorily
that it happened either in the years 1879 or
or 1880. l make special mention here of
this great flood as having a bearing upon
what shall have to cay further on. And here,
before proceeding, will remark that what
have said in regard to my self was not said
under the prOmptings Of vanity, nor for the
indulgence of garrulty, the besetting sin of
old men. Far be it from me to utter words IN
that spirit which sometimes actuates man
to say, II have seen, and sure l ought to
know"
1t seems from observation to be reasona-
BILE to conclude that there is a kind of pc
in the overtiowing of the Missis-
sippi-that is, for a term Of six, eight or ten
years there will occur several great floods,
followed by term of similar duration, in
Il: :nh l.l,, ,%Io
year 1909, the Mississippi was high, pro-
ducing partial injury to crops; it was higher
in 1911 the loss of crops amounting to more
than half. In 1913 and 1915 the floods we're
sweeping, devastating the entire low coun-
try. From 1915 to 1923, there was no i'm
pOrtant rise of the river. A period of eight
years here intervened, without any disturb
ance to the planting interest. l would here
remark that during this period there we're
above Red river no levees upon the Missis
,ippi, except, perhaps, occasionally in
places, "a little dirt thrown up" forming
evees not larger than common sized potato
'idges.
Many of the settlers on the Mississippi,
above the mouth of Red river, being ruined
~ the disastrous freshets of 1913 and 1915,
md despairing of safety in cultivating the
'ich lands of the river, abandoned them
altogether, and went to the hill country.
Those who remained. and with most of them
was we'll acquainted, cultivated crops
Without the least mOlestation from water
Turing the whole period Of eight years
Without levees. They made abundant crops
# cotton and sold them at high prices, ac-
fortunes In 1898 q general
wei tiow occurred; SO also in 1924, and in
S26, and in 1928 the whole country was
inundated, producing vast amount of loss
rom destruction Of crops, drowning Of cat
le, horses and hogs, the sweeping off of
ences and other damage of various kinds.
here was not after 1923 until 1874 any rise
f the river amounting to general over
ow, although partial injury was sustained
everal times during this period. may
1ention 1886 and l84O, when very consider
BILE losses occurred. There was q general
ccurred upon second rise of the river |
ste in the season. And 40 on from 1874 to
he present time this prevalence Of high |
.ater during alternate periods has been |
bserved. From meteorological Observa- |
Ons made in England for a century past |
is thought safe to deduce that certain sets |
r suits Of seasons succeed each other in |
egular order. That during one suit wet |
.asOns will predominate. and in the next |
~ ones will prevail. If this theory be
'ue. it may be the cause of the periodicty |
DiRu uoOuS III tu1 Mlsbkb'ppl, WHICH
N clearly Of the opinion exists.
Coming now to the subject of levees, ]
i'll premise that there is very grave and
, all important inquiry. which, in my judg
ent, has hitherto been entirely ignored.
hat inquiry is, can the waters Of the Mis-
ssippi be confined within its channel dur
& an extraordinary freshet by embank.
ents raised on its margini The neglect to
nsider this vital question, and the assump-
On that such work can be accomplished,
am clear have constituted the source uf all
. failures of the levee system in this State
ID prime cause Of the financial embar-
ssment of the State This question would
rnestly entreat our people to ponder ma
rely. Especially would invoke Congress
fore it comes up to the great work Of
ti0nal work, and, if ever done at all,
1st be done by the nstiOnD, to have this
esti0n most deeply considered. If de-
led to be impossible it should never be
If it is not within the scope of
man power to cOntne the waters of the
er within it's channel by levees alone,
ring the passage of one of its great foods,
> effort would be vain and useless. l
We ever thought it impossible, and the
tory of levee building in Louisiana has
titled the opinion.
e seems TO nave Deou taken LOT graOleO |
the advocates of levees that because
ees effectually prevent overflow some
srs therefore they may be made to pre- {
1t it all years. have shown that for a
cessiOn OF eight years the front lands of I
Mississippi, above Red river, were not
,rflown, when there were no levees or |
at were next to none. During ordinary !
,ds the levees have been useful in pre- {
lting the water from damaging cultiva- c
, carried on upon the lower lands in the c
erior. But levees have never yet saved I
country from total inundation when t
of those awfully grand Injecting of the
ters" have occurred-when all the thou d
d streams that traverse the enormous t
Ter shed bounded by the northern lakes a
one side, and by the vast ranges of the o
pghanies and the Rocky mountains on a