New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-07
ShorIening Up.

Tho river at this point, last night at dark,
stood within two feet of extreme high wa
ter mark, and within an inch of the highest
water level OF early last mouth. The rise
at this point since Saturday morning ex-
ceeds three feet. A swell CT such magni-
tude, coming on top Of the high water now
spreading oyer the rim of the river through
: the low lands, naturally caused alarm, and
Yesterday the owners OF some heaCbeG coal
coats lying up in Wolf river were building
their gunwhales higher to keep the watsr
out, while the coal yards about Centre land
ing we're inaccessible to carts or for unload
ing bsrges. The cause Of all this sudden
rise Of waters was a cutoff at Devils Ell
bow, twenty-five miles above this city, that
occurred early Saturday morning last
some accounts state as early as one o'clock.
and others at nine o'clock in the morning.
The punt where the crevasse took place is
on the Trigg plantation, now worked by
Williams & Massey, the upper side being
just above leland No. 81, and coming ont in
Bra2dywine bend below Island No. 80, a.
distance by the circuit Of the river of be-
tween fifteen and eehteen miles. This cut
of has split the Trlgg place in twain. The
water has swept through with such velocity
since it was made that huge forest trees
we're uproOted and carried down stream,
passing here numerously on Sunday and
yesterday forenoon. The effect of the cut
in the bend about Shawnee village was OBJ
served in rapid decline Of the waters. the
river falling nearly two feet within few
hours. The prospect is thai this bend will
ere long be converted into crescent shaped
lake similar to those at Commerce bend
and Beulsh, and other points below here.
The plantations fringing the chores of the
first the Brandywine place, next above 1t
being C. Morris, then Belcher's. D. Bar
row, Tom Sexton, Jack Sexton. the Shaw
nee village places, Fenville place. Mrs.
Smith at the head of No. 81, and next above
John Wise, in all containing more than
&c, 900 acres. On the new formed island
will be part of the Trigg place, Stockley's
Point Able. and Deans plantations raising
300 or 400 bales OF cotton On each place
every year.
The tug Or;ole. Captain Broadhurst, was
mp to island No. IS with some barges on
Sunday, and on the down trip she came
through the cut. 1t was found to be 400
yards wide and eight or ten feet deep. So
swiftly did the little craft dart through
from one side to the other that the sound
ing lead could only be dropped four times
in the passage. Had the tug touched q
lump on the bottom the chance are that she
would have turned couple of dozen somtr-
saults in less time than it required to tell
it. She made the run safely, however, and
thus has the honor of being the first craft
to make the passage, besides cutting OFF
between fifteen and eighteen miles, which
is the distance around the bend of the main
river. The opinion of many pilots and
river men concerning the eject of the cnt
is varied, but all agree that Island No. 80,
at the lower end, will soon be swept away,
while FOgleman's outlets will be Of co use
to navigation as soon as the new cut
becomes q safe route for passing
steamers. Its effect further down and
along the river front of our city is
at the present purely copjsctural. En-
gineers all agree that time alone can deter
mine this. On one point, however. there is
no difference, and that is the plantations
along the river shores below the cutoff,
even as far as twenty miles below here,
will be more or less affected by the increased
rise of the river at each successive future
high water.
The steamer Osceola Belle landed near
the cut on Sunday, and took away nine
teen bales OF cotton. At this time the
sweeping waters had carried off Williams
cabins and ginhouse. The machinery of the
latter was saved, having been removed in
time to prevent its tumbling into the river.
There was a good deal of talk about the
prospective cutoff during the high water CT
last August, an immense volume Of the
food pouring across the narrow neck with
tremendous velocity aud making noise
like cataract for several weeks. It did
not occur then, as many predicted it would,
but postponed the ceremony until the time
described herein.-NemphiS dUul0nche.