The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-18
our feet. and below Baton Rouge about three


These calculations are the results of thu
reasonings Of Humphreys and Abbot, but i
must be remarked that they are based on tn,
suppositfon of absolute security, as far as The
conditions OF absolute security can be ascer
| tanned. 1t iS to be remarked also that all AL
thorities agree that the results to be desired
can be reached in other words, the problem
can be solved only by means Of the applica
tion Of combined effort to uniform system
The concert of action among the riparian
States suggested by Humphreys aud Abbot
IS II chlmera, II can never be assured. In or
der that it may he attained, even supposins
conflicting interests aud opposing theories bt
rHronciled and uniform system 10 be decided
on, IT can never even then hn attained, Mr.
President. even IL the people If those States
were convinced that the duties aud response
biliticS Of this great work are not duties Just
| appertaining and responsibilities properly bc
| longing to tn" Federal government That
| these duties ana responsibilities are natipna
and not local; that they are chargeable to the
| account Of the national government, and not
| to individuals, 10 local organizations or com
muntties, or to State governments. is a
proposition which the people OF the riparian
States firmly believe TO be founded In reason
| IN morals and In law.
In order, Mr.. President to show how futile
must be any merely local Efforts, any system
even, however elaborate and complete, that
may be limited to one or even two States,
any system that one or two States are
| capable Of carrying into effect, ii Is neces
sary only to look at tho existing condi-
| ton Of things and to consider the laws which
! govern the regimen Of the Mississippi river.
Suppose for instance that the State of Louis
lana were to build her levees. were to construct
them SO high and SO strong that they would
| present an effoctua barrier to the pressure OF
the river rolling along their front, would this
| be enough for the protection of the State IL
would be all that the State could do. 1t would
! ill the measure of her power, but would it
suffice by no means, sir. For several
months, in every season of high water during
the last twelve years, the whole region en-
braced in the parishes OF East Carroll West
Carroll. Madison Conrordia and n part Of
Avoyelies, has been submerged by floods e orig
mating not entirely in crevasses in the Louis
lana levees. but coming i'm q great part
through the vast openings above the Louis
lana lines.
In the State Of Arkansas, between the State
line and the Arkansas river, the whole river
front is practically open. There are, In fact,
twenty-eight miles of permanent crevasse
within that distance, and the old levees still re-
manning are mparatively useless. Through
these openings pOurS an immense volume of
water, which, finding its way through Cypress
Creek and BOggy Bayou, first fills and then
OverflOwS the great Arkansas swamp, from
which, issuing through Bayou Macon Bayou
Bartholomew and other streams. it invades
Louisiana and lays under water the whole
country as far south rs Red River. # Red
River is full. to the extent Of It's discharg-
ing capacity, the flood overrtIns the basin
of tho Atchafalaya and ravages the parishes
OF POinte Coupe. iberville, Assumption St
Martin Iberia and st. Mary and finally loses
itself in the sea at Berwick's Bay. It follows
then, that any efforts within the power of
Louisiana to make any system Of levees that
the State might devise or execute would nee
eESarily be inconcuSive and Intellectual unless
supplemented by concerted and harmonious
action on the part of Arkansas-a State over
which Louisiana has no jurisdiction. Such q
system elaborate though it might be, perfect
though 1t might be- as to all the forces of the
river that Louisiana can control, would still
leave the State exposed to inundatien for its
whole extent, from the Arkansas line to the
sea for an average breadth from east to west
Of at least thirty miles. That is to say 5000
square miles, or nearly 6,00O,0O0 acres would
be liable to inundation by floods, which the
State of Louisiana or the people of that State
would he powerless to avert.
In addition to this sir, the consequence OF
the construction of perfect system of levees
by Mississippi would be to throw an addi-
tiOnal volume Of water on the Louisiana side,
or, II a perfect system were constructed in
Louisiana. the amount of water thrown on
the Mississippi side would be proportionally
augmented. IT both States should establish
efficient levees along their river fronts the
effect would be To raise the Hood level Of the
lower course Of the river, the slope would thus
be decreased, the decrease of slope would be
attended by It corresponding dminution of
velocity. and necessarily of dsGharging ca
paCty, and thence would follow a rising of
the level Of the river above and greater liza
blity TO overflow, and more frequent inuuda-
tions from the mouth Of tho Ohio to tho Lou
isiana line.
IT appears, Mr. President, from the report
to which have already referred. that in the
food year 1853 the actual amount of water
per second, at the period Of maximum dis
charge, passing certain specified points on
the river, was as follows: