The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-04-24
IMPORTANT LEVEE BILL.

IMPORTANT LEVEE BILL
Hon. E. W Robertson, member of
Congress from the Sixth District Of
this State. has favored u viii, copy
81 very important measure which he
introduced in the House of Represen-
| tatiyes on the Goth of March. 1t is
| entitled: IS
A bill to provide for raising, strength
| ening and rebuilding Of leyees on the
Mississippi river, to protect said banks
Efr4nI cAving, aud to permsnentlys locate.
and deepen the channel Of said river,
sal+ tor - lss
This bill contemplates an appropri-
alton Of $5,323, 900, to lie expended
under tile direction Of the Secretary
Of War, for maintaining and con-
structing such levees and closing such
outlets along the Mississippi river as
may be deemed necessary by the en-
gineers in charge Of the work, super
vised by tile Mississippi River Com
mission. The amount is to be distrib-
utetl as follows:
For New Madrid reach. 1898, GOO; Plum
Point reach, $736.O0O; Memphis reach,
$685., 900; Helena reach, 1927 900; Choc-
taw bend, 1876, 900; Providence reach,
$6l9, 900; contingencies, $25O,0UO closing
gaps in levees, 81 100000; surveys and
| 0fi al, O1 lNnIn
and the necessary salaries and other e1-.
penses Of the Mississippi River Commits
sion, $500, 600.
All work is to be adjudicated by
the Secretary IF War, after public adj
vertisement, and is to be done under
tile Supervision of the government
engineers. No bid is To be accepted
without Solvent surety ;'nopaymepts
are to he made until tire work is ac-
cepteI by the Chief of Engineers, md
no amount ST the money appropriated
shall be applied to any other work
than such as may be contracted for
aud constructed under supervision Of
the engineers and in accordance with
the provisions Of this bill.
We are uDabfe to say what chance
there IL for the SUCCESS of Mr.. Robert
sons measure, but if there is dispo-
sition among the members of Con-
gress to do Justice to the Mississippi
valley and to- aid long sighted
work that is truly national in itschar-
acter, they .will give their votes to
this bill or ono of similar import.
CREyAssEs.-Notwithstanding the
city papers have been telling US for
two weeks that the Sharpe crevasse
"will lie closed in few days." the
break is still open, and persons of ex-
perieDce in such matters are not
wanting who doubt the feasibility Of
closing it before the liver falls. Work
has been prosecuted continually aud
Systematically, and several times
seemed upon the point Of successful
elimination, when the force Of the
food would create breaches in the
new embaukment and present fresh
difficulties to be surnounted. Mr..
Pandely, Superintendent of the Nor
gan railroads, who has the direction
Of the work at the Sharpe crevasse, is
confident that the break will soon be
closed.
On Wednesday, the l4t', inst, a
break occurred in the lcvee fronting
the plantation of Mr.. Saintville Du-
ples>is, III the parish Of Plaquemines,
four miles above Pointe a la Hache.
1t was closed after several days Of
hard work. p.- 4s~
The following day, the 18th, the
levee broke ut Monte g. Concienne's
plantation, on the left bnnk Of Bayou
Lafourcl,e. one mile below Thibodanx,
making a gap about thirty feet in
width. Lumber has been forwarded
to the locality by the State authori-
ties, and all energetic effort is being
made to close the breach. T., e
Small breaks occurred in the bayou
levee near Lockport, and in the river
levtes ut kennerville and a short dis
lance below New Orleans, in St. Ber-
nard, but these were closed without
much difficulty.
Threatened breaks in the Davis
levee, St. Charles parish, and the
Story levee, parish Of St. Bernard,
were averted by strengthening the
embankmeDts. = 49,. 'e
1