The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-04-20
R ,4lN% DlsYIbhV Co.,
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Gn ......... Magazine street. ,S,..a.. an
THE LOWER COAST.
The Condition Of the Crops In the
Country Below the City.
Items of Interest Concerning Flood
and Field.
Magazine street

With view toward aHeertatnins the condl-
[ ion Of affairs IN the fertile region of country
between thia city and the meuths of the river.
the DEMOCRAT on Saturday dispatched repre-.
sentative to report the agricultural condition of
our lower narisbes: to note the eneroachment
of the present food of the Misessippi upon the
delds of the sugar and rice planters. and TO In
veHdgate as to the etate OF the several channels
of commerce which afford the tracks for our
home and foreign ocean trade.
The DEMOCRAT commissioner, In company
with D correspondent Of the Cincinnati Com.
mercid a member of the editorial statr Of the
N, o. Times, and An amateur journalist of
seme note, left this city AT sp. m. on the day
designated. on the low pressure coast steamer
Martha. commanded by Capt. w. s Basset.
FurtherI than the closed UP Bayh crevasse,
about ak miles below the city. there was
nothing so attract the eye beyond common
place matters before dark on Saturday. save
he extraordinary beauty Of that days sunset.
which seemed particularly to awaken the Inn
agination OF the Northern journalist who. evil
IDENTIFY unaocustomed TO such effects of light
aud shadow as float In the soft skies Of South
ern Louisiana toward the close of day at this
season Of the year. gszed upon the evanescenoe
OF our solar gloriss with such an apparent
original interest as one would expect from n
Transported COUVu sea lSthnuarI Tor the nrEt
sime Watching the weird light OF the aurora
borealls.
Darkness and fog thereafter shut out the
4 light, and with II interesting sights until the
arrival OF the steamer. at ! a. m. Sunday. at the
site Of the st. Sophie crevasse. where she dis-
charged a cargo OF lumber furnished by the
State to repair and aid In rebuilding the broken
leyee.
This crevasse, which occurred on the six.
teenth instant, broke the levee on the east bank
OF the river, thirty-six miles below the city. It's
dimensions were Width. about forty feet. and
depth four feet. 1t Is situated half a mile below
the great Poverty Point crevasse of 1871. which
was nearly 1000 feet wide and which was not
stonped by the State engineers until the river
fell tnat year, 10 the early part OF May. after
the breaking OF the Bonnet Carre levee above.
this ereyasse are the Mon Secours whose crop
is cultivated by Bush & Levert OF this city. and
the Harlem place. owned by Oapt E. Smith
late tax collector OF Plaauemines parish The
two places produced last year nearly .oOo, 900
pounds of sugar. 60 .oS gallons of molasses and
between these two places subj acted to overflow
is owned principally by thrifty aud In
dustrtnus negro farmers. who have paid
for their lands and produce annually
several thousand barrels OF rice. These farm
ers also furnish valuable labor contingent to
she adjacent sugar plantations In the rolling
season. O Saturday night the forces of Har-
lem and Mon Sscours, with the aid of the
eolored freehold RS designated. had succeeded
In practically canrrolliug the crevRsse noted.
On Monday morning the crovasse was almost
sfeotuaLy repaired, and the required work will