The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-03-04
OVERFLOW OF THE OUACHITA.
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A MENIokABLE EVENT. -
u fI4g r.|.u

section. When we stated, two weeks
ago, that the year 1874 would be men,
morable, for half century, for high
waters, we little expected the flood
would be 80 great or so disastrous; and
when, now, we come to chronicle the
extent of the overflow and of the des-
truction, we are simply lost in a wilder
ness of water, incidents Of the flood and
Affections of the people, and know not
where to begin, what to say, or where
to end. We have no precedent to be
guided by, no standard of losses ore of
floods that will convey an idea to the
distant reader, who ever saw this coun-
try, of the extent of the ruin brought
upon the Ouachita Valley by the late
overflow. And while we are impressed
thus with its extent, we must confess,
that, with all our efforts to procure in
formation from the swamp country
around the small island upon which
this city now stands-about two and
a-half miles long by half a mile wide
we know almost nothing of the damage
done beyond this little island. People
who came almost daily on horseback to
town for years and years, have not been
able to get to Monroe, except in boats
and by hard rowing ut that, tor over ten
days. Our nearest neighbors have be-
ColAAS SNEauSSIS. - HAL living Ou AAO
DeSiard, below Pargoud's place, or west
of Trenton, is seen but rarely, or not at
all, and his reports of the water fly
through town with the swiftness of
intelligence in city besie0ed. We have
no record of the date Of the highest
water, but it must have been at some
such time as this that the aborigines
selected the present site of Monroe as
the highest ground to he found on the
Ouachita. Tho tsoldest inhabitant" has
no longer any recollections Of high;
water, except such as leave us in doubt
whether, or not, he ever lived. We
may pass in review successively the
overfiows Of 1926, 1874 and on up to
1871, and there lives no old inhabitant
who ever saw or heard OF an overflow
like the one of 1874. =, y. r,r.g, ..,.- -
To give a correct description Of what
our people have passed through, is inn
possible. Our highest land, it is true,
has not been under water, but it would
require the aid Of the photographers
art to tell what has not. n sui. .
| The river, this season, was late i'll
rising, and the cisterns had but little
water in them even in February. The
gardens aud fields were we'll advanced.
The Fall and Winter We're unusually
dry. In March the rains came. Grad
ually the river began to rise, and kept
rising, until two weeks ago, the water
in the channel was above thatco of 1871.
Heavy rains followed Then it was
considered necessary to- watch the
levees at Pargoud's places above Mon
roe and below, and at Morrison's.
Work onthe nations was suspended.
The city authorities called tor hands to
work On the upper Pargdutl levee, and
1t1<f. n
plank placed on thelevee. Morrison IS
levee, six miles below, gave way, sub
merging his place and turning over
some of his cabins. This break; brought
no relief to Monroe OnhSattIrday, the
10th, the water began to run 1over Par
goud's! upper levee. 1ItH poured down
through the fields below, into Noung's
bayou, the eastern boundary of the
city, and soon filled.upthe bayou to the
I.afourrhe, whereit metthe water from
the Mississippi overflow; and then i
began to overflow the c6iored people
who lived along Yonng's bayou Sun
day morning following these peopl'
commenced moving into town. Th'
river continuing to rise and the over
flow TO spread-the levee at Pargoud'
lower place giving way meanwhile ant
the waters meeting SO as to swell tn
1lOOu 'D1Ck Oh tOWn-lUcFc WAS Il IdlNe
rise in nfrear, which brought the E'ate:
nearly to Monroe Cemetery on Mon
day. .,'' H' '"i'' '''.l'
Meantime, there. were heavy rain
here and above. The river continued
to rise, sending an increasing flood owe
the levee at 'Pargoud's upper place, al
of which found escape along the rear O
town and added to the overflow there
, The rise continued until the water ii
the river at that point overfowed til
bank over a quarter OF mile, from nj
inch to six feet the whole distance
> Over this depression the water came il
straight shoot along the city rear, me
; the flood, pouring over the Ievee at P.n
I. goud's. below, the roaring Of the tw
|mingling in hearing of our people lik
two approaching storms, and then fo
lowed n swell of the back wafer, $
! swift as to he incredible. People VIII
n went to bed with their lots uncoverc
b and dry, walked up next morning
u wade out of their houses. And just {
Il this crisis the river rose four inches
twelve hOurs-the back water comm
~ in by feet.
The rain ceased Friday, the 2ltl
: THE HIGHEST WATER