Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-23
THE LEVEE SYSTEM
Strongly Endorsed by One Who Ought
10 Know whereof He Writes.

CoAHoNA COUNTY, Miss, March II
While the many doctors are trying their
hand on the Mississippi river prescribing
remedies and requesting the nation to adopt
their various systems, having some claim as
a theorist and practitioner Of but few years
standing, less than even those who claim a
great many years and vast experience, pre-
sumo you will be kind enough TO extend TO
me the same privilege in consideration OF
my hobby, TO which | have chung with an
undying tsnacity for many years, that you
have extended TO other under similar cir
cumstances. l belong to the old-school sys-
tenn. which adopts and recommends as the
only panacea worthy OF consideration, in the
great trouble OF controlling the Father of
Waters, and keeping him within proper
bodnds-that IL, the much-abused "levee sys-
tenn" In times of flood in the Mississippi
river Il seems to be the usual practice to
heap abuse on the levees and flood
the country with fancies and unten-
able theories, believing that an suggestion
in time Of great trouble any calamity
will be acceptable to the majority Of man
kind. i he ma jority, however, taking time for
reflection, and calming down from the ex-
citement OF puff suggestions, generally think
about right; and for the pu' pose of assisting
in that reflection and proper mode of think
ing on the subject OF the levees OF the Mis-
sissippi river, | forward this communication.
that the levee systsm Is, or is about to prove
a failure; but this thought or suggestion Ia
but father to the wish, since by that failure
it presents a hope their individual hobbies
beir taken into consideration. The history
of the great iood-years OF the past, with their
overhows, crevasses and disasters, while point
ing apparently TO 4 failure of the levee sys-
TEN, is not in the fact OF the levee system, but
OF the levee management. There should be
some distinction drawn here. They should
not be cOnfouuded, one with the other. The
levee system is one thing, and the manage
ment of the levee system is another thing.
Heretofore the levee has been constructed to
scme particular hight above the highest
known water-mark. After construction this
levee is left to take care OF itself; and after
a lapse of three, four, five more years of
shrinkage, subject to the wear and tear of
age, assisted by that OF teams, wagons, horses,
travel and heavy annual rainfall, 1t is re-
duced in elevation even to a point below the
original high water-mark. Want of sufficient
hight is the cause OF nearly all our levee
breaks. 1t is usual in great public works
for instance, railroads, canals, etc.-as pay
ing investments, 10 keep them in good work
ing order, TO keep up and not let them wear
away or be destroyed by the action of the
weather-to keep a repair force as an actual
necessity to their existence. 1t is done on
the public roads Of the country; but it is not
done on the leyees of the Mississippi river.
They are put up and never teuched-scarcely
looked at or their condition examined into
until the water runs over and forms n Gre
vase; the levee is put up once more, TO stand
until washed away again. This Is and has
been our class OF management, under which |
we have worked, at least since the war, and
being cTamped in resources, even under ia
vOrable circumstances, we could hardly do
any better. Is il, then, any wonder that the
Oh to 4
advantage? To say that the levee is a fail
ure is blot upon the perseverance, industry
and maniiness OF our character. The Dutch
and other European people, in the face of an
overflow twice every twenty-four hours, or
about 80 floods in the year, and subject
to the dynamic effect OF the waves of the
ocean, built their dykes or entertainments,
many OF them Of large dimensions. And We
here in the great Mississippi bottom cannot
hold the almost, comparatively speaking,
saltwater in check, rising to trouble us
only once year. With superior material and |
advantages, We have, in fact, inferior results. |
In those European nations the people and |
their governments are unit on the construc-
ton and management of their dykes, and hence |
their success. With Us it is different. The |
people interested are not a unit; the States |
interested are not a unit and our general |
government, though now taking an active |
interest, yet is slow 10 take an active part in |
the reclamation and preservation of our |
lands. There are no means OF calculating /
the losses consequent on the present flood; |
but l have no doubt, ii the amoant was ex- |
pended on the lsvee at the proper time, the |
whole line would now be in good and eff |
cient condition. This great loss OF personal |
wealth, alike loss to the individual, the State |
and TO the general government, is perma- |
nent loss; and with the impoverished condi- |
ton of the inundated districts it is an utter |
impossibility for the people ever to recover !
from their depletion, sufficiently, at least, to |
attempt even 10 put up one OF the many |
breaks in their levees. Therefore, in times |
Of great calamity, such as hangs APP |
pallingly over this Borrowing and distressful |
and it becomes the duty of the government |
to provide ways and means for present and |
relief. In former years all the |
facts OF rivers and floods were not known so |
fully, and levees could not be as intelligently |
as at the present time. The
elaborate surveys and observations OF the |
Mississippi river by Humphreys aud Abbott,
being intelligently made, have thrown great |
light en- the most important points OF levee
theory and construction. One fact has been |
brought out, that is, its hight above the high
water mark, which alone a deduction |
from paper dIfd is worth all the expenditure |
that the government has been at, in the ply
.ics and hydraulics of the Mississippi river.
With all the lights of science, research, ex-
oerience, genius, observation and survey the
evee system has been held as the only |
method Of protection for an oyerhOwed
country along the banks of great rivers.
Therefore, with plenty Of means at its COM
nand, let the government take charge and
construct the levee system on the plans OF |
and Abbott, and the levee sys-
EN- will receive what it never has had-a
proper test in the restraining of great floods. |