The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-05-06
Lerse Correspondence.
April 2f, 1852.
Editor Greenville Times:

Editor Greenvllle Times:
In your last issue Capt. Ander-
son puts himself on record with
some opinions again as a levee en-
gineer; this time in explanation
and with some peculiar amenities
for your correspondent &C. CT
With the wonderful adroitness of
a good tactician he has found out
that g. G. is interested in the
levees crossing the head of Lake
Bolivar He therefore draws up
his line from I" Rosedale to Green
villen to "mean only such large
levees as those about the head of
Lake Bolivar In the former let
ter he said: II can see no relief
for the existing state of affairs ex-
cept to lower the flood line by a
few judiclous cut-offs, say one at
Tarply and one at Eutopia. The
levees and country below Green
vile can better stand a little more
water than they are accustomed
to; than can the country above
Greenville stand what il now has
to contend with.n But since there
is another objective point for his
engineering skill now, the only
practicable plan is that "of build
ing the levee around the east bank
of Lake Bolivar.' Not Tarply OF
Eutopia now, but east bank OF
Lake Bolivar is to save the coun'
try and give the relief which then
would "have to be left with nature
or to other laws and means THAI
those now controlling the levees Of
the district to determine.n Won
derful device-to levee q. G. out
and mount our retiring engineer
safely on u popular hobby. No
Captain, you shall not get off Sc
easy. You will have to face abou
to your levees and not go prancins
off--down through that tier of flint
plantations on the east bank o
Lake Bolivar.
The present writer was a warn
supporter of Capt. Anderson du
ring his administration of the engi
neering department of the Leve'
Board,and often defended him from
criticism, as he believed him to b'
doing good work, and not dream
ing that the fine levees upon whicl
he was expending the people,
money were not up to the require
ments of the law, to be three O
four feet above the highest know
flood (that of '62 or '76) as can b'
verified with the instruments, ant
especially on that portion of TIN
Bagot levee still standing, an'
which shows no indication Of roa,
wear. These levees were purel,
and simply too low, and it was witt
reluctance this writer was force,
to change his opinion of the thor
oughness of Captain AIS work
In a statement of facts, for a con
troversial turn, Captain a. claim
"but two of the levees built b,
him were broken, Wade and River
ton levees.n Yet says of the Bag
OF levee: ain the winter of 1878
was aware of the insufficient high
of this levee and had it enlarged
| knew the Importance of tina
levee and gave it particular atten
ton" Here's three-one more
ain the fall of 1876 / hurried
topped off without enlarging tn
Miles and Easton levees.n Tw
more. 8" If the breaks on Catfish,
&c.-but here we have alread
three more breaks in the yer
levees that received his particula
attention; and the people alon
the new levee from Offutts toward
Greenville can show two and thre
tiers of sacks on levee of pur
buckshot with no alluvium i'll whic
to sink the omissions of the leve
And, apropos the original issue Q
maximum size embankments, wha
shall we say of Riverton and Eas-
on's not in reach of that dangerou
soil about Lake Bolivar9 9Th
Wade break-well, that, too, wa
near the head of Lake Bolivar. 1t
hight about II feet.n The BagC
levee "27.n It makes no diffei
ence, II or q feet, Lake Bolivar
doomed to engineering incapacity
and | think Capt. A. will be fran
enough to admit himself the Wad
levee-if he ever saw it-had not
proper land or dry slope. 1t brok
in the same identical spot as1n 1S7t
above the junction of the propo;
ed main line across the Lake, whic
if completed even would not hav
saved us from overflow.
The people who were on man
other lines of the levees recent
built or enlarged alone can te