The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-05-20
THE LAKE BOLIVAR LETEE.
LETTER PROM COLONEL CLAY.
Editor Greenyille Times: :

in connection with rebuilding our
leyees, is before your readers, al
low me to discuss the petition on
this subject published in your issue
of the 18th April.
This petition is the sincere ex-
preston of some of our best citi-
zens, seeking honestly, l believe,
a more perfect security from over
flow, and the general good of the
district; and to these gentlemen l
shall address myself, on a plane of
fairest reason and common sense,
in the same spirit in which your
commissioners met the difficulties
surrounding them at their late ses-
sion-whose efficient action, by the
way. has been highly commended
in every quarter, alike in the press
of Boston, st. Louis and New Or
leans, and will no doubt do us
much good by bringing into meri-
torious prominence this interest of
our particular section. Says Major
Harrod of tho River Commission,
in the Picayune of the odd:
at would be good policy to
close recent gaps, so as to main
tain the present condition of af,
fairs afterwards the older gaps
could be closed. But under any
circumstance it will be essential
for the riparian States to maintain
their levee organizations. The
prompt action of Mississippi in
this regard is very commendable.
The closing of gaps will be effect
ed by levees, all of a higher grade
than those previously standing"
Excuse this DEPRESSION, made be-
cause of the misgivings of some
of our citizens as to the wisdom
of a policy of energetic action and
the practicability Of a GREATER
maximum size levee."
The petition to the Board OF
Leyee Commissioners, while sin.
cerc and honest, is | think founded
on an entirely erroneous concep.
ton of the facts of the situation
1t says: ave the undersigned cit.
liens, &C., would respectfully ask
that before the breaks in the line
of levee from Easton's around
Catfish Point and up to Melrosc
are repaired, or any permanent
line of levee laid out, that you
cause q careful survey to be made
commencing at or about Eastol
place, and thence around the east
bank of Lake Bolivar, to an inter
section with the present line OF
levees somewhere between Boil
var Landing and Melrose."
| have no doubt in the minds OF
your petitioners this new line was
understood to be an avoidance OF
rebuilding the most disastrous
breaks. The Easton break is near
er Mound Landing than Easton's
and would remain as a gap to be
closed in the line below; and the
Wade break, though below Mel
rose, would still be above any
practicable junction of the east
bank levee. SO here are two i'm
portant breaks outside of the pro
posed line; and as to the Catfish
breaks-being mostly small breaks
in levees four to six feet high
they can all be closed at an eXpen
diture of $4,000 or 5000. There
remains only the Bagot break thai
would be avoided, and this levet
it has already been contemplated
to abandon on completion of thu
new line across head of lake.
Then this position of petitioners
would amount to abandoning |
contemplated location, selected
especially for greater security, be
fore the trial of completed leve'
had been made. III other words
about the only location in the lons
line of disaster selected for aban
donment is the one which has hat
no test; but after being selected
by engineering skill for safer lin'
it is condemned simply becaus'
the temporary works it was inten
ded to supersede gave way. Th'
very cause of evil which dictated
the safer location is now used a
reason for its abandonment. Ra
ther should the buckshot levee OF
Easton's and sand deposit at Riy
erton receive condemnation.
, The second position taken is
: "Your petitioners would call t.
mind the attempts preyiousl.
made, at an enormous outlay ant
+ with total want of success. t
build across the head of the lake
and that in spite of able engineers
pile drivers, and all other devices
the earth which was wheeled il
the day sank at night, showing al