The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1882-04-22
MorsSasa-s Rail Road as
Il Dam.

Parish. Such charges have been
made, also by other parties, and
elaborated to some extent in the
Pioneer OF Assumption and pei
haps some other newspapers. 1t
is d question OF such immense in
portance to the residents and land
owners ia the Basin, between the
LafOurcile and the Teche, that it
demands the serious considera
ton of the public in order to III,
derStand Whetler such charges
are facts or merely the effect of
undigeSted ideas expressed with
out ii proper study or investiga
ton OF the subject.
n dam is an obstruction across
a stream of water that holds back
the current and causes it to rise
sufficiently high for the water to
pass over, causing the back wa
ter to raise in front of the obstruc
ton until it acquires Il level on "A
! plane parallel with the top of the
| dam.
Where there is much tall in the
stream the back water does not
extend to any great distance, but
in Il level country it will extend Il
considerable distance.
The great Basin through which
the Morgan Road passes is bound
ell on the North ty the Mi>>issip
ri river lands, East l,y the Bayou
Lafourche Ridge, West by the
Teche and Atcilatalaya ridge, and
on the South .hy the Terrebonne
and Bayou Black Ridges from La
fOnrche to the vicinity Of Tiger
vile. The space hrtween Tiger
vile and Berwick CITY, being 80
low as to present but little ob
stIuction to high water aud form
ing the natural ou;let of over
flows from the Mississippi, that
became too great to pass through
the Atchatalaya.
The water being confined in
this basin is forced to seak egress
through this outlet.
Upon examining Il map of the
overtlowed District it will be seen
that the Morgan Road cuts off IA
small section of this immense ba
sin, extending from Terrphonue
station in IL hall circle to Tiger
vile.
II there was no railroad. the
water wnald find IL natural ob
struction in the ridge of the basin
along the Bayou Black. and ad
hitting the railroad to operate as
a dam. if removed the Black
Ridge would. become the ohstrnc
ton and arrest the progress of
the water precisely 1.-The railroad
is charged to have done.
The difference, if any, would be
imperceptible. 1t is u fact that
the water was higher on the
North side of the road bed than
it was on the South side.
Such being the case it Is pre-
su'nabla that the small BASIN he
tween the RoaAi bed and Bayou
Black did not fill up as rapidly
as it wonld have done had there
been no road TO interfere with
the flow ot the currrnt. OF this
fact there seems to be litt!a doabt.
But this doeS.not prove that the
floods were any higher North of
the road he'd than they would
otherwise have been. Had there
been no roadbed the water wonld
have found the same obstruction
in the crest OF the Bayun Black
lands and been raised TO the same
height throughout the Basin. If.
some OF the water was forced
along the read to the ontiet Ia
tween Ti.erville and Berwick
City, the Sane wafer had it nass
c! the railroad Woa!d have been
compelled to take the sam" course
by the Bayou Blaek RIDGE. At
the highest stage OF the flood ii
passed over the road and passed
over the Bayou Black Ridge. seek
ing an oatiet to the Gulf along
the Bayou De Large lands.
But this would not have occnr
red until the water reached IT'S
highest stage SO that it made
no particle of difference, previous
to that period.
The Inference is natural that
the only effect the road bed had
was to hold back, to some ex
tent the waters from that section
OF TeTrebonnr, South OF the road.
without cansing the flood to raise
one sixteenth of an inch on the
North side, above what it would
have been all the time.
There was noticed, after the Ie-
wees began to yield above Vicks
.urgh, a rise of fully four feet OF
above that OF 1874 acomlng
down the Tensas and Macon Val
The same rise was seen some
Inc later, passing Trinity at the
lead of Black river, then it ap
at SHINES Port, at tue
lead of the Atchafa!aya river,
hen being reinforced b. the Nor
.anza and Point Conpce Crevas
o. Il cbnu,s itSnlf ~ ,nL