The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1882-03-01
THE COMING FLOODS.

i Tue situation of the Mississippi
delta is undoubtedly very critica
to-day, but it may not be so danger
fous as many apprehend. We are
not yet quite ready to hoist til,
white flag over the lower districts
subjects to inundation, and raise the
cry Of suffering and loss.
The situation is gloomy one, al
first view, so far as the prospects O
heavy floods coming into the Lower
Mississippi are concerned, but i,
must be borne in mind that these
freshets in the upper Mississippiand
Ohio may prove merely as tidal
waves, that will be swallowed up in
the great stream that has so long
drained a continent from Cairo down.
IL is very true that for very long
stretch below the upper bluffs, and
just above the delta proper, the river
has already outspread its natural
hanks, and spread over the bottoms,
destroying more or less property.
There have been also breaks lower
down that damage neighborhoods.
Bnt the lands now afflicted with
inundation have forty days in which
to plant staple crop. If the waters
recede within month the inhabi-
tants of those districts have ample
timeto pillow, and seed, and grow a
crop. =
If these waters coming down from
above are only freshets, the bed OF
the great Father of Waters may sus.
tain the draft upon it and carry.
them down to the sea swiftly enough
TO relieve anxiety in the delta prop
err. A rapid rise in the Upper Mis-.
sissirpi from rainfal!s may not
prove as disastl GUS as tue sudden
melting of millions of acres of ice
and snow.
We take this view, therefore, that,
while the situation is critical. it does
not warrant such gloomy forebodings
as have been INDUCED in, in some
quarters, at least. It surely does
not call for great wall just now.
The broad and deep bed of the
Lower Mississippi, which tells the
story of its great capacity here,
where the guage is marked up by
inches, and not by feet, ought to give
US some encouragement.
Once in long lapse of years there
comes conjunction of foods that
overwhelm all natural barriers, but
these are rare exceptions, and not to
be foreshadowed. q
The breaks that have occurred
thus far in the Mississippi below
Cairo are not very serious. The
western alluvial districts below Mem
phis have been practically unprotec-
Ted since the war. Upper Missis-
sippi has not reared The necessary
structures of late years to meet even
ordinary emergencies.
In our own State the sum raised to
meet the requirements in the upper
districts has not been sufficient, at
least for dispensation under waste
ful Government auspices. The le-
wees that have broken, fortunately,
let the floods through into outlets
that send them back into the main
stream, or TO the Gulf by the Atchafa-
laya.
On the lower delta, protected by
the levees to the west, visit line of
earthworks, insuring the sugar lands
from overflow, the great district
where a crevasse means irretrievable
ruin to many thousands, we have yet
to stand the shock. The mighty
earthworks which protect these dis
tricts are substantially built and
watched with jealous care.
The people in these districts
should, and we feel assured will, take
every precaution to avert calamity.
They understand their peril, and
are not in the habit of waiting upon
the calls of feeble and impoverished
State Government New Orleans
Picayune.
Spring Clothing,