Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-24
Gross Neglect i'm Building and Caring
IOr the LeVees.

4 10 the EQltOr> OF the Appedl.
! RosEDALE, Miss, March 2l-You will
1 please excuse me, in this the hour Of our dis
| tress, for attempting in a plain and strai ight-
| forward manner, TO give you my experience
! in regard to the present az well as past over
| flows. Much has already been said and
! written on the subject, and while | do not
expect to change the views Of those who
differ with me- yet l have concluded TO give
| you my experience and let your many read
ers take it for what it is worth. ] have been
in all the overhows of the Mississippi from
1928 up to the present time, and must say
that this il the highest and most disastrous
one that | have ever witnessed. The loss of
human life scarcely ever heard OF 10 the
early days OF ovsrAows), and the great loss OF
property, can scarcely be conceived; yet | am
in hopes, with all the facts, that the picture
has been somewhat overdrawD. The over
flows OF 1882 and 1S44 were et the time consid-
cred very high and the loss of property great.
Had the river at that time been confined
within its banks, as il was before the breaks
in our leyees, l think it highly obable that
the water in those years would have been as
high as it has been this. Caution has
always been said to be the parent of safety,
and / am sure that if the proper precaution
had been taken that We, in a great measure,
would have escaped the troubles that are
now upon US; we had escaped the destroying
flood for so many years, and our country was
improving and settling up so fast that our
community had almost forgotten that there
was ever such thing overflow. Our
levees had been worn down; many had caved
in the river, and new ones built not suffi-
ciently far from the bank, and nine times out
of ten not of sufficient base or hight to even
prevent the water from running over the
top. 1t is no uncommon thing TO see levees
standing that would have stood three feet
more OF the highest water, and one mile be-
low to see 1t running over the top. | contend
this is not as it should be. If the correct
water line had been obtained, and the con-
tractor had put up the levee correctly, the
water would not have run over the top.
| am not disposed to censure or blame any
one in particular, but that there has been
gross negligence some where is apparent to
any or all who may take the trouble to inves-
tigate the matter. Take, for instance, the
break in the Riverion levee. The water was
prevented from running over the top for
several days by the untiring energy of Cap
tain Perkins. Yet with all his energy, and
with the aid and assistance Of the citizens,
the levee gave way and no one can imagine
the great calamity that has followed. Ii
this levee had been given the proper base
and hight, with the addition of Captain
Perkins work, it would have been standing
to-day. We have country susceptible OF
being made one OF the finest and most pro-
ductive on the globe. Lands that are now
twenty feet under water, if properly pro-
tected and drained, will produce from bale
to bale and half of cotton, and fifty to
sixty bushels OF corn to the acre. with all
other necessary supplies in proper
tion. To imagine or suppose that
such a country will be given up to
the mercy of the foods is preposterous
If we do not, either through our own energy
or through the aid and assistance OF the
general government, protect ourselves, cap
italists as in the case of the railroad monopo-
lies, will in due course of time take hold of
the matter and develop the great resources
of the Mississippi valley. What is past
cannot be recalled. Let US step to the front
with one accord, determined to protect our
common country from future overfows
1t can be done, and successfully, either under
the Eads Cowdon system. We have had
a respite for about twenty years let us seek
90 prolong it in future for an hundred. The
overflow has not injured the soil OF our land,
but, on the other hand, has enriched it. Put
no one on guard who is not true to the cause
We have formidable foe to meet--"united
we stand, divided we fall" III