The Evening critic., 1882-03-14
The Owuers of pronerty
MISSISSIPPI FLOODS.
An Interesting Account of Their
Causes. achieves and Crevasses
Former InundatiOus

Former InundatiOns.
To form proper conception OF the Lower
Mississippi and the causes OF its overflow
imagine the mighty stream flowing from the
mouth OF the Ohio River through vast allu-
vial plain thirty miles wide and gradually
extending TO q width of $50 miles at the Gulf
of Mexico Through the entire length OF this
plain this turbid stream flows In zig-zag and
constantly shifting channel distance OF
nearly a thousand miles to where 1t empties
through its several mouths into the Gulf
This plain, containing nearly 10000 square
miles, has been formed in the course OF ages
from material brought down from the uplands
of the Mississippi and its tributaries. Rich In
vegetable and organic matter, finely filtrated,
1t is consequently one of II not the most fertile
and productive regions in the United States,
the richest portions being found in ''the bot
tom lands" Immediately contiguous to the
river and Its numerous tributaries. Both sides
are lined with plantations which extend for
miles back into the country, all of which nre
more or less under cultivation, while thriving
towns and cities dot its banks to the Crescent
City.
The Levees.
In the summer and when the river is low
Its surface is depressed from twenty to thirty
feet below its banks, but when the autumnal
rains set in, followed by the spring thaws, the
channel rapidly fllls and wherever unchecked
overfiows its banks right and left, spreading
for many miles over the great, wide, level
plain. To protect the cultivated lands from
this yearly threatened inundation they are
guarded by artificial embankments thrownup
In front OF each plantation. These are called
levees, and are hundreds of miles In extent,
almost lining the entire course OF the river
They vary In height from six to forty feet in
some places and are proportionately thick
through at the base. As might be expected
The cost of building and keeping In repair
these immense earth structures is very heavy.
In some instances 1t deyolves upon the
county, In others upon the State, In many In
stances upon the individual planters, and It is
largely to the want OF proper and com.
prehensive engineering system capable of
| coping effectually with the yearly threatened
danger that the present disaster Is to be at.
tributed.
When the channel Of the river is full Its level
is many feet above that Of the adjacent coun.
| try and within n few inches probably of the
top of the leyee. The danger arising from Its
| great pressure against these artificial banks
| from current of immense volume running a.
| the rate of seven miles an hour can be readily
| estimated.
In Danger-The Crevasse.
| AT such times the people live In constant
| exercise the keenest vigilance TO prevent ca
tastrophe. Neither money, labor nor time Ii
| spared in such emergencies. The entir,
| neighborhood is summoned TO action, all weak
points are at once strengthened, new levees
are sometimes erected In the rear, like a sec
ond lire OF fortifications; guards patrol tn,
leak In the earth wall or the faintest o sIoppin, @
over the top, for woe betide the section tina
allows one 70 escape notice. In avery shor
| time the Dank meltS before IL ike dlSSOlytnl
sugar and the pressing wall of water cuts ii
way through, making the dreaded creyasse
| A creyasse or break In the leyeo once made 4
rarely closed, and only then under excep
tionai circumstances and with great iifllculty
A torrent OF water several feet high pourin
through an opening OF crunlbling earth wall
Is no easy thing to check, and, In fact, rarel
is checked. Unless there is existing or ha
been erected, ''a protection leyee" In the rear
II only takes very few hours for the sea o
waters to spread over miles of the level, cult
| waited yQlley. drowning the Iagtroyin
stock ana spreading ruin and desolatlo
broadcast.
The only method ever successful In stoppln
crevasses Is by driving strong piles and min
up the initerstices with sand bags, but thi
method is only effective In minor Instances
since once under headway nothing can with
stand the force OF the rushing waters. Unde
the circumstances 1t is impossible 10 estlmai
the losses and sufferings incurred by the VII
Tins OF the late overflow. The inundated al
trict is soyast In extent and may bs sui
merged with its devastated crops for so man
weeks, during which period its people viii n
| main entirely destitute as far as any ability
provide for their wants is concerned, thu
even In It's present aspect 1t rises 10 the pr
portions OF a National calamity.
Former foundations.
The history OF the Mississippi delta Is q hi
tory of repeated oyerfi0ws.
Francois Xavier Martin records an extrao
dinaiy rise In 171S.
Gagarre sta tes that In 1875 the waters wei
so high that many leyees were broken an
| New Orleans was Inundated.
A great flood is recorded by Gov Sargent
occurring In 1770 OF which few particular
are given.
In 1882 the whole districts Of Attakapas an
0polousns were inundated.
Another overflow occurred In 1888, anotht
In 1701, others in 1876 and I70O and
| 1909, according to Governor Sargent, the II
suliing devastation was 80 great that the pc
pie imagined the Northern lakes had broke
| through channel 10 the river
In 1871 and in 1913 the river again brol
through the leyees, inundatlng the entil
Teche country and IN 1915 ia very gre
food" occurred, In which the Ohio Riy,
, reached at It's mouth the highoat point eY
recorded.
Again in 1916, 1928 aud 1924 portions
| the country were OVeriiOwed.
Between 1924 and 1860 seven ''great" flOo
| are recorded, respectively In 1928, 1914, 1Sl
1850 1851, 1888 aud 1850. All these We
} | marked with great destruction OF properi
= but that OF 1880 was by far the worst, d
damege occasloned being immense, the
| Francis, TensnH and Yazoo bottoms being 9
, | tirely submerged. The principal breaks
the loYee were above the LOulsl1na Inns
Bayou Macon, at Point Lookout, at Island y
1O2, at New Carthage ana at Rodney.
The waters during this overflow rose steadl
until March 15, then declined slowly nn
| early IN April, then rose again until the MI
| die Of May, when they attained their hight
| points and. then rapidly subsided, result
! In the almost entire destruction OF {
! crops.