St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1883-02-24

1oi CSIlHS uesciipliou VI LILO HOIh
in the 1imes-Democrat:
The length of the levea IS 1890
feet, or nearly three miles, and the
magnitude OF the work cannot be
realized unless seen, and the fact
that it was completed i'll three
months. with force of 800 men,
reflects credit on Col. S. n. James,
the contractor.
The south end of the levee,
where there is no current at all, has
base of So feet in width, and is
s feet IN height. This is the lowest
portion OF the leyee. The average
height OF the levee is IL feet, and
has slope along its entire length
of one foot in three. That portion
CT the levee directly across the
mouth of the crevasse is II feet
high, and $50 feet wide at the base.
At this point the main pressure of
the water from the river rests, and
III order to better protect the mas
slEe embankmeLt, it has been COW
cred with thick easement of boards
for distance OF 100 feet. To build
the levee across the mouth of the
crevasse was difficult task, for the
reason that an immense raft of logs
had been gathered and deposited |
by the current. In removing these |
logs dynamite was freely used, and |
for two months the work Of blast |
ing and burning cost the New Or
leans and Mississippi Valley Rail-
road Company $3.50 a day. A short
distance to the rear of this portion
of the ievee-about 1900 teet-the
lie of the New Orleans and lLissis.
sippi Valley Railroad is located,
and from the trees and abandoned |
houses it is easy to see that, even
this close to the river, there is a
deposit of five feet of rich alluvialI
soil.
Below the creyasse short dis
lance, land which for years has
been given up to the ravages of the
food is now being reclaimed. Sew
eral planters have large forces of
hands at work clearing away the
thick growth of willows and pre-
pairing to place the land in q con-
di.ion to enable them to resume
planting.
MIR. H. A. Miller states that in
the entire length Of the levee there {
is $4,000 cubic yards OF earth ,
dirt to cover % acres of !
land q depth of three feet, and
about one-half the amount of dirt
necessary to grade the New Orleans
and Mississippi Valley Railroad to '
Baton Rouge. Ii
The base, and in fact the greater !,
portion OF the levee, is made of !,
what is known as ''buckshot" earth,
and as it is compact. there is every o
reason to believe that it will stand S
he rush of waters. To prevent the "
usual washes which attend the ac- "
ION OF waves against levee, Col.
James has "sodded" all of his work
With Bermuda grass, which is now {
aking root and growing finely.
Major Richardson states that he
$ very well pleased with the work, 7
nd pronounces it the best piece Of \
work OF the kind in Louisiana. He -,
elleyes the State has been more
han repaid for the sum it sub Is
cribed. W
Major Stickney, Of the United nj
tates Engineer Corps, also ex- is
resses himself as well satisfied =
18th the work. and says it will be "
ccepted by tue Government. al
For the building of the Bonnet th
ARE levee, the State OF Louisiana te
Inscribed $4,000, the greater por-
on OF this sum TO be paid in war ~
.nts OF 1889. The United States
oyernment subscribed $4,000 in 10
lsh. and planters $3.50. The bal nj
ice of the money was furnished by
he New Orleans and Mississippi to,
alley Railroad Company. Tie
tai cost was about $4,000. n,
The contract of Col. James for
ling the work was ct the follow ~,
te: 40 cents per yard for one Dc
If, 80 cents for one.fourth and 80
hts for the remainder. an,
1t is now safe to say that. despite m,
e fact that skilled engineers said ON.
Q Bonnet Care creyasse could 10,
t De effectually closed, it is closed, tra
j up and down the river nu ubers ore
people are coming daily to see
ie, CO WHICH n"s sau. OUT the Va