Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-02-24
DOWN SOUTH.
The Mad Waters Tearing Away the
Mississippi Levees.
Banks Gazing in and Houses Being
Removed From Danger.
A Review Of the Levee Work Being
Done and Undone.
lGlobe- Democrat speclai.l


ported an average rise of from 4 TO 10
inches in every twenty-four hours. At
several places on the Mississippi and
Louisiana and Arkansas shores the
river has flooded the banks, and Is
pressing upon the small protection
levees with an impetuosity that leaves
but little encouragement for their con-
tinued safety. AT many points opera
tions on the main levees have been
abandoned, and the full force concen-
trated in the work of erecting protcc-
ton levees, which in many Instances
seem to be inadequte to the emer-
gency. At nearly every point on
either side of the river from Vicks-
burg To Greenville, and even above,
the water IL level with the bank.
Planters all the way to Greenville ex-
press themselves as very much dis
heartcned with the condition Of things
around them, and on Il majority of
the plantations no preparation what
ever ~ thus far being made for the
planting season. Contractors in
generality of the cases say there ~ no
special danger as yet, and seem conf
dent that with six or eight days of
good weather, the levees under their
supervision Will be well beyond rea-
sonable fear Of danger from amy rising
river At many places
THE BANK IS RAPIDLY GAZING,
and residences, storchouses and other
buildings are being moved back con
siderable distance from former loca-
tons. Bodies that have lain in IN old
graveyard ut Lake Providence for "A
great many years are being
tn .,I.
mile from the cavng bank, In one
or two places IL Is almost impossible
10 build protection levecs, with any
security TO the country around, as all
the levees with which protective ones
are intended to connect are fast cav
ing into the river. Your correspond
ent has just retained from round
trip, on the II. w. Cole, goingias high
rs Greenville, and with the aid of the
officers of that packet by whom he
was enabled to meet the prominent
ievee contractors and others, has sue
ceeded in obtaining much valuable
information concerning the leyees and
general condition of matter and things
above.
AT Miliken's Bend, La, the river Is
level with the bank. The levee at
that place, which was under contract
by Captain Mitchell, il three miles
long, commencing ut Cabinteei and
running to Buckhnm. II IL now com
pleted, aud Is one of the highest and
best levecS on the Louisiana side.
Buckham, or Owca, La. as 1t Is most
generally known, Is three miles above
Miliken's Bend. On this particular
part of work the contractors have eX-
perienced II great deal of trouble with
labor. From Sl.50 they have de-
manded all the way up to $500. At
this point the river Is over its banks
and standing against the levec, but
good work IL being done on two gaps
that exist In the lcvee here, each being
no more than 100 feet in width. The
contractor, Mr.. Carlisle, says he is now
in position where he can successfully
cope with the rising river The sec
ton of high levee at Pecan Grove, La,
which Is thirty-eight miles above this
city, Is entirely completed, Here the
river Ia
EVEN WITH THE BANK,
which IL rapidly caving. Geo. Foster,
who has been residing immediately ON
the landing front, Is moving his store
house, residence and other buildings
about mile, TO the new levee.
The condition of things at Good
rich sis gloomy indeed When the II.
w. Cole passed that place Saturday
noon the water was running with ter
rible force over the banks. At Good
rich's, Illaware and Edgcwood, la,
there was ut least 1000 feet OF incom-
plete levec ut these different places,
and 1000 feet from which the rising
river had TO be fought oil. Five hun
dred hands were ut work building pro-
lection levees, or run-arounds, which
proved entirely too weak TO Withstand
the tremendous current against them.
One thousand sacks filed with earth
were brought into requisltion To save
the protection and main lcvecs to the
rear of Goodrich's and lldgewood,
but Notwithstanding all this. the leyec
AT Edgewood, Iilaware aud Goodrich's
gave way Sunday afternoon, and wa
ter is now passing through these fresh
breaks In volume, varying from to .
feet In depth. A portion of the main
leyee at Edgewood has also given
way The breaks Mt these points are
100 feet wide. Col. II. q. Houston, a
contractor for these levees, Is doing all
in his power 10 save them. " would
take him ut least two mouths to COM
him, but low the present high water
bad weather and breaks IN the pro-
lection levees will affect his future
work, even he himself is unable TO
say. The water passing through the
breaks referred To Will empty into
Bayou Macon and flood that entire
section ofcountry Immediately on the
river bank and for miles back. AZ
places where the breaks alluded To
We're made many of the dwellings and
stores We're nearly half under water
Az the Cole passed by early Monday
night cabins in the neighborhood
were covered TO the roof Fifty ten
ants of these places in that immediate
section took passage by the Cole for
Nicksburg, having been, rs they said,
RUN OUT By THE FLOOD.
Alsatia Is just one mile about Good
rich's. The leveo Immediately To the
rear of Alsntia IL completed, and the
place generally IL In good condition.
Alsatia can stand Il few feet rise yet
At Arcadia, Miss, iifty-five miles
from Nicksburg, the levee Is about two
miles long aud has several gaps IN &C..
A two-foot rise will put the river over
the hank and against the levee, but
the contractors are confident that
there is no danger of overlooking ut
that point yet, and under the circum-
stances they Will be able 10 keep in
advance of the rising river, fully a
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