The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-04-25
Chief Engineers Report.
ENGINEERS DEPARTMENT.


ENGINEERS DEPARTMENT,
BOARD OF MISSISSIPPI LEvBE COMMISSIONERS
GREENvILLE, MISS April 20, 1885.
sToKEs President,
wish respectfully to direct your attention 10 the con-
Robertsonve Levee and urge the necessity of prompt
be matter, before another high water.
are aware even year ago this levee was considered
close to the river and predecessor caused survey to
the purpose of fixing upon new location; upon which
estimate made. and the immediate obstruction of
commended. In the present condition of finances it
bible undertake work of great magnitude the line
Major Helm, amounting as it did TO 10000 cubic Yards
compelled therefore to take the risk of the evee standing
ar meeting pressing emergency by the construction of
work the point supposed to be most threateneda costly
factory eXpedent only to be defended by the absolute
Fortunately the food neither high of long
e and the line of levee STOOD but without risk nor
using serious apprehensons my part. The caving,
rapid, pretty steady, and ii impossible to foresee
oud occur next or what its extent might be. The whole
Sunfower Landing to Malones, subjected to contn-
ing varied by the sliding in of large pockets at intervals
is at the foot of bend of large radius and pretty well
six weeks ago, my attention was called to rather sudden
mt of cavng at point hitherto deemed toeraby safe.
the centre of the levee found to be distant from
this place about 400 feet This distance rapidly
to little more than 200. AT the upper junction Of the
vile Levee proper the distance reduced from 20to l25
obertsonvle store from 20 to IS0and at the upper june
New Hope hoop of last year, from $50 feet to about 25
1t time would have to take immediate measures to
reatened danger am glad to report however, that since
set in the cayng has, in great measure ceased and
shall through the season without further
II would be tempting of Providence to take such
year. OF course tits not absolutely certain that the levee
caved away by next season. If the present rate of
maintained however, the spring of 1886 will find the evee il
Dyed, undermined as to be highly unsafe An embank
lis size is endangered before the cavng actually
base there being ground for apprehension that the
pressure may force its way through the natural soil,
If this be unstable and reacherous and if the eyee be de-
ase-as is the case In this instance.
eore consider necessary and do respectfully recommend
line of levee should he built beginning above the upper
the so-caed Robertson Levee of 1856 and extending
below Robertsonyie sore and think that next year
ter it VIII be necessary to extend this line to connect with
Hope Levee finished last winter. Moreover think it prob
small protection evee will have TO be built at the upper
the New Hope Levee.
that there several serious objections to be urged
IL undertaking this work. 1t is open question whether
legal right expend funds upon line wich is ont OF
limits and which have heretofore maintained only by
hority now perhaps no longer existent The territory ~
ey behind the evee pays us no taxes but on the contrary
to the revenues of the Upper District Many of the ct
District most interested in the maintenance Of this levee
M to enon the payment ofthe cottonax and their suit fol
pse is actually pending. If 1t be determined by the legal ad
the Board that we have right to construct line in Goa
nty, and that cannot by any acquire such right
there is an end of the matter As to the ether objections
will of allow them the weight which attaches to
cb undoubtedly considerable They altogether out OF
ce 1t appears to me- however, that to abandon this line to
n would be policy disastrous to District that moth
Justify II but sheer Inability part, or the want OF
erity.
obertsonvlle Levee is one of the largest and most i'm
bf the line heretofore controlled by AT two points
evee the fill is greater than of any other embankmen
BIT at Lake Bolivar The line three water
you Conneps Lake and Robertsonyle Lake. The first two
at the point where the existing evee crosses them
kep depression is the result closed by an embankmen
feet high and perhaps three hundred feet long At Rob
Lake, the fill is eighteen twenty feet and the length
Hundred The rest of the line not very heavy being
rteen feet in height.
unatey the whole line from the upper junction Robert
tore nearly equally theaened the exposed places being
ous and serious that it is hardly possible to make an,
provision for them by isolated works. Moreover, these
precisely where the evee highest and protection
nst necessarily cross oil three of the water courses above
I'm n,H nulI In
esry equal to that of permanent lne Palliative measures
fore out of the question line must be built or
th all its consequences, must be hazarded
the exception of Lake Bolivar and Rverton, hardly know
pee above Wilamss Bayou where break would be likely
more harm than at Robertsonvie The first places that viii
go Bucks Bayou and Robertsonvlle Lake. AT either
further cayng of 140 feet will bring the evee into serious
in high food and both together would precpitate volume
not much inferior to that which passed through the Lake
break in 1SS2peraps great greaterfor the eve
er light materia and break would enlarge very fast
raly be enquired-"Wha direction would be taken by The
nsucha caser The answers Mostly toward the head
Bogue Faaya. Bucks Bayou emptes directly into Hush
Councils Lake partially discharges into the stream
direction of the low grounds the foot both of tina
of Robertsonvlle Lake is toward the southwark. Th
bank of the Hushpuckana itself has wide de
E through which the water in loodtme is discharged init
swamp and thence into the head of the Bogue. am as
bat when the Bucks Bayou Leyee broke In 1871 the land
australia 0verhowed and yet this owwaer year
greatly doubted whether there drainage enough to
the water which in through Ash Slough, without food
surrounding country Now It is said that Ash Slough sel
PES into the Hushpuckana With the immense volume whc
nter through breaks at Bucks Bayou C0nnels Lake
onve Lake. it is reasonable to suppose that not only tn
ou Australia and Concorda but the whole country subject
from the Bogue will be submerged greater less extent
Creek considerable part of Sharkey county
Ter portion of lssaquena In this latter locality the back
from the Mississippi through the Yazoe River will hnde
1d dispersion of the overflow and will thus PARTIAL
part OF dam to confne and "pondn them.
rue of course that the closing of the evees the Uppe
will leave the Sunfower swamp comparatively free to
drainage and the country cleared of timber
owtb and the open it might be that the damag
pc principally confined to the country Immediately adacen
breaks and that at the lower end of the District the mou
azoo. The land back of the evee however, pretty heav
ed dthefe great deal of dense nndegrowh particular
which will very much obstruc the drainage and delay tn
p of The There experience far know tina
PES prediction how great the overflow might be- how ia
extend There is no probability that will the hg
But it is well known that the limit to which cultivation
defined only by the probable immunity from overflow. If h
pre- down. then only the highest tracts are attempted to
49,