The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-23


lie leyees, tax OF mills upon 81 OF the
assessed value of such property, as the
same shall appear by the assessment rolls
Of said counties, for the present year, and
that the tax on cotton for the ensuing cot
ton year be reduced from the amount now
fixed by law to two-ffths of / cent per
bound on lint cotton, and to two-tiiteenths
OF cent per pound on seed cotton.
The chief engineer and one OF the attor-
news OF the board were authorized and 70.
quested to attend the next meeting OF the
river commission and urge the claims OF
this district
The board resumed balloting for cotton
tax collector. and failing to elect it was,
on motion OF Commissioner Phelps, sec
onded by Commissioner Miller, ordered
that the election of cotton tax collector be
postponed until the next meeting OF the
board, to be held on the second Monday,
the 10th day, OF September, 1888.
II was then, on motion OF Commissioner
Williams, seconded by Commissioner
Phelps, ordered by the board that the
secretary and treasurer advertise such
work rs the chief engineer, with the APP
proval OF the president, may deem 1t
necessary or expedient to let, all bids 10
be filed on or before IL o'clock m. on the
second Monday of September, 1888; the
board to have the right TO reject any and
all bids,
IL was further ordered that special
meeting OF the board be held on the last
mentioned day Tor the purpose OF letting
such work and the transaction OF other
business.
The minutes Of the afternoon were then
read and adopted, and the board adjourned
to meet September 10, 1883.
THE CHIEF ENoISEKR's REPORT,
which is quite elaborate, announces the
completion OF all contracts in progress at
date OF last report except the Mound Land-
ing lcvec, the Longwood levee and the
enlargement from WaNhaw TO Rivcrton.
In the case Of the first named work, IL
soon became evident that the old levce
would outlast the food OF this year, and
that the new embankmept would not be
required Tor purposes Of protection this
season. The contractors were therefore
granted an extension OF time. The report
continues:
"As the Longwood levee was near
ing completion, IL was discovered that the
natural surface Of the ground on which il
was built was sinking for distance Of
3,I0O feet. The amount OF this settling
was considerable, being in the proportion
OF about one foot TO ten feet OF height Of
the embankment. Owing 10 unfavomble
weather II was almost impossible TO make
good this loss Of hight and complete the
levee TO true grade, without taking
material from the land side, an expcdient
which was though undesirable. In this
case, NJ in the preceding, IL was very APP
a A
year or two longer. 80 the contractor was
allowed TO leave two gaps, for purposes Of
drainage, 40 that the work might be
finished aiterward. With these exceptions
and the loss Of hight from settling lust
mentioned, the Longwood lcveo is com.
pletcd The enlargement referred 10 is
inconsiderable. and will he finished by
fall.
"Thc flood OF lSSS vas looked forward 10
with extreme interest, az IL was thought
that il would bring the lovec system TO a
severe test, and add greatly 10 our limited
store OF experience in this regard. since
the great Hoods OF 1852 and 1884, an enor.
nous quantity OF work has been done, in
the construction and repair OF the lcvecs |
on both sides Of the river. The upper dis. |
trict OF Mississippi assisted by tho Misss.
sippi river commission, has spent consider.
ably more than 100000 Ia completing
an almost imprcgnablc system Tor the |
northern portion OF the Naloo front. Since |
July /, lSS3, our own district. In commune.
ton with the United States government,
has spent nearly S2,JOO.OOO. On the other
SIDE OF the riycr, the joint efforts Of the
United States, the Icnsas district ui
Louisiana, and the local authorizes, have
constructed or are constructing lcVees 10
the value Of 100000 or thcrcabouts, in
Arkansas alone. In Louisiana, above
Mmrcnion or say Nicksburg, there has
been expended Ny the Mississippi river
commission alone, nearly $500, 900, besides
an unknown amount 10y the State and
local organizations. Altogether, not less
than s5.UOO,OOO have been invested In the
construction and repair Of lcvecs between
Memphis and Nicksburg since the flood Of
1852.
"Our own attention has been particular.
ly attracted to the work going ON directly
opposite us. from Amos bayou, above
Arkansas City, 10 the Louisiana line,
there were, IN 1854, morc than twenty
miles of large breaks, besides numbcrlcss
smaller gaps. Though these bpaks there
passed ia 1884, a discharge OF nearly 400, =
200 cubic feet per second, according 10 the
computation al the engineers of the Mis-
sissippi river commission, that is, in round
numbers, say onc-iiith OF the extreme high
water discharge Of the river. The closure
OF these enormous gaI~ was therefore re-
gardcd with guat s0licitudc. In the
event Of a great flood year IL was almost
certain that the lcyccs IN some portions of
the reach between Cypress creek and
Nicksburg would be oycr-toppod. As Tor
ourselves, We wcro reasonably sanguine III
escape IRON disaster. as our loycvs were
Tor the most part higher aud stronger than
those recently built la Louisiana aud Ar.
kansas-add 20 which that the latter were
yet green, aud the event OF extreme high
water would be very difficult TO hold Il
Was likely, therefore, that they would give
way before ours Aside, however from a
natural feeling oi sympathy with thosc in
like circumstances With ourselves, there
was very strong desire on the part OF oil
persons connected with the lcyCc interest
that the line ON both sides Of the river
should bc held without disaster. What
the effect OF coniining IN great volume oi
water would he was largely matter VI
opinion-and there had not been, within
the memory Of he present generation 1T
least, any experimental data ON suili.
GENTLY large scale 10 allow of accurate in.
duciiyc reasoning What was hoped then
was that the ilOOd Of lsSs might be suili.
cicnily high TO test the lcyccs fairly, bring
into play the securing powers Ut the river.
and afford data under conditions oi com.
plete confinement of the Hood water. which
had hitherto not been attainahlc- without
reaching ~ great y magnitude ~ to threat
en- wholesale disaster. This hope was a.
mos, literally ryaliled. The high water o.