The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-03-08
TIMELY HINTS.
WHAT GiAiE DISASTER PREPARATIONS
NAY AVERT
Had This Been Done on the La
fourche


Mississippi for some time to come
even should there be no more rises in
the tributaries. 1t will not do, there
tore, for a moment to relax the vigil
lance which is the price of safety.
1t would seem that in the face of
danger planters would provide them
selves with all the material necessary
to repair the levees and stop revas
es, but as it is not uncommon to hear
Of breaks at places where no provi-
sion has been made for such an emer-
gency it may be opportune to mention
the kind of material that should
ALWAYS BE KEEP ON HAND.
Amos any eva can be stopped
If there are men aud material for work
on 1t at once. This is specially true
of breaks caused by storms. When a
crevasse occurs from craytish holes or
rice fumes it is usually deeper than
the surface of the land. But crevass-
es caused by storms rarely extend be-
low the bed Of the levee and are not
therefore difficult to stop.
There are four kinds of material
needed: |. "stabs" or piling; =, hay
or straw, and 3, sacks. "Stabsn made
of 2x4 inch and Axe inch scantling
should be kept ut IL convenient spot.
IL is better to have 4 number
ALREADY LOADED ON CARTS
which are not in use at this season of
the year, 80 that in case of an alarm
they can be got to the place of dan
ger as quickly as the mules can be
hitched up and the carts hurried
there. Where there is shallow water
willow poles or even cypress pickets
will do for the crib work on a
A good stock of rice straw. when it
can be had, should be kept for crew
assc purposes, and it is we'll to keep a
few carts always loaded with straw.
At one time bagasse was a good ma
%terial, but now the cane is being re-
duced by double mills almost to pow
der, and much of the bagasse is used
rs fuel. Most of that not burned Sits
through crib work too easily and is
worthlessin stoppinga When
straw can not be had dependence
must be placed on homemade hay or
on Western hay. Timothy is a costly
material, but there is no time to study
economy
WHEN Fl LEvEE IS BROKEN.
After the crib work is built across a
break, it is important to fill in with
hay weighted and held down by sacks
of earth. Every large sugar planta-
tien gets annually 1000 or more sacks
that cover the corr and oats consumed.
1t is customary to attempt to save
these sacks, but they are used for so
many purposes, and so many are abs
tracted, that when the ri ger alarm is
sounded it 10 found that none of those
corn and oats sacks are to be had. It
is best, therefore, to purchase q few
thousand sacks in bales and keep them
baled on the plantation ready for
emergency. They can quickly be fill
ed with earth when necessity arises.
Sacks of earth ale excellent proven
tives Of the washing of the levees in
storms. Where there is no fascininc
rows of sacks placed where the water
strikes the levee are the best protection
that is now practible.
ROPER FOOLS o CREyAs>E WORK
should OF course be kept convenient.
These are heavy mauls which can be
made or cuts from live oak limbs bored
for handles; spades and shovels, axes
and saws, hammers and nails.
In stopping a revass everything
depends on promptness in getting to
work. The closure may be accom-
plised at IN expenditure of less than
$50 if men and material get promptly
to the spot, while a delay of twenty
four hours might involve thousands of
dollars of expense. with the likelihood
that the
BREAK CAN NOT BE CLOSED AT ALL.
There have been so many instances
where were not closed be-
cause of want of material. that