davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
MISSISSIPPI FLOODS
A SUBJECT OF SERIOUS CONCERN FOR A LONG
TIME.
How Can Disastrous foundations be Ayerted-The
Present Lsyee Systsm-Reyeted Banks
and Pile Dikes-PreviOus
ViSitatOns.

Special Correspondence Of the Sunday Register
New ORLEANS, March 2S.-The sud
den rise in the Mississippi river and its
tributaries, at every important point,
threatening the direst consequences to
life and property throughout the entire
Mississippi Valley, attracts the general
attention and sympathy Of the whole
country.
Ever since the war. the condition of
the Lower Mississippi Valley has been a
subject Of serious concern. In ante
bellum days, slave labor was helpful in
maintaining the levee system and pre-
venting the disastrous foundations that
have since been so frequent. The Mis-
SiSSippi River Commission. appointed by
Congress several years ago, and whose
members included Generals COmStOck,
Gilmore and Suter, three of the finest
engineers in the country, and Pro-
feSSor Henry Mitchell. the famous
photographer has devoted almost eXclu-
Sivc attention and the best available cX-
pert skill to the consideration of the
problem how To strengthen the banks of
the river and secure permanent dcfenS-
cs against its inroadS. BrushwoOd
dykes, beginning low, but gradually
rising higher As the river mud settles
under their shelter, and sloping at an
angle that will permit natural heavy
growth of willows were decided TO be
the most practical manner OF strength
cning the banks. These dykes have
been designated works of revetment.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
MrIn

In front of the dyke, which is made like
an ordinary levcc, is a thick facing or
protection of bruShwood, woven like a
continuous carpet, and twincd into
wire netting. These bruShwood carpets
are in many places from 100 to $50 yards
i'm length, and fifty feet deep, covering
the whole face of the bank, and the rich
sediment that fills their intcrSticeS is
quickly ovcrgrown with willows.
The effect of revetmentS and lcvees
| is TO deepen the river channel, increase
the velocity Of the current and Steepcn
the slope A narrower channel with an
undiminiShcd volume necessarily raises
the surface. and this, with the increased
velocity. constitutes new danger. To
meet il. additions have been made year
after year to the height and Solidity OF
the levccS. Many projects have been
suggested at different times for relieving
the floods by creating new outlets for
the Mississippi. but until the present
stime the reverted banks and leveeS rs
described are the most practical that
have been discovered.
The lcvce system that borders the
American Nile from its junction with
the Missouri to its delta in the Mexican
Gulf-a distance of over 600 milcS-iS
the greatest of its kind in the world.
II has cost many millions of dollars for
maintenance during the past twenty
years. At almost every important point
the banks have been reverted with mat
tresS work, and at many places huge
pile bikes have been erected i'm addition.
The delta of the Mississippi embraces
near the passes and about forty miles
from the main river a remarkable SyS-
TEN of extinct channels on each side Of
the passes. In previous foundations
great volumes of sediment have been
deposited on the shoals, and each sue
ccssivc overflow increases the distance
between the river and its extinct out
lets. Twenty miles above the passes
is Sub-dclta. called The Jump
from the fact that some twenty
years ago the bed of the river
at this point was suddenly changed.
There are fertile rice plantations and
forest on it now, and innumcrablc shall
low bayous that lead 10 the sea. In these
bayouS. the water is rarely over four
feet deep, except in time of flood. This
change of bed is not confined to the
delta. however; it is noticeable along
the entire course of the Mississippi.
The surveys made by the Government
in recent years show concluSiycly that
have been uninterrupted dur
ing the last century and that the leycc
system, while it aymodify cannot pre-
won't thcm.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30

Mrs. Clancy had developed a degree of
devotion that was utterly unexpected.
In all the dozen years of their marital
relations no such trait could be recalled;
and vet there had been many an Occa-
sion the past few years when Clancy's
condition demanded gentle nursing and
close attentiOn-and never would have
got it but for the faithful little Kate.
The child idOliZed the broken down man,
add loved him with tenderness that his
weakness augmented a thousand fold,
while il but served To infuriate the
mother. In former years, when he was
Sergt. Clancy and fine soldier, many
was the time he had interviewed to save
her from an undeserved thraShing;
many a time had he seized her in his
strong arms and confronted the furious
woman with stern reproach. Between
him and the child there had been the
tenderest love. for she was all that was
left to him of four. In the old days
Mrs Clancy had been the belle of the
soldiers balls, a fine looking woman,
with indomitable powers as dancer
and conyerSationaliSt and an envied
reputation AUl OMlNnAEll- iii A4'l ! ~ ais
i'm dress and adornment
"She would ruin Clancy, that she
would" was the unanimous opinion of
the soldiers wives, but he seemed TO
minister to her extravaganza with
unfaiing good nature for two or
three years. He hadbeen prudent,
careful of his money, was war
soldier with big arrears of bounty and,
tradition had it, a conSummate skill in
poker He was the mOneycd man
among the ScrgcantS when the daS-
hing rclict of 81 brother non-commiS-
stoned officer set her widows cap for
him and won. 1t did not take many
years for her 10 wheedlc most OF his
money away, but there was no cessation
10 the demand, no apparent limit to the
supply. Both We're growing older, and
now il became evident that Mrs. Clancy
was the elder of the two. and that the
artihciality of her charms could not
stand the test of frontier life. No lon
ger sought as the belle of the soldiers
ball rooms. she aSpircd TO leadership
among their wives and families, and
was accorded that prominence rather
IMAM tllc utIOc Ddttl' NHi'H was SUN w
follow any revolt. She became avari-
ciouS-Some said miSerly-and Clancy
miserable Then began the downward
course. He took To drink soon after his
return from Il long, hard summers cam
paign with the Indians. He lost his
Sergeant'S stripes and went into the
ranks.
There came time when the new col
oncl forbade his re-cnliStmcnt in the
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
on RACING STEAMER.
How the Firemen Fare-Incredible Guam
titles of Water Consumed.


1t is a hot. calm day, in the middle OF
the summer. the sea rolling in long
smooth. oily SwcllS. There is light
breeze right aStern. but the ship Is
Stcaming as fast aS the wind, and the
sails hang liStlcSSly from the yards and
flap against the maStS and ropes. A.
one dcsccndS the cngnc-room ladder.
the air feels close and deadly heavy.
and brings on dull headache.
The engineer on watch is dragging
| himself round as if his limbs were of
/ lead. and even the engines do not seem
to be going ahead with their usual
energy As we pass through the tunnel
which connects the engine room with
/ the stoke hole the sitting atmosphere
nearly drives us back. There is not a
breath of air coming down the yentila-
tors. and the heat is SO great that one
has sensation as of lump of lead in
/ the ears. and ones voice sounds thick
and far away.
The lremen are stripped to the waist
and the engineer has very little more
on. being only diStinguiShablc by the
gilt band aud badge on his cap as he
moves about from one furnace to an
other. directing the tircmcn or regulat-
/ ing the water i'm the boilers.
In spite of the heat the fires burn
dull. for they can get no air, and the
fircmcn. urged on-onc might al
most say drivcn-by the engineer, ARE
doing all they know with rake and
shovel to keep up steam. the perSpira-
ton running i'm streams down their coal
bcgrimcd bodies and leaving them strip
ed like ZcbraS.
Each man in turn falls back exhaust
ed. and is succeeded byanother. who lays
hold of the heavy "slicc" and works the
fire through and through. but all to no
purpose for i'm spite of all they can do
the steam will not rise. In technical
language "She is Stcaming stiff. and.
unless the wind changes, or gets strong
cr. will continue TO do So.
To keep on at this work without
drinking is impossible and the lircmcn
consume an incredible quantity of wat
or. but. i'm spite of all praise bestowed
upon this beverage by tcctotallcrS, it has
its dangers when drank to excess. cSpe-
ciallv I'm high temperature. and pres
emily one of the men. who has been i'm
dulging too freely. is seized with cramps
i'm the stomach and has 10 be- carried on
deck. leaving the rest tearing away al
the obstinate fires.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
New Orleans has been a grevious sui

New Orleans has been greviOus suf-
fercr from the annually recurring mum
dations. At that city the Mississippi
is from l.5OO 10 l.sOO feet wide, but
much narrower than at many other
places above. The velocity Of the cur
rent at high water is five miles an hour.
When New Orleans was founded-some
$50 years agO-thc Custom House stood
ON the river bank. Now il is far inland.
owing to the changes in the bed Of the
river. In a century the Mississippi at
this point has travelled westward nearly
/. 500 feet. and 10 is continuously filling
ND its old channel and carving out a
new one to the west. Heavy tropical
rains peculiar 10 this section. am over
nov from Lake Pontchartrain in the
rear Of the city, or the flooding OF the
lcyccs I'm front. as the result Of broken
levces or crcvasscs above, are among
the causes from which New Orleans
has suffered in the past. In l7ls
there was an extraordinary rise.
which inundated half the city and
again I'm 1875. 1870. 1852. l7s5. 1850 and
1893 the city was inundated There are
old residents still living who can recall
the great flood of 1916. which lasted for
Twenty-Five days, and when the water
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30

was from three to four feet deep in the
rear portion of the city. People trav-
eled about town in skiffs along Chart
ers, Dauphine, Bienville, st. Louis and
Rampant streets. There was much suf-
fering on account of the privations TO
which many families were subjected at
that time. Again in 1881, 1897. 1874
and 1916, vast volumes of water swept
into the streets. On the 3Oth of May,
1859, 900 squares were flooded and
population of 1900 were driven from
their homes. In 1874, 1883 and 1854,
floods occurred causing great loss to the
city'S commerce and sickness among the
people. These latter, however. were
not so disastrous as the earlier floods,
as the levee system had then been great
ly improved. From 1850 till 1855 the
lcvees were in their most perfect condi-
tion and foundations were of rare oc-
currouep
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30

Il have been close and interested
observer Of all that has been done
with the Mississippi levce
system since Capt. EadS first preached
his lefty scheme" said Alfred Il. Beach,
an experienced civil engineer and editor
of the Scicncifc american. These
floods are Il good deal like earthquakes
physical calamiticS over which, with
the advantages he possesses, man can
have little influence, you cannot foresce
them and ii seems impossible To wholly
provide against them.
LAS far rs the EadS system and the
work of the government engineers are
concerned, the lcvecS and jettieS furn-
ish the best means of mitigating the
floods that have yet been devised. The
mattress leVccS or rcvetmentS are Supe-
rior TO any of the older sort. think
they were first used in the EadS ictticS,
and they are very generally used now
in the government works. The effect
Of the lcycc system is to deepen the
channel. and if, as EadS' plan contem-
plated. the cuts were made deep enough
and the levccs were buttrcSScd, the OBJ
lection that the lcvecS raised the sur
face Of the river 10 the danger point
would not be sound one A. far rs
any observation goes, the deepening Of
the channel and strengthening Of the
banks is the only method that can de-
pended upon for results.
Few people," added Mr.. Beach,
comprehend the tremendous volume
and power of the Mississippi and that
the river is really higher at many
points than the surrounding country,
being kept to its bed by the lcyecS
alone II you cut the banks, how are
You to control this vast volume Of
water? 1t is force too potent for
science to cope with. I'm ordinary sea-
sons. the volume and force are not
very great. but suddenly this giant
sends down an immense body Of water,
with all the proportions Of flood. IL Is
doubtless due. 10 some extent. TO the
dcnuding of the forests whore formerly
the SHOWS were held captive till late in
thu spring. and melted slowly Now.
with the forests gone, the water has no
impcdimcnt, nothing to check it from
filling up the river bed"
1T has been proposed 10 turn of some
OF the tributaries of the Mississippi and
thereby reduce its volume. has IL nOt?'
Eyes. some such idea has been sug-
gcStcd at different times. but. like the
cutting Of the levecS. IL would only be-
a measure Of temporary relief at best. II
would. think. be permanent injury,
were either the Atchafalaya or the Reed
river to be diverted. a system of canals,
too. has been suggested, and | cannot
say that it might not be practical, al
though in Holland to which the canal
advocates point, they have no strongly
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30

concentrated currents TO contend with.
Whatever system is ultimately adopted
in dealing with the Mississippi. the
work must be undertaken on national
basis. as it cannot be- done effectively by
the States singly. The Mississippi Val
ley presents one of the greatest and
most important problems our govern
mcnt has to contend with and 10 will
need to summon all the resources Of Sci
entiiic engineering TO lis aid II IL desires
to succeed The best thing to be dbne
at present is to strengthen the lcyecs at
all points as quickly as possible
G.. II. SANDISON.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
EnrlY Rising Birds.

The thrush is audible about $50 i'm the
morning.
The quail's whiStling is heard in the
woods at about o'clock.
The blackcap turns mp at 2;30 on "a
summer morning.
BY 4 the blackbrd makes the woods
resound with his melody.
The house sparrow and tomtit come
last i'm the list of early rising birds.
At short intervals after $3.50 the voices
of the robin and wren are heard in the
land.
The grecnfnch is the first to rise and
sings as early rs 1870 on summer
morning.
The lark does not rise until after the
chaniuch. linnet and "A number of other
hcdgcrow folk have been merrily piping
for "a good while.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
HEALTH IS WEALTH.

Dr. T.. c. VESTS NERVE AND BRAIN TREAT
MENr. % guaranteed specific for liy,feria. DIN
ness. Commissions Fits. Nervous Neuralgia,
Headache Neryou, Prostitution. caused by the
use ~ alcohol or tobacco. Nakcfuluo,s. Mental
Deprr.. sion Soffcuiug of Brain. resulting in IN
sanity and leading 90 misery. decay and death.
Premature Old Age. Barrenne>,. los, 10 Power
i'm either sex. Involuntary Losses and Sperma-
torrhm caused by oyereyeriion NJ The brain;
Self Abuse ~ Oyer-Indulgeuce. Each box con
tain, one month, treatment. slOO box or ,iN
boxc. Tor 500 sent by mail prepaid on receipt
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30

Her power was retained by force of
per,onal charms She led the old
..bovs" captive whenever she talked
pretty" to them and showed her teeth.
History should tell us that she used
SOZODONT. but it don't. The prepa-
ration she used might have had another
name then.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
CHAPTER VI

An uuu>ua. state of affairs existed at
the big hospital for several days Mrs.
Clancy refused 90 leave the bedside of
hcr beloved Mike. and was permitted To-
rcmaiu. For % woman who was neto-
rious as virago and bully. who had
beaten little Kate from her babyhood
and abused and hammered her Nichcal
until, between her and drink, he was
hUt the wreck of % Stalwart manhood.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-03-30
We Guarantee Six Boxes

To cure any case With each order received
bv us for six boxes. accompanied by 500 We
win send the purchaser our written guarantee
10 refund the money ID the treatment docs not
effect % cure. Guarunfees ISSUED only by NOLAN
BROTHERS, Druggists. sole agents. NcLnln
Block corner Market and Twelfth Streets
Wheeling rs. Va. -rgrdagc
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

There is more Catarrh IN this
section OF the country than all
other diseases put together, ard
until tho last few years was sup
posed to be incurable. Fora great
many years doctors pronounced it
a local disease, and prescribed
local remedies, and by constantly
failing to cure with local treat
ment, pronounced it iDcurable.
Science has proven catarrh to be
q constitutional disease, and there
fore requires constitutional treat
ment. Halls Catarrh Cure, man
ufactured by F. J. Cheney & Co.,
Toledo, Ohio, is the only consti.
tutlonal cure On the market. It is
taken internally In doses from l0I
drops to a teaspoonful. 1t acts
directly upon the blood and mu-
cous system. They offer one hun
dred dollars for any case it fails
to cure. Send for circulars and
testimonials. Address
+. ]. CHENEY L. Co., Toledo, o.
%Sold by Druggists, 75c.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08
Of for the.BeIlvilIess Fest.

The city wore quite holiday ap
pearance yesterday morning. 1t was
all on account of the noise and big
demonstration made by the crowd
which went down to Bellville to at
tend the maifest at that place. The
BRENNAN Light Guard band was OIL
the streets at an early hour dressed
in their bright handsome new uni,
forms and neat white caps discours,
ing martial strains of music while
the members of the Brennan Field
Artillery were arranging to take up
the line of march to the depot. The
members of the Brennan Light
Guard, although invited, did not 90
The Field Artillery took only one of
their Calling guns, which was ship
ped, as stated, the evening before.
The Field Artillery and the Light
Guard band followed by their friends
formed quite procession to the de-
pot. The special train in waiting
was advertised to leave at 8 o'clock,
sharp, but was about fifteen minutes
late. Capt. J. G. Sloan, the union
ticket agent, reported that he sold
sixtY-six tickets for the regular ex-
cursion train. Another large crowd
was made up during the day and
went down in the evening to Bellville
on the regular passenger train to
attend the ball and to witness the
windup of the festivities. The train
returned from Bellviile between
10 and II o'clock last night, but a
number remained over and will re-
turn to-day at noon.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08
LOCAL NEWS.

The BANNER published an account
two or three days ago of the finding
of riderless horse with a saddle on
at the Brazos bridge on the Mont
go,nery branch OF the Santa Fe road,
and of the finding Of the dead body
OF the supposed owner OF the horse,
who was taken to Clay station and
buried Sunday evening without hav-
ing been identified. 1t is since
learned that the unfortunate victim
was one Hermann Schaeffer, tailor
of Fort Worth, whose folks reside
in Houston.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

The city wore an exceedingly
lonesome and deserted appearance
Yesterday, One strong contribu-
ting cause was due to the fact that
the farmers are all too busy in their
fields to come to town. And, be-
sides, the departures to Bellville to
attend the maifest at that place left
a perceptible void.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

The wife of Mr.. VIM. Wehmeyer,
who resides a short distance out OF
town, presented him with little
girl baby night before last. This
makes the ninth child born in the
family, and this is the first daughter.
All of the eight boys are living AMI
are strong and robust.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

CAPT. BYRNEs has introduced q
new record of deeds in the county
clerks Office, known as the printed
records OF deeds, and which is used
now in a great many counties. The
formal words of conveyance are
printed and all that has to be writ
ten in between lines is the particu-
lar and individual description of
each piece of property. By using
the printed form deeds can be re-
corded much more rapidly.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

Ed STERN, the young man who
was found lying in an unconscious
condition on the Central railroad
track few nights ago and who was
picked up and carried to the Elk
change hotel, was shipped yesterday
to Waco by the members of the To-
cal Hebrew Benevolent association.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

Mr.. E. j. NENAsT, ex-county com
missioner, who was in town yester.
day, said the farmers out his way in
the Long Point neighborhood wan
ted to attend the fest, but that they
were too far behind with their crops
and would have to stay at home and
make hay while the sun shone.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

The musical entertainment by the
ladies of the Giddings Memorial
Methodist church will take place
one week from tomorrow evening.
In addition to music there will be
recitations and other literary exer-
cises.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

The remains Of an infant child OF
Marcus Harris, merchant at Gid
dings, were Drought down yesterday
afternoon on the Central train and
were taken out to the Hebrew Rest.
adjoining the city cemetery. Only a
few months ago Mr.. Harris brought
the remains of his sister to Brennan
for interment.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

THIS is splendid maifest weather.
1t is also splendid weather for the
farmers, and in view of the numerous
backsets the farmers have received
the prospects are that they will re-
main at home to work if the favorable
weather continues.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

On Yesterday Capt. Sloan, the IN
ion ticket agent, took up severa
through tickets over the Contra
and issued through tickets to the
same point of destination over the
Santa Fe, pursuant to telegraph in
structions from Capt. Faulkner, Of
Houston.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

THERE has been a little let up in
real estate transfers the past two OF
three days, but this is not due to a
lack Of confidence. The market is
firm and nobody seems very anxious
to sell. A great deal of property
that has been on the market fol
years vainly seeking a purchaser,
has been withdrawn.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

OK last Monday evening it took
five engines to pull the eastbound
Central train through the back wa
te7 of the Brazos, and it was about
8 o'clock at night before the train
arrived in Hampstead.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

The young men are coming to the
front and showing an amount OF
progressiveness that older business
men might well pattern after in con
nection with the new railroad. Mr..
Ed GRADER has subscribed $4,000 to
the sstock of the company and says
that if that isn't enough just to put
his name down for that much more.
Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-05-08

A DISPATCH from NaYasota to the
Galveston News says that communi-
cation with this county is entirely
cut off except by boat, and that the
entire country between the Brazos
and Navasota rivers is under water.