The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-03-15
rHk RIGHr KIsD OF CRANK.
BOLIVAR, Miss. March 4th, go.
EDITOR TINES:

BOLIVAR, Mss. March 4th, go.
EDITOR TINES:
In your issue OF March 1st, in the
article on river and leyees, you say that
failure on either side would give a
chance to cranks who are always cry
lug that levees cannot be made to hold
the water OF the Mississippi. lam one
of those 'scranks," but am in favor of
levees. If our leyees were of height
aud base with perfectly secure foun-
dalion there would be no occasion to
fear an overflow. In my opinion there
is not levee on the Mississippi river
with a foundation perfectly secure
where nothing is used in Its construc-
tion but the common alluvial soil,
Until engineering science has dis
covered plan within the reach of the
finances Of the Levee Board that will
make a secure foundation there is GER
tain to be overfiows in the Mississippi
Valley when the river remains at a
high stage for great length of time.
No matter how close the levees may be
watched the weak places viii develop
themselves and often where they are
the least expected, and the wearing
away of the foundation will be so
rapid that no human power can stopit.
If the planters and others would
keep snug deposit in bank to tide
them over when the disaster comes,
occasional overfiows would not create
such widespread panic. No great loss
of life has ever been known from over
flows of the Mississippi, such as occurs
from cyclones, blizzards aud earth
quakes in other parts Of our country.
Nor is the financial loss as great as
that occasioned by drouths and grass
hoppers of the West, as very often
good crops can be raised after the
water subsidies. II is we'll known that
the slluvial deposit from an overflow Is
q great renovator Of the soil, which
more than compensates the planter for
the loss of crop every five or ten
years. So, Mr.. Editor, l think that our
overfows are not such great bug-bears
after all to people who are financially
and otherwise prepared for it. II is
only those who have blind confidence
In the security of our levees and invest
all Of their surplus capital In stocks
and wildcat schemes, that suffer badly
when the disaster comes. With the
fine levees that we now have we can
reasonably expect immunity from gen.
eral over6ows, but single break at
any point in this county when the
river is at very high stage would
submerge large area of country. In
such an emergency the greatest distress
would be among the poorer class OF
people living eight or ten miles back
from the river, where relief is difficult
Of access. From present indications
the river will 20 above the mark Of
1882, and every citizen on the front
should keep q vigilant watch on the
leyees and If the worst comes to bt
ready to succor those who are in dis
tress. Very respectfully,
w. w. II.
The TIMES cannot accept w. W. X
as one Of the "cranks." We entirely
concur In all that he so we'll says. In
, practical acceptation, security from
| overflow Is relative term. The peopl,
of the Delta can but strive to attail
: the nearest approach to perfect levee
i of which the means and the appliance
) at hand are capable. We are yet ia
r short of the possible attainable; of tn
levee ideal in base, slope and height
sod aud protection from wave wash
But every year marks nearer ap
q proach to the true standard.
I energies are only not suffered to rela,
9 comparative security, the kind we ha'
In mind, can be had. Even then ther
2 will be the annual period demandin
Q the sleepless vigilance of the author
!, tiles and the front planters.