The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-03
DAMMISG UP THE CREVAssEs.
n "ethod at Last Invented of Closing Broken
Ievees.

Levees.
One lesson which has been learned this
year. New Orleans correspondent of the New
iork Sun writes, is that crevasses or breaks
IN the leyee can DO closed. lesson worth
slsslDpi riVer. and which will be worth
TENS OF millions in future years. For over
century they have been trying to close
croyasses, but nave failed spending great
uoAi OF money in the experiments. They
nave been near success a dozen times. but
nave never before reached 1t. Engineers have
come down from the North. certain that they
nau solved the problem. but have confessed,
al,er thorough trial. that they could do
nolnlng against the raging Mississippi. 80
many have been the failures that the State
some years ago decided to give no money for
.no purpose of closing crevasses, regarding
tnls as impossible.
attempts, however. continued to be made,
anu millions of tons of lumber piles. and
d-oags were dumped into the river in the
VAIN nope Of stopping crevasses. The prob
teiu Was no easy one. With a break $50 TO 200
rect wide and from 10 20 feet deep with a
stream mile wide and pouring down at the
rate OF five miles an hour and going through
ING break in the levee az the rate OF twenty
iniles an hour. it was like fighting Niagara, or
daIhmlhg mp the rapids.
10 1880 the first success was met with.
lhere was score of breaks that year. but
only one was closed. that at MARTINEZ in East
baton Rouge, and this was accomplished by
prompt action and by the throwing of thou
sa1us OF sand-bags into the breach. 1t was
great success. and regarded as almost mi
Iacie, and prevented a loss of fully $4,000 900.
Inc same plan was tried elsewhere. but failed,
ana tried again in 1891 with similar failure.
Inns year. however. il seems 20 have been
perfected. for II has operated successfully in
overweight of the thirty-geven creyasses in
the States. A large majority of these were
small breaks on tho lower coast" but there
were at least three big creyasses closed mt
AYondale, Ascension and Tester. which
would have been pronounced impossible OF
closure two years ago. The first was IN
bend where it caught the full force Of the
mississippi. and was pronounced 'lmpossl-
bic by some of the leading engineers and
experts. IL took soms time 10 close it. and
the defense work threatened 20 give way
more than once. but victory was finally
achieved But it required all the energy and
backing Of two big railroads. the Southern
Pacific and the Texas and Pacific, TO close It,
several tugs and the State convicts from the
penitentiary III il had not been closed New
Orleans would have been cut OF entirely from
Texas. for the two Texas roads would have
been shut up and their business crippled for
two on three months, twenty or thirty sugar
and the western suburbs OF New Orleans
would have been inundated.
Much IF the success in fighting creYasses is
due 20 the railroads. which have brought
some system into the business. The rail-
roads concentrate supplies OF materials lum-
Der. bags, poles. ETC.. at convenient points.
ready al a moments notice. They have tugs
IN the river near by also ready for an emer-
gency. and also large forces of men skilled IN
leVee work and commanded bv men who are
experts. They are thus able % concentrate
men and materials at any break in the short
est possible tIme-an important matter Tho
plan IS simple enough. Crib work of light
kind, ike fence. is built around a crevasse.
Brush wood and sacks filed with earth are
thrown in. These are kept in place by the
crib work. and although the water tricklos
through IL does not come with it's full force.
and the breaks are gradually filed up and
firm leYee built. The crib work frequently
gives way, but the workers go at 1t again. 1t
is pretty much the beaver idea. carried out
somewhat more scientifically. and seems to
work we'll up % $50 20 $50 feet. They have
not got beyond crevasses Of this width yet.
but there is no reason why they should not
in time. considering what great progress they
havs already made this year
eOmltting altogether the lesser breaks and
taking only those above New Orleans a mini
mum estimate would place the loss escaped
that would have inevitably occurred had
these crevasses been left open as in past
years. al 10000 600. The Avondale was the
most difficult of all, requiring tho labor OF 500
men for nearly a week.
In view Of the success met with this year
il Is probable that in future years Of high
water the State will make some provision for
the examination Of creYasse force 20 repair
tho ievees in those sections where there are
no railroads 10 take charge OF the work.