The Forrest City times., 1893-07-07
THE ST. FRANCIS BASIN.

The Meeting at Memphis of froperty-own-
 CTS Interested in the scheme to Protect
 the Basin by & Great Levee-Miliions or
 Acres to Be Reclaimed.
 MEMPHIS. Tenn, July 4.-The meet ing of engineers and property-owners interested in the mammoth scheme to build levee that will protect the st- Francis basin from overflow by the Mississippi river was held here Satur- day Gov. Fishback of Arkansas, Con- gressmen P. n. McCulloch and Robert Neal. of Arkansas, and Congressman Marshall Arnold, of Missouri, were among those in attendance.
 The great earthquake of lell formed what are known as the sunken lands Of Arkansas. large area of country about the heaawaters of the St Francis river sunk from 10 to 20 feet during the earthquake. Prior to the earth quake all the water in the Mississippi river passed Memphis. and the rise and fall Of the river was 46 feet Since the earthquake, how. ever the river runs over the banks at New Madrid. Mo. when ii attains certain height, and fills up the sunken lands. This water re- enters the Mississippi river by way of the St Francis. the mouth of which stream is miles above Helena and about so miles below Mem
 
 regular channel has reduced the rise and fall of the river at Memphis to g. feet IL is pro- posed to levee the west bank Of the river from New Madrid to the mouth Of the St. Francis. This will reclaim the sunken lands and protect vast area of country now subject to overflow from the St. Francis and Missis sippi. It will raise the river between New Madrid and Helena. however, 10 an extent that can hardly be calculated. It is regarded as doubtful if the leyees on the east side below Memphis can be made strong enough to with. stand the additional pressure. With that, however, the people O. Arkansas have nothing to do They have voted a tax on themselves to aid in the construction of the levee. The United States government has promised to do its share. and the meeting Saturday was for the purpose of getting the government to do some more. Gov. Fishback addressed the meeting. set ting forth the arguments in favor of the leyee, and a committee was appointed to draft resolutions on the subject The con- mittee reported resolutions to the following effect:
 The river commission has appropriated s264 GOO. 10 pe expended in three years. sss 00) year on the work Of protecting the St. Francis basin. and the landowners have voted on them selves a tax of per cent for levee purposes. still, the supply of money is insufficient to build the levee from Bear creek to Point Pleas ant, distance of G6la miles, which is absolutely necessary to protect the basin. It Is, therefore, asked that the entire s26s00) be expended this year on the work. and more if the commission can and will give it."
 The following resolution was also passed We have had careful estimates made of the area and population of the cultivated lands sub jected to overflow There are 500 0O0 acres of land in the basin. of which 250.090 acres that are in cultivation are capable of producing l50, eco bales of cotton, or 7500.0o) bushels of corn, and containing population of almost 550O0 souls.
 This vast area has been overfowed three times within five moaths and three crops de- stroyed, impovershng many of our farmers, and in some instances compelling them to abandon their homes while thousands of ot hers have been maintained upon such supplies as impoverished creditors could furnish. The protection of these lands is a national obliga- tion. as the river is national itself in all it's features and funetions therefore, be it "Rosoired That the senators and representa- tlves of Arkansas and Missouri be respectfully requested and urged to give the levee system Of the Mississippi river their earnest support and 10 cooperate with the members from other states in their efforts 10 perfect the system"