Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-24
HIGH WATER
INVESTIGATION BY OFFICIALS
or THE MISSISSIPPI LEvEss.


HuiOH ltnukfs NluN -bs~~ Tue tnlhfh -AHNN"
steamer General Newton reached mere CON
v.ying Governor Foster Congressman lilnn-
chard and Robertson. Colonel II, u. klch-
arlson MIR. II. Bolivar fhompson sial.
engineer, aud Mr.. Douglas. Of the unite'
States engineers
4, vernor Foster said that. without golnE
Into details OF the trip. lie would snulu-
liz his conclusions as follow: In Arkat sas
ON the river front he found about nlLetS
miles Of lcvees IN which the people OF l.oul'
siana were directly an Indirectly interest,".
ed. Any break In that Hue OF leyecs would
affect the parishes composing tic Tensas
basin district and souic VI the parishes III
the fftlt district. OF this stretch tile general
government has this year built seventeen
and safe condition. There Is now under con
tract by the government twenty-five nd
dltional miles. In all forty-two miles, 10
be built In two years by tue general gov
ernInent. These levees ARE from two TO
three feet above the flood Of last year. In
addition TO this the government has also
repaired some OF the old levess Most VI
these old lcyees are frail, weak and rutten,
and totally inadequate to Withstand the
FOOD, II IL the opinion OF bNh the United
States and state engineers that the waters
now passing through the creyasses under
the present conditions will not be ns disas.
truus by at least 80 per cent Us the Hood
Of Inst year,
While the board has the right under the
laws to aid Ia building levees In Arkansas,
he WAS Informed thrre was no law lu that
state giving any right Or authority over
Only three counties In Arkansas are par
ticusrly iuter,tted la those levees, and
their people have been Impoverished by nu-
staut Oycrinwa aud II the lcyees are TO
he built aud maintained II must be by the
general government and the state Of Iolilsl-
ANA. 10 complete the grand lcvee system
4 is absolutely necessary that these Arsnn-
sas counties should constitute "A part of IT,,
even should their annexation TO Louisiana
be- required Tile Idea Of such ANNEXATION
was faNorahly entertained by most Of the
ltn Tplfs and stfi sl.atta
they met.
lie found the lpvees in the ffth district
comparatively safe. Tie members Of the
board are earnestly ,at work. aud every one
seemed keenly alive To the situation.
The leyees M the Atchafalpyu district
down TO Baton Rouge are IN magnificent
fectly safe. The water Is now from four
To ave feet below the doOd Of last year,
aud they have been raised above the waters
OF last year He feels cOniidrnt that the
Atchafalhya hoard Will Ia the future As
la the past, hold these lryecs From his
ohseryances he IL more than ever convinced
OF the efficiency " the lcyer system. Its
magnitude N little understood. Its impor-
lance to commerce aud navigation and Its
necessity for the protection " the rich aud
fertile lands OF Mississippi, Arkansas and
Louisiana cannot be- oyerest imnted. II Will
take years to complete this system and
years TO muster this great river. Millions
OF dollars have been spent upon the leYDps
and millions mare must be- spent upon them
the river problem, Constant caving OF the
banks Is tue most II not the only serious
dlmenliy TO be overcome, but lie thinks
this will he done
CAPTAIN HARDEE GIVES 'ENCOURAG.
ING NEWS.
Baton Rouge MAY 93-I'nited States
Assistant Engineer Captain Hurlcr, has ~
turned from an inspection OF the levces on
boih banks, between bayou sara and New
orleans. distance Of 100 niles.
He al
everywhere. and able To stand several feet
additional water without putting anything
like Il strain on them.
me principal object 81 MIR. Hnrdee's In
spectlon tour wis To determine the cunll-
tion OF the tile drnlns which have been 70
extensively experimental with ut lcyecs
built THIS season by the uutcd Stntes
AZ the majority Of the levces lie found
that Tie silt washed FROM The "a hluknrnis
had choked up the ditrhrs into which The
leyees uie front slope was beginning To-
wave wash.
=, Captain Har,lee took with him on the trim
three competent aud experienced leyee IN
tpectOrs TO whom he polluted out the work
OF correction co1alirrol necessary Ipnn
me arrival Of the party ~ New ORLEANS
tntsr n'rn were sent 10 the several levecs to
make The necessary Ippiirs
Captain liHrd"e IL very ruthuslngtls re.
spectlhg tile dtnins. lie considers success
assured, for with even the ll,nued amount
or water against the levers the tilrs trc
taking Wf all the Seepagp md kcrpIuy he
rear slope and base o. the icyrc perfcciiy
dly. ''
Captain IIardee is 10th to express posl.
i've opinion Is to the CulmMutinn OF lie
present Hood but holds that tir Red river
Mtll prove the key tI the aituat,ln u viii
take several weeks before ~. ArL.ins,'
crrNhSse water returns To III, Mlssiyeitpi
from the ltTl. tnpIin Ia de- thinks II
w upper Rcd river valley tEp,sru,,., ma
heavy mr. continued rains 10 Ron mai
slien The Atrlufnluyu river VIII Ial;r u,i
W. mailer puruDn Of lose arc,as-p Wat,r.
Hul IT Ted river gets full from lis head
waters the "revnsse water vail he forced
INTO the Mississippi. by which tin, tbe
smlll depression which will then rvlst IN
the Mississippi about Memphis win likely
he oFerrun by the Missouri, whIth alwnys
nptain llnIdee leans 10 the ,ninI,,, u,o,
TIT conditions MI point 10 rn ri;"s
snth Of the mouth of 81 III ar H..
Ihines as uch water Us In lSn win be-
experienced, hut for several WEI r,,iv
,,hoiigh the water Will ~ lis lc viii n,
It's banks again before We'll along In .Inly'