The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-07-29
O MMUNJCATION.
Thibodaux, La, July 25th, 1898.

On May 18th, 1898, a crevasse oc-
CURED at. Lafourche Crossing, when
the guage in front of Thibodaux show
ed the water in the Bayou Lafaurche
to be 2O.S feet above low water mark.
This caused a fall in the bayou in six
days to 1914 feet, being a net decline
of IA feet. On May Goth, the bayou
ceased to fall, and began to rise, reach
ing 1875 feet on May oath, when u Gre
vase broke ont at Bourgeois, which
was followed by a fall to 1872 feet.
On June 9TH with both these breach
es open, the water began to rise and
gradually kept rising until June 2Stl.,
when it reached 1872 feet. With both
those large outlets, one of 100 feet
within three miles, the other 225 feet
within seven miles of Thibodaux the
bayou came within 1.6 feet of the
highest point of the year, and within
1.S feet of the highest point it ever at
tanned, without the levees yielding to
the pressure and furnishing an outlet
to the waters.
The Mississippi river at Donaldson
vile on May 18th, the date of the first
above mentioned stood, by
the guage at 25.6 feet. On May oath,
the river guage at Do~naldsOnville
showed PA feet, the date of the Bour-
geois and OH June goth, it
was 30.6, the highest point for which
there is any record.
Between the breaking of these two
crevasses, the river rose 1.8 feet and
subsequently it rose until June 30th
when it had decreased the guage 80
feet, making a net rise Of five feet af-
ter the break at LafOurche Crossing
took place.
When that occurred there was not
over 6 inches of levee left in front of
this town so that had not that ontlet
been had on May oath, the date of the
Bourgeois %crevasse, the water would
have been flowing over the levees into
this town II inches deep, and on June
30th, probably two feet in depth.
When the water guage at Donald
sonville was 25.6 feet, at T%hibodaux it
was POS feet. A simple equation in
the single rnle of three would enable
any ordinary school boy to make the
2O.9::3O.6:24
Had there been no crevasses the wa
ter in front of Thibodaux would have
reached a height of 24.8 feet, being 4
feet higher than it was ever known to
he, and more than three feet above the
crest of the present levees.
Now the Levee Commissioners are
raising the levees above, and in many
places below this town. fully three
feet, and Strengthening them to with
hold any future high waters, is it not,
therefore time that the municipal au-
thorities were doing something to raise
and strengthen the levees that protect
this town from the floods Is it good
policy to wait any longer? Should not
that body at nce take steps looking
towards that important improvement.
The rising water is not going to halt
because the levees are not ready.
The river rose, at Donaldsonville, 5
feet after the break at LafOurche
Crossing. That rise came here and
was only held down by the two Gre
vases below US that drew the water
out of the stream.
If the levees above and below had
not yielded what would have been the
condition in this town?
The levees above and below are be-
ing made to hold three feet more wa
ter, should they do go, what could we
naturally anticipate?
These facts are standing before the
citizens of this town for their contem-
plation. If they are disposed to stand
with their hands in their pockets
when the time to work is here, and
no efforts to protect themselves from
disaster, before the day of disaster
comes, the reckoning will be a fearful
one, and the awakening from their
lethargy will be one that will be long
remembered.
"G."