The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-10
THE SINKING GULF COAST
LOUISIANA STARTLED BY THE
RATE THE sUBSIDENcE.
Proof From Many Points That the Gulf l.
Eucrosching Upon the Land-Ehect
Upon the River Improvements.

a
difficulty which may interfere with the
work IL has under way. and which. under
all circumstances. demands a thorough
exainination-the req brted sinking CT the
Calf coast. The theory that the land is
sinking. not only on the Gulf of Mexico,
but also on nearly all other coasts. has
Ionx been accepted by socialists. but the
rate Of subsidence reported from Hoi-
land OF less than 0ne-tenth of an inch a
year. was so slow as to create no appre-
hensiol on thu part OF the present gene
ration. The rate at which the ground is
reported to be sinking in Louisiana. how
ever. is quite different from the slow sub
sidence Of the sluggish land Of the Dutch.
and indicated that. la this matter. as in
all others, America is more active, ener-
gctic. and rapid
The report Of the sinking of the louis
lana coast was accepted. at first, by the
Mississippi River Commission and the
public generally - one OF those scientific
sensations that biologists delight in. In
the last few months. however. the report
has been thoroughly confirmed and verb
fled from many points. The United states
Engineers and the River Commission now
accept the theory that the land In lower
Louisiana IL sinking at startling rate.
never before reported. and they are COM
PEELED TO face this fact and To determine
10 what extent II is likely 10 interfere
with the work OF river improvement now
under way. II the sinking has been going
on for some time, rs seems certain then
the estimates and calculations upon when
the Government work H. based are uncer-
tain or Incorrect This has been hinted
at by the outlet or anti-levee men. al
though they never seem to have under
stood what was the cause OF the trouble.
They have complained that the gauges or
datum lines by which the height Of the
water In the river is measured are lncor-
rect. but they charge this TO fraud. where
as the probability is that IL Is due 70 the
sinking Of the land. carrying down with
IL in its slow and gradual subsistence the
gauge or datum mark II this latter sup
position is correct, IL may explain what
has greatly puzzled the engineers. the
fact that the floods In the Mississippi
seem to grow higher and higher a result
which the outlet advocates attribute 20
the levees.
The report OF Major quinn. the United
States Engineer IN charge Of the New or
leans district. made last month. was spe-
ciic on this point Major Quinns inves-
LEGATIONS were entirely separate from
those of the Mississippi River Commis-
sion. and at a point on the Gulf coast
w1ere the question could be- thoroughly
tested. The gauge at the month of the
Mississippi showed that the waters Of the
Gulf had apparently risen one foot since
1871. As this rise was out Of question
the difference could only be due to the
subsistence OF the land. The records of
the varying Gulf level proved hat the
susidence had been checked and even re-
v,rsed AT times. but In the long run the
gains made by the Gulf indicated a steady
encrOachment of the water on the land.
This report created a sensation at the
time. but since then confirmation has
come in from dozen points. showing that
the subsistence Is general along thu coast
Of Louisiana AMI even far IN The interior,
but very Irregular. In Terre Bonnie par.
ish, the lands on Bayou Gallon, which.
during the period Immediately preceding
the war. raised the finest 81 gar cane i'm
Iouisi ma, nave long been abandoned in
consequence OF overflow due, the people
beloved, TO the rising Of the Gulf waters,
hu- really an effect Of the sinking Of the
land: and they are now covered with sea
water ON Bayou Dulac and other
streams in lower Terre Bonnie. the land
which was deemed i'm old days too low
for cultivation. being but two feet above
the Guif level, was covered with grass
and used as pasture for horses and cat
tie This land is now completely aban-
doned covered with prairie trem-
blante" or floating marsh. and given over
10 the muskrat and the otter. Through
out this section are 10 be seen stumps Of
cypress we'll below the water level. where
the land has sunk with the trees on II.
islands along the Gulf coast. Gallon Is
land. Last Island. and others. formerly
pl assure resorts. standing well above the
water have been abandoned for some
time. and are rapidly becoming marshes.
staining several feet less out OF the water
than Of old. This has been attributed to
the washing of the waves over them in
violent hurricanes. but there seems 20
be every reason for not accepting this
theory In view of the fact that some Of
the islands which We're protected and
have escaped the fury OF the storms have
suffered as much as the exposed ones.
Their decay is due. It is believed, to the
sinking Of the land.
From the interior, north OF Lake POnt-
chartrain In the parishes Of Tangipah0a
and St Tammany. has come proof pos
tive OF altered levels. There. although
the change is less marked than on the
coast. II produced several unfavorable re-
suits. There was the loss Of agricultural
and pasture land which. after il had sunk
from one 10 four feet could no longer
be- cultivated or used in any way
Another effect was slight current up
stream in the Mississippi during the seas
on OF low water. Thus. the Gulf was
eighteen inches higher than the AIissis-
sippi last fail This produced queer re-
suits. for IL rendered the water so salty
that il injured the machinery Of the sugar
houses, causing the formation Of a white
crust on 10. The sugar planters depend
for their water on the Mississippi. and
the possibility OF the waters becoming
salty seems never 10 have entered their
minds.
All this evidence was so conclusive that
the Mississippi River Commission and the
Tinted states Engineers now accept the
theory Of the subsidence OF the land
How this is brought about is easily ex-
planned. and the city Of New Orleans was
made well acquainted with it last year
\ large tract Of land covering a half
dozen acres. Immediately opposite the
French Market and In the commercial
centre OF the city. began settling rapid
ly. An examination showed that this was
due to the fact that the passage of trains
had squeezed the water from the soil |
The land throughout southern Louisiana
Is supersaturated. II is like a. mighty
sponge when the water IL squeezed out
the sponge sinks. and in similar manner
the land sinks. This process is contin- |
ually under way. the land becoming frmer
and more solid more condensed as II
were. and subsiding.
How long this has been going on Is I'M
known, but doubtless for centuries. and IL !
gives an entirely new geological expana- |
tion OF the origin Of lower Louisiana. I ne !
theory OF the Mississippi River building
up land in the Gulf by the detritus and
alluvium II brings down from the States
above became not so plain! for although |
the river is bringing down an immense
amount of mud and depositing it in the |