The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-12-07
as OTHERS SEE US.

newspaper published in Londons
England, which publishes, in con-
nect:en With the Steele R. R.. an IN
terview with Capt. W. 5. Brown on {
1.-The subject of our levees, and /,
parts OF a letter addressed py
Rev. C. Maize to j. Rawle, Esq.,
Secretary Of the projected MIS-
sissippi Valley r. r. Both OF
these gentlemen will be surprised to
see themselves quoted in the London
paper. We reproduce the article
thinking it will interest our readers:
The larger portion of the alluvlal
belt over which the Mississippi Val
LEV Railway will run is known as
the Fifth District Levees. The
Mississippi has been divided into
districts by the federal government
| to marx and control the construction
of leyees, for each state bordering
on the river is concerned with the
limited States. The work proved
Ito be beyond the power of individ-
, nal states, and as all the great navi-
gable rivers are federal, the leyee
!, Esystem belonged more properly to
. the nation as whole than to any
combination of states. Since the
flood of 1892 which desolated the
= Fifth I.evee District, the United
Estates has devoted large sums to the
work, under engineer officers of the
army, who act in conjunction with
the state engineers; and the system
Twill have taken nearly four years to
remodel and complete, for it will
not be quite finished till March J.
1895. One of its engineers, Captain
w. S. Brown, lately interviewed,
said: "When the present contracts
are completed, the Fifth District
Levees will be admirable in their
nerfectlon. From Reid's levee to
the Arkansas line, 80 miles, i'm
mense works are In progress. Seven
H. teen contractors have strong forces
10 IN the field, and have awaited them
- selves of the fine weather before
r. September. Reid's levee was com
pleted on November /. With few
exceptions all the levees of the 81
in, miles above Reds will be four feet
HIGHER than the extreme high water
mark. the entire length being pro
vided with an s-foot banqette. "
1902 crevasse took place on the
ita wvlv plantation some miles below
tho Lake Providence and the entire dis
- trict was flooded to the Red river
" many planters on the bottom land
being ruined. The case was tne'
taken up in earnest by Congress
..h with the result Captain Brown re
cen norts. simultaneously therefor
Die safety is assured and railway facil
don ties supplied, conjunction OF favo
lers able conditions which presents tn
ex- belt to settlers as opening for brl'
10 70 per,od the most inviting site. II
~. Roman Catholic pastor of Lai
ils'' Providence addressed letter to Il
Secretary of the railway under da
mite September %, 1895, which ne pr
!, Tor faced by stating he had no proper
~ in the district, only an interest
Aise the parishes and the general weifa
the of the inhabitants along the ron'
'rida from the mouth of the Red river
,nta- the Arkansas boundary, over viii
len. for thirteen years he had made
tod monthly trip. As the secreta
'Ae' lives in Natchez, which Faith
po- Maize termed the "city on the hill
he draws an outline to indic'
what is meant by a banquette
= n which is the support adopted by
:" - Leyee Commissioners from the ID
cans, ube-and he describes the work a
e OF solid and unbroken line so streng
lder. ened by the banquette, which aim
ured doubles its resisting power, ana
,aoe inc covered with the Bermuda or
Te the roots of which binds the SOIL
Nc pether like mat, 1T presents W
de the State engineer likens to ST.
,ster. wall against any coming food wh
ccept overtops the banks of the RI,
d. as The Mississippi is a placid cl
mon stream till the magical chang
wrought by the entrance OF the m
DIV powerful river Missouri, WI
in the spring rolling from the g
naval mountains, causes these overno
b;cv. For the last three years the river
~ hardly left it's banks, this year
oo' at all, and that has given the y
Inc missioners a full opportunity
,upies complete their work. Father N
arth's tells that the inhabitants had
i and covered from the losses entalleo
.ua.r the overflow. The cotton croI
last year was immense; and this
; anu son the crop has been raised at
put on tie expenditure, it has brought
rest OF prices, so that again prospe
peaker reigns IN the land-.I have trav
cently much through this district and <
"a w;n it well-as rich alluvial soil,
duclng an extra staple OF co
known as offenders" which bI
better price than the ordi
: State one.n The country he adds s'i'
e.ht. to be settled, for the projected