The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-22
Protection From Floods.

man upon the dyke system OF Holland
who has gained bis Information by
study and personal observation. we
trust the reading public will derive
some instruction from its perusal.
The article appeared in recent issue
of the Picayune:
The following article on levees. out
lets and dikes is from the pen OF Mr.
Ed. Elsenhauer. a prominent business
man of this city, and former member
of the New Orleans leyee board. HIS
information concerning the Holland
method of levees has been gained by
study and personal observation.
Much controversy has lately again
sprung up as to the efficiency OF levees
to protect our lowlands against the
annually recurring floods OF the river,
with the usual results, viz: The engi-
neers unanimously in favor OF levees
and the people divided. with perhaps
majority in favor OF levees and a MIN
ority in favor of outlets.
All must admit that outlets are I'M
possible above Red river. and the adyS-
ability of outlets below that river
depends entirely upon the capability OF
the leyees to withstand all possible
floods. II the levees can be built strong
enough to confine all such floods to the
river there would be no necessity for
outlets and nobody would want them.
In view of tie general interest taken
Just now in our leyees, few remarks
NAV not be amiss about the famous
Holland levee system from one who
has had an opportunity to see it. The
beginning of the present levee system
in Holland dates some $50 years back
and the present perfection is the result
of 500 years labor, study, disasters, dis
couragements. hopes and the spending
of vast sums OF money. We now have
the advantage of their long experience,
/ which accounts for the satisfactory
, result attained here in the last few
wears. Our engineers are all level
headed men who know a good thing
when they see 1t.
. In the beginning, and for long
time thereafter, not only the people Of
Holland, but also their engineers, were
r divided in regard to outlets, as Is
!. shown by their old records. and agooo
deal of experimenting was done in this
: direction. Traces of such outlets are
I, even now visible in the neighborhooe
e of the lower Rhine. Careful obserya
tone, however, convinced them soor
that they arc only harmful and tina
n every outlet caused the river 10 shoa
e through the sluckening of the current
and consequent deposition OF silt
The engineers then closed these out
lets, and the result was an almost i'm
! mediate deepening of the channel 0
d the river. There is only one Quite
+ now still open in the neighborhood o
: the city of Bots lie Due, and even thu
!. will soon be closed. Formerly tn
e Rhine had innumerable arms near th
n sea, which, for the same reason, wer
8 gradually closed, until now 1t IS re
duced practically to two branches. tn
= WAL and the Lell, of which the forme
!, is much the larger, and discharge
:. about two-thirds of the total volume
u A third branch, the Yssel, carries It'll
y water, and is OF small Importance
q These former. and now closed branche
q still exist in the shape of lakes, canal
L and low, swampy depressions. Som
have been utilized for drainage, 0
% navigation canals, or both combined
I'm which latter case they are still cor
nected with the river through locks
G All this shows that the tendency ha
}, been steadily towards an all-leve
e system. and all outlet theories hav
been utterly repudiated. after havin
y given them fair and extensive trial;
a No engineer in Holland would nov
10 advocate outlets.
Their levee system is the most pei
feet in the world, but in the beginnin
they had to pass many trials in th
form of failures, weakness and Gre
IL vases, causing much misery and a
times complete dependency. Most
% their disasters was caused throug
II failures of their sea dikes, but no'
u they are so perfect that they can with
:. stand the highest fury of an ocea
~ storm without showing any considers
4 BILE damage. What magnificent bu
= wark. for instance, Is that great elk
D. Of Westkapelle, on the island {
'd Walcheron. 1t has base of $50 fee
D. and height of 25feet above low water
III but the main point of interest is tn
le ingenious devices for the protection
J. this dixie against The waves. l omit
!: fuller description of this dixie, as W
n do not require such works here, an
ii consequently it would be OF 10 interei
,s to our people.
~ Their levees, which are the ones thu
J. interest us, are built somewhat diffe
~ ent than ours. We have one standar
n levee here, viz. feet crown. with slol
of / to 8 feet on both sides, with hel
We and there n particularly exposed leve
of or one crossing some low spot re-el
forced by banquette on the landsid
~ The Dutch engineers built their leve
ty in all sorts of shape and form, accor
Is. ing TO the requirements of the locatlo
- but with few exceptions give the
~ more slope on the river side than
to the land side. Such levee offers lie
W. resistance to waves. and in consequen
"a causes less wash, and has the furth
~ advantage of giving broader base
re- the levee. Their aim, when buildil
bo +, laroa alxvayr ia IN throw all ms