The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-03-13
MILES PREDICTIONS.

Below we publish letter from Mr.
j. B. Miles. of Helena, Ark, to the
yieksbrvg Post on the condition Of The
stage OF the river and the levees:
The engineers have been anxious to
have Il .'high water" to test their leyees
and enable them to see how much
higher, If any. they will haye to be
built This rise is not going to break
the levees. But if they will note the
height of the water at different points
along the river. they can give pretty
good guess. Let them note the stages
at the different points. and then see
how high the river is at Cairo, and be-
low Arkansas the stage of Arkansas
and White rivers. would suggest a
gauge every ten miles taking the high
water mark rs zero and connt up and
down. Take last year. 1S96--the high
est stage at Cairo was 39 2, and at
Helena SO 4-Cairo lacked Is feet, and
Helena 90. But thirty miles below
Helena at Modoc. and for ten miles be-
low. the engineer in charge informs me
that it was within four feet of the high
est wetor. Near the mouth OF White
river it was about tue same as Helena.
showing that the completion of the
levee on both.sd Of the river, there
by coupling all the water that passed
Helena. raised the river about five feet.
do not know how high twas at Ar
kansas City and Lake Providence. but
expect there was fully as much differ
ence, although the high wafer mark
had already been raised at Providence
during '93, with the leyees broken at
Grand Lake and other points.
The above was written previous
to the late heavy rains above which
have started a heavy, rise in some
OF The upper rivers. and Cairo
has got above 46. feet (the high
est point in 1917 and indications
of more. This last rise will most I'M
doubtedly break the levecs on one or
both sides of the river. about half way
between Helena and Laconia and also
above the Louisiana and Arkansas line.
1t woslld1not do for you to swarm the
people in the Tensas BASIN" But |
would suggest that they Slook out"
OF course do not know which side has
the highest aud strongest levees. But
suppose the Yazoo side Is the highest.
But if the Yazoo Ieyee should break
between Helena and White river first
it would relieve the west side all the
way down to vicksburg. But if the
west side above White river should
break it would not relieve the leyees
below Arkansas. A break on the west
side would relieve the east side and
Major Starling's levee might stand.
But some Of them are apt to go. The
heavy rains up the Arkansas will raise
the river at Little Rock and below the
Arkansas river. But all the rainfall
along the Arkansas will pass off long
before the rise at Cairo reaches Arkan-
sas City. The rise at Cairo will proba-
bly, not reach Helena for nearly three
weeks or about the 10Th.
Many are calculating on The effect of
the St. Francis leyees. They are. not
in this rise as the outflow into the ST.
Francis swamp will not be obstructed
only for few days while the RIVER is
rising over what little there may be of
them. The St. Francis levee IS ..com-
pletedr down to Fort Pillow and is on
~ three feet above high water mark
and high water like 1882 would
require leyee.at least 10 feet above
that
think we will have no trouble with |
our levees, Oh either side OF the river
from Memphis down to Modoc-thirty |
miles below here. except from weak
place IN the levees and you know the
water will always find such.