The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-03-20
40 interview With the Louisiana State Board
Of Engineers.
capt. KERKAN ON PRESENT CONDITIONS,
everything In Readiness to Meet the
Flood limo Required by Freshet
Wave to Reach New Orleans and
What May be Expected.

o ~ 'no'e III authority ana pOS1tlt
to know that the overflow o. the Mi
slsslppi river, this year, while mo-
than likely to be great and possib
rs high as that disastrous one of 1873;
is not to be nearly SO much Apr
hended as calamity, for the reasc
that the immense levee systems wbic
have been operated upon since the
have been better perfected in the la
year than ever before, and are now
lar more substantial condition to will
stand the inroads and ravages of til
currents and floods of the big river.
A New Orleans States representativ
paid q visit to the office of the Lou;san
State Board OF Engineers Saturda
afternoon and sought an interview O
Major Henry B. Richardson, tn
engineer in chief. Major Richardso,
was just leaving at the time and handed
the reporter over to his courteou!
assistant, Mr.. Sidney f. Lewis, who
cordially furnished him with the infor.
nation desired.
MIR. Lewis stated that the Lafourche
Levee Board, of which he is engineer
IN charge, had met that morning and
prepared plans to begin the fight
against high water, which in Iafourche
is already against the leyees. At New
Orleans the guage is some three feet
under the mark from the time when it is
proper to begin to operate, and the
Hood IS not serious as yet, though
below the city the danger is more immi-
,nent.
The big floods which have been &C.
curing up in the Ohio are responsible
IN great measure for tho present
rise, 1t taking some two weeks or less
to make New Orleans from Cairo. The
following table prepared by the signal
service officials shows the time required
by freshet wave to reach New Or
leans:
From st. Paul to New Orleans 3O3
days; from La Crosse to New Orleans
25.7 days; from Dubuque to New Or
leans PIT days; from La Claire to
New Orleans 1873 days; from Dayen-
port to New Orleans 1873 days; from
Warsaw to New Orleans 1862 DAVIS:
from st. Louis to New Orleans 1873
days; from Cairo to New Orleans 10
days; from Memphis to New Orleans
s.3 days; from Helena to New Orleans
7.3 days; from Vicksburg to New Or
leans days. While from Cincinnati
and the upper Ohio it takes from 16
TO 20 days, or more.
Major Richardson returned lust as
The reporter was leaving and gave him
he benefit Of some additional informa-
ion. The major was asked as to the
of the danger of serious
overflow.
"Unless something gives way" said
le, "unless something unusual hap
'ens, like the unexpected WHY Gre
asse on the 23d of May, 1898, We are
'etter prepared to withstand as much
ugh water as ever before. Mr.. PERI.
lat here, our assistant State engineer,
as just returned today from trip of :
Inspection over the upper basin, and !
as found absolutely no indication OF a !
reak, as you have just heard him soy.
"There is greater danger, of course, ,
that portion of the country lying
Glow New Orleans. The wash of the u
aves from the big ocean steamers, and '
ne tides and storms of the gulf make y
le retention Of these levees more pre- '
arious. Down that way there is u :,
reater extent of line where the water q
directly against the levees than u
Dove, where it is only against them in u
Id places. Some of it has oveAowed
'e bitches and is against the embark
tent, but there is plenty Of safe mar
in yet. -
1--WE are fully prepared to protect y, "
against the highest water, Of
I'd have tugs and barges laden with ii
ols and material to proceed to where r
'er danger is reckoned. Up in the W,
'rtLern part of the State we have III
wee district which joins that of sb
'uthern Arkansas and we work with tn
EN- in the way of aiding them in the nr
Instruction and maintenance of the "a
wer Arkansas levees. This is the r.
'nsas basin and our last repart from to,
ere is that the water has just begun est
touch the sides OF the leyees. w
"All the other parishes report about Do
c same state of affairs, save as before ~,
id, the lower districts. NV
From the mouth of the Red river NJ,
for twenty-five miles or more there III;
q gap in the levee which lets in the ~,
ods and causes considerable devasta.
N in that section, but, with this ex-
ption, the condition Of the district is
+ excellent"
Capt. Kerkam in reply to the re- cas-
est OF the States, gave out the fol- ps1
wing Saturday night: coz
"Since February 4 tie Mississippi int
8 risen nearly IS feet at Cairo, or is
m 14-foot stage on that date to ha,
srly 40 feet on March II. There was wa
apld rise of nearly 81 foot hotuao,