The Forrest City times., 1897-04-09


Although the present situation is so
full of peril that the minds of our pee-
pie have little inclination TO consider
anything save the imminent danger of
the destruction of their property and
the flooding of their lands. vet we think
for that very reason that the present is
good time to consider the merits of
the levee as means of protection from
inundation. Although many intelli-
gent citizens believes that they are a
failure. yet we think the fault lies in
the manner of their construction and
not In the system. One thing is GER
tain-levees in this section as at pres
ent constructed are a menace rather
than a protection. While the so-called
experts have squandered thousands Of
dollars in their construction. the pres
ent high water has demonstrated be.
yOnd question that they did not under
stand the first principles of the problem
they had undertaken to solve. But the
town levee Of Osceola, as well as some
constructed under government super
vision above Lux0ra. show that levees
CAN be built which will resist any flood
the Mississippi river can hurl against
them. But they must be no flimsy af
fair thrown up in day, nor cheap
structures only designed to make
show and fill the pockets Of contractors
or supervising officials. They must be
in the nature of dykes. by which the
inhabitants of the Netherlands have
reclaimed thousands of square miles
from the German ocean.
We have nothing later at hand than
the report of the president of the st.
Francis levee board for 1895, bat in
that report the cost of constructing 26
miles of levee Is given ut 1924. $50. 81.
which is an average cost of IS .65l 10
per mile. The collections of that year
are given at S43.6l1.14. Assuming
thai the average annual collection from
the taxpayers of the district is $50 600,
during the four years of the boards ex-
lstence the enormous sum of 5000 900
has been collected. 1t is urged by
friends of tile board that its new work
has stood the present food. What en-
abled it to withstand the pressure?
Only the uuremitting toll Of well-nigb
the entire population of adult males,
and expenditure of money probably
equalIiDg half the original cost of COLI
struction.
1t is further claimed that all the
breaks were IN the "old levees." Whit
are We paying taxes for, If not to have
the old levees made as good as new?
The engineer in charge was supposed
to be competent to survey the line and
make it proof against any sage of
water which would come against it,
The board fell heir to the old levees.
and it was useless to build new ones if
the old ones were to be left to flood the
country.
We are in accord with the Demo
crat. This is good time to consider
the merits of the levec, and we feel
assured that if any part Of the
present calamity is traceable to
any defect in the levee construc-
ton, then the fruit of blame should
fall upon the soil that produced it.
AS in other matters, the levee
board should be known by their
fruit. Levees are not a failure
when properly constructed, and
they are not failure even when
portions of them are washed away
UNDER such meteorological condi-
lions which have prevailed during
the months of February and March.
People should Danish the idea of
absolute security under any condi-
ton. They should know, "there's
nothing true but Heaven"
If levees can, and no doubt of
that, be built that will hold Is or
90 per cent of the overfows, it is a
success; for under the usual course
of business enterprises the successes
seldom runs over this figure; so
why expect moro of a levee sys-
tenn? There is no question but
that the st. Francis basin can be
protected at less cost and more
effectually than any other levee
district along the valley, and it is
utter folly to think of abandoning
the enterprise which is how under
such promising Roadway, leading
to the protection of the fertile
lands lying within lis bounds.
Reports state that the precipita-
ton for the month of March, all
over the section of country which
contributes its waters to the Miss
issippi river, has been from 20 to
100 per cent above the normal.
Under these conditions people
should not throw up their hands
and surrender to a foe which
scarcely appears once in lifetime,
but figure upon the average of
benefits that have accrued TO other
soot;oDs 4bropmh Tho iavaa svstan,