The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-07
FLOOD STILL RACES.
SECOND RISE SPREADS DEVASTATION
IN THE SOUTH.
Greater Losses Sustained by Reason OF the
Additional ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of
Congress viii Not Buy Seed For Spring
Planting-Injury Felt by Merchants.

Congress VIII Not Buy Seed For Spring
PIanting-Ipjury Felt by Merchants.
The additional rise in the Nebraska
and Missouri streams, together with the
heavy downpour of rain in the valleys
south of Vicksburg, which kept falling
for days. must have sent chill through
the heart of every iphabitant whose
house does not sit OH hill that lives
between Memphis and New Orleans.
With the breaking of the levees i'll and
around the Crescent City that has been
going on it is difficult to understand
how that town is to escape a deluge
All levees on both banks of the river are
now crumbling as snow does in warm
weather. 1t was estimated that the wa
ter south of Natchez would be on
standstill for awhile, and it was hoped
that from that time the river would
steadily fall until it got back. to its nor
NAL state. But with the rains and the
northern floods that idea may be dis
PEELED. 1t will not take the surplus OF
water recently accumulated III the Ne
braska and Missouri streams many days |
to reach the Natchez, Vicksburg and |
Bayou Sara districts.
According to government estimates
sent out from Washington, the losses
from the floods have already reached the
enormous figure of $3.50, 600, 600, sum
equaling by half the value of the entire
cotton product of the south for year.
Those who live high and dry and remote
from that section cannot conceive or
the magnitude of this overflow. 1t is
the most disastrous calamity that has
befallen the country, both in the way
of destruction to property and the loss
to human life, since the civil war.
General Catchings' bill for the APP
preparation of $4,000, 900 to be used i'll
assisting the flood sufferers was exceed
| ingly timely. But this sum, handsome
| as it is, will not be sufficient even to
buy seed for the spring planting. Cot
ton has been at such low price for the
past i've years that the farmers have
really lost money in its cultivation.
Then when flood looked inevitable
those who owned lands not already
mortsaged hypothetical their belong
ings to raise money with which to
!
having failed, the prospects OF a crop
almost utterly hopeless, it leaves the
people in condition that must excite
the sympathy of the civilized world A
flood in the Mississippi valley works
damage not only to the people who are
in the reach of the overwhelming wa
tiers, but to the vast army OF millions
who are interested with them in bust
ness way. Railway lines from the north
traverse that country Therefore, that
which hurts the business of the Louisi-
anian, the Mississippian and the Arkan-
san hurts the commerce OF the north.
The merchant has the right to demand
, that his means of communication and
trade with his customers of the south
shall not be interrupted by causes with
in the control of the government.
The danger to life and property year
w by the overflow of this river is not
merely local affair. The whole coun-
try is virtually Interested The care OF
! the leyees is u national one. The gov
eminent has assumed exclusive control
q in improving and maintaining It's trans
|, portation facilities. But as continen
tai drainage canal it has received no at
tention worth mentioning True enough
there have been appropriations made
annually looking to the Improvement o
the river but the money is spent mostl.
nv engineers who luxuriously live OF
boats and who sit idly by watching other
: count the number of inches of sand tina
: drifts by given point for given mum
Il Der of hours. :,
= There isn't steamboat man who vii
agree with you that the work done o.
government engineers has ever amount
. ed to anything in the way OF lessenin
the danger to life and property. tn
several states in which the river
excessive waters periodically inundat
:. plantations long ago undertook to rem
edy the matter by fencing in the water
!. with levees and have spent oceans
- money. Originally this work was don
= bv the plantation owner himself
- At the beginning of the present cer
- tury these private levees extended onl
%. 30 miles along the river north or Ne'
h Orleans; but as the county was settle
:, up and new plantation property wa
= opened and improved the levees extend
ed, until today there are more than Lou
miles Of levees thrown up for the prt
lection of homes. OF this immense pil
81 of dirt the national government hf
It paid less than one-fifth of its cos
le the various southern states assumin
II the burden Of the construction OF I'll
Id other four-fifths
1t has long been proved that the lev'
SO system is the only one that will obvia
20 oyerflows. The outlet theory that hi
TX been prosecuted by John Cowden II
o. the past 20 years finds no favor anon
ye competent engineers and river men WI
at have made the question scientlf
r. study. Artificial outlets slacken u
n current and encourage shallowln
" Competent engineers all over this coul
trv are unanimous in the opinion tn
he the general features of the plan OF M
he Stating are correct. This Is, hrst,
he protect the banks so that they Will II
4 49, 81, x-a