New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-18
THE MISSISSIPPI FLOODS.
THE PROBLEM OF RESTRAINING THE
GREAT RIVERS FURY.


GREAT RIVERS FURY.
THE PART TAKEN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERN
MENT IN DEVELOPING AND EXTENDING THE
LEvEE sYsrEM-THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
COMMISSION AGD ITS WORK. TASK
OF ENORMOUS DIFFICULTY.
Washington April 1.-THE flooding OF hun
dreds Of thousands OF acres OF farm ianos III
Missouri. Arkansas, Tennessee. Mississippi ana
Louisiana by the continued overflow or the MIS-
sissippi River has called public attention once
more to one of the great problems OF domestic
economy and internal Improvements when Con
gress has been called upon to face In the last
twenty-five years-the subjugation and control
of that shifting and restless torrent through
which drain to the Gulf Of Mexico prac'ca"y
all the inland waters of the North American
Continent. That the problem is not Federal
one in so far as II involves the mere protection
from overflow Of the low-yng alluviai lands
of the Mississippi Valley States might be readily
admitted even by the most liberal interpreter
of the now generally accepted Federal policy OF
internal improvements.
Indeed. up to within few years Government
grants for the improvement and control of the
Mississippi River have been distinctly coupled
with the proviso that no money should be spent
simply for the defence of threatened bottom
lands along its course from Cairo to the Gulf
passes
But so intimately has the maintenance of the
system of levees. begun by the States or by in
dvdual enterprise become associated with the
larger problem OF mastering the unruy river and
improving its navigable channel that for some
time past Government aid has been given, not
only in the repair of existing dykes. but even
in the construction Of new levees to enlarge
and complete the protection guaranteed by these
embankments against the ravages of the spring
floods
EXTENSION OF THE LEVEE SYSTEM.
Under the policy adopted and pursued for the
last twenty years by the Mississippi River Com
mission the strengthening and extension of the
levee system have been recognized as an impor-
tant auxiliary to the main work Of narrowing
the channel of the river. protecting its banks,
nagnifying the velocity Of the current, and thus
eventually, by increasing It's securing power,
curing a greater and more constant channel
depth. Congress, too, has approved this pro-
gramme. with the result that direct appropra-
items are now made yearly for the maintenance
and construction of levees, the work being
ried on for the most part in conjunction with
that authorized by the various States whose
boundaries the great river fixes and 10 whose
fertile alluvial bottoms it is constant menace
when at flood.
The freshet of his year. though Of extraor-
binary height and persistence, has therefore
countered more stubborn resistance than usual
and will probably be found in the end to do less
injury than any flood OF similar proportions in
recent years. Not that the damage done is not
already enormous; fer. according to the Agrl-
cultural Departments bulletirs, the of farm
land submerged as early April was 1890
square mies-79OO in Mississippi $500 in Ar
kansas. 1.750 in Missouri. loo in Tennessee and
450 in Louisiana. The submerged areas have
doubtless been largely increased by new break
ages in the levees since April
Floods have been known in the Mississippi
fIcm the beginning of the century; but they have
doubtless gathered volume and intensity from
year to year the regions through which the
great water-course has countless tributaries
were gradually denuded OF forest. The first
Ievees built protection against overflow date
from 1920. They lay along the two banks Of the
river north and south of New-Orleans then the
capital OF the French colony. In 1863 at the
time OF the Spanish cession, the entertainments
stretched up and down from New-Orleans for
fifty miles Though cverfiows cultivated
plantations continued to be rare, the levee sys-
tenn was gradually extended under Spanish and
American rule, until in 1928 levees were con-
tinuous from New Orleans to the Red River BY
1914 they extended TO Napoleon. or the right
bank. and partly covered the low and swampy
Ya7oo front
THE GOVERNMENT STEPS IN
All the work so far had been done by States
or individuals. but the passage by Congress of
the act Of September 2S. 1850 granting swamp !
lands TO States which would reclaim Them gave |
great impetus to levee-building along the Mis-
sissippi. so that by 1858 the old system reached
perhaps its greatest solidty and extension In |
that year came the first great food. The dis
charge OF water at Cairo was estimated at |
LAS 900 cubic feet second, and against the |
pressure of this enormous the embank- |
men,s lower down the river yielded at many
points. The whole lower valley flooded and |
the loTs OF property appalling.
The War of the Rebellion and the problems Of
reconstruction diverted public attention for
flow. 1t came without warning, therefore. in
1874. Although In the first three hundred miles |
from Cairo the food found natural breaks in the |
levee system 143 miles long. it effected
al countless other points. in some places where |
alluvial protection most necessary sub |
merging the levees six feet The loss by |
the food enormous, almost prostrating agri- |
culture in parts of the river valley. Agitation for |
Federal aid in restraining the Mississippi within |
its natural course. at the same time rectifying
cation. a natural sequence of the disaster
of 1874
Finally. by the terms Of an act signed June
established. 1t to be composed of seven
MAJ chosen ~ he tbraa |