The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-05
A FLOODED DISTRICTS NEEDS,
LTroy IN. W Times !


slsSippi valley continues. At Green
vile, Miss, for Instance, about two.
thirds of the city is under water,
Communication is effected only bv
ooa's' On the cotton plantations cab
lhs and bridges have been carried
away Should the water stay uv
much longer the negroes, who are
now receiving Issues of rations from
inc owners of the plantations, will be
unable to do anything in the cotton
nelds and will be compelled TO culti-
Va'e small patches of corn aud pota-
toes Tor sustenauce through the winter.
Ihe prospect for planting this year,
however, is improving The water is
railing slowly, aud without further
rains in the Ohio and Missouri valleys
planting may be resumed by May 20.
The urgent lesson of tho deluge 10
the improvement of the leVee system.
Ia The overilowed Yazoo delta the
levees are six feet too low and are not
Trick enough. 1t will require 81 500.
OOO 10 save the Iazoo delta, aud the
people are too poor 10 raise the money.
lhs assessed value Of the Yazoo delta
ls about $20,000,000. The land pro.
tected Is about 1000 square miles,
Ihe amount of cotton produced is
about 100000 bales, about third of
the land being in cultivation This
cotton is largely exported aud paid
tor III English gold at $35 bale, or
Sl9OOO,O00 year, nearly half of the
annual output of the gold mines of the
United States, The Yszoo delta Of
the Mississippi valley is the home OF
the negro. There he can best earn a
living. Seven-eighths OF The popula-
tlon are negroes. An increase of fleVee
protection is needed TO preserve this
large area as provider OF cotton fer
the worlds markets, and region of
employment and sust enance for the
negro population.
There seems TO be well founded
complaint that this section of the Mis-
sissippi has not had its proper share
OF the work done by the United Statos
government ia levee building Cap
tain G. Med. Townsend of the engin-
eerlng corps of the United States army
gave warning last year to the presi.
dent of the Mississippi river Commits
sion OF the danger to the lower Yazoe
district from future floods. In point. |
Ing out the need of raising and ell.
larging the leVees In this district, Cap
tain Townsend said:
There are fify-nine miles of Ievecs
in this sub-distriCt below the esiab-
lisbed grade Of three Feet above the
highest flood, nearly oue-third of the |
sntire liue, aud the chief engineer OF
the lower Mississippi leyce board ill.,
forms me that 100000 cubic yards Of
earth will be required TO replace levees
which are threatened with destruction
ly caving banks.
The leyecs to the grade 10 which
hey are constructed would afford the
district reasonable security, if it wore
lot for the work done by the United
states on the opposite bank of the
iVer, which may be expected 10 raise
Iood heights TO very marked extent,
nd at localities where | consider the
oVees in this sub. district are the weak
ST and where their destruction will
lyolVe the most serious consequences.
The Ynzoo has the greatest area of
ny of the basins into which the Mis- +
Issippi valley is divided, aud the low !
+ Iazoo district has the greatest
myth of river front of any Of the
Ib districts, and, with the exception
tho Orlean6 district, the greatest Z
5sessed valuation Of properly. The Il
ercentage of allotment TO rYor from
ld TO assessed valuation Of property, d
nd percentage of levee line erected d
y the United States, Is small in this n
strict, while tho yardage per mile OF Z
wee is large. In other words, the
cal authorities have done more to
Zip themselves than in any other d
1rliop Of the valley The lower ?
azoo district has done more work on II
,r levee line In six years than the Il
nitcd States has iu fourteen.
While in the upper Yazoo district 81
% levees are being brought 10 a Z
'ade five feet above the highest flood, fl
ith banquettes double the width of
ose constructed in the lower 1azOo !,
9iricts, yet the average yardage per II
lie Of leyec in the lower Yazoo dis y
let exceeds that IN the upper GazOO
ten per cent. This anomalous con- L
ton is accounted for by the increase
food heights which hss occurred s.
ice 1882, being less than foot along II
large part of the upper Iazoo dis G.
let and exceeding three feet for the n
eater portion of The lower. n
1t is also 10 be noted that the maxi y
nm rate of eaVing iu the third dis -
let exceeds that in any portion OF -
e river, requiring II greater e1pendl- u
re TO maintain tLc levee line after :.
Instruction. The local e4ertions d
We barely been able to keep pace
tn the changed conditions that have f.
suited from lcyee construction. G
The great danger with which thus q,
b.dis(rict is now threatened arises VI
I'm the closure of the White river W
sin, the extension OF the levees on ".
, Arkansas river, the closure OF W
ps which have existed in the levee W
e along that river for number OF d
lrs aud the levee construction re- S.
ltly undertaken in the st. Francis S.
Sin, Gl
Iu 1925 lhe Mississippi River Com II
ssion allotted Sl00,220 additional 7
close the gap IN the White river ~. ~,
tricl, Notwithstanding the TACT that NJ
,rly fifty per cent. more work has M