The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-13
no suggestion Of danger, " the active rise began there 4 week later and never
attained the sam relative elevation as below. opposite the White river front

. ~ Hss,t the SAL n relative rslsa elevation as b.low, opposite the White river front
BLUE HOLE
On March cath received intelligence from Green Grove o Lombars d.
vision that the leyee as in extremely critical condition at the 'Bue Hole, on
that front I started for that point Immediately o a hand car, arriving about
lOa m A. this place the Ievee one Of ancient construction, is located on the
river side Of large and deep crsva~e hole, which at one point is $ near the
base of the levee that there VAS not room for full wide banquette behind it, the
leve here being fifteen feet high
found here a slough in progress of appalling character the banquette of the
tevee sliding dowu into the revase hole, with water 8 to 10 feat deep N the
margin between the slough and the edge of the hole. addressed myself at once
to constructing butress of sacks and brush facines ACROSS the base OF the slough
;, distance f about 20 feet Before this could be completed, the rear slope Of the
leve composed mainly of sand. above the unbuHressed portion, developed a
rapid movement in the form of IN avalanche, which rushed down n a constant,
Iv widening gorge a semi liouid stream into the deep hole behind. This move
ment extended itself in a few minutes from the banquette to within a very few
feet of the top of the levee, and its destruction in a very short time seemed inv,
liable Having at hand Mr. Lombard, with most his helpers and alarge force,
directed that sacks should be rolled into the water o the river side as rapidly
las possbl. A panic among the negroes depleted our force Tor a short time to a
small number, but through the efforts of MI. Lombard and his foreman, did-
pGne was 800 restored, and by robbing the top Of The levee Of one tier of sacks,
this treatment Don checked the rapid sloughing By eighteen hours OF unre-
hitting labor this place was made secure.
On the night of the 25h / returned to Stoval and busted myself in directing
the fight generally making occasional excursions for a short time to the most
critical localities but found it more and more difficult to get away from the tde
phone Office.
CONFINED TO OFFICE.
On March 3Bt, found that my feet were so badly inhamed and swollen that
| was compelled to use slippers, and DR.. McElroy, whom consulted, thought it
necessary to put them both in bandages, in which condition they remained four
or five days, necessarily combining me to the telephone Office, where my time was
fully occupied, both day and night in communicating with all parts of the line
REPORTS FROM ABOVE.
A few days prior to this time began to receive reports of a rapid rise, from
the commissioners in charge NORTH of Frars Point but with a good margin of
safety, and no danger apprehended. l continued to receive reports from day to
day from the upper divisions which indicated a continued rise of the river, and
the situation growing graver on the third and fourth divisions between Austin
and Frars Point but no indication of critical danger any where and no intima-
ton from any of the commissioners that my own presence vas needed. About
April I'd was earnestly solicited by Mr. F. NJ. Norfeet and Mr. W, j Kyle to
go myself to the o X and Flower Lake localities but being utterly unable to do
So both for physical and other reasons, and experimenting no grave danger there,
sent A. L. Dabney assistant engineer, with instructions to confer with Capt R.
L. Mays and Capt t.. G. Ferguson, and place himself at their disposal, II needed.
He having had considerable experience in high water fighting o N the govern,
mnt levees, 1 considered him well equipped for that service may add that
my son as only enlisted in my services to meet the e1igencies Of this high water
fight
In the meantime, the long continued strain of such a n extraordinary char
acter OF the fifth and sixth divisions and especially the former with the exceed:
.mgy complicated conditions of different leves systems. jnterdependent on each
other and its inaccesiblty, caused the situation to grow hourly more acute,
and, for several days and nights expected the sound Of every approaching
horses feet to bring news of disaster.
On the morning of the 4th of April the crisis had evidently been reached,
and it seemed impossible to hold for another day those many miles of levee with
water standing from one to two te.. and in places nearly three feet above the
top be kept from running owe by J.. light topping of sacks and dirt, to supply
which the levee itself had for much of is length been robbed to the last ex
tremity and the river persstanty rising without cessation, may mention
here that the stovall and Carson front proper was never in serious dasgss, and
received very little attention at my hands Thedanger was all below thatlocalty
In addition to this source of danger, there were numerous and extensive
sougs on the rear slope Of the levee especially on sections H. - and 49, where
the material which comprises the levees is of inferior character, and tbs rear
1t may be mentioned as somewhat remarkable, that at one point on section
81 the crown of the Lwee had entirely sloughed away and a lew crown, of
vas built around the place in Hs water on the river side.
HELENA BREAAs.
Just at this juncture cam intelligence Of 9 rapid fal ai&pg Tho fourth and
fifth divisions. and a less rapid decline along the sixth, FNass Point isapRaaed
that the levee OIL the Arkansas side had broken between there and Hsisaa and
later another break vas reported in the same locality
FLOWER LAKE BREAK.
The feeling Vt relief however, as short lived As news was received of a
at Flower Lake, which believe I al truthfuly say was a heavier blow
to myself than to any other individual concerned as felt confident of holding
my entire line after the Helena levee broke
GENERAL oBsERy Artoss,
twill be noted from the foregoing that the high water fight began two
earlier on the fifth and sixth divisions. opposite the recently built White
levees, than in the upper part of the district, and the struggle became DIES.
from the start along the whole extent of about 40 miles. believe that
no such struggle was ever before made on any levee line. The strain OF every.
engaged in conducting the fight was most intense for II days and nights.
was sustained only BY the consideration that it vas desperate contest be-
the opposite sides Of the 1Fet. md the side that could hold out the longer
win and though many times dsspaFea of being the winning side my eff
were never relaxed,
1t is also apparent that I became inexmtcably involved In this bat
lie, and was under the greatest imaginable pressure, long before there was any
thought of danger north Of Fnars Point 1t has always been my custom to place
~y@f at the point Of greatest danger rs soon as scermined. Here was in the
very focus N Tho hardest high water fight believe, that was ever made.
The situation WAS " tN ST complications in this locality, there being several
systems Of eyee, that it ssMea i~HpasAAs ff me 70 lot go Of the
heim ff an honT, without danger Of a general Collapse 4E headquarters were
10 located. however. ~ to place me In communication with the entire line and
10 afford ready means Of communication with my@lf, TO all The commissioners
charge of divisions. l was moreover, in frequent communication with the pres
dent and most Of the members of the levee board, several Of the latter beino
me during the hardest of the fighting The intelligence 1 received from ne
,pb4+ aNsi9ns was all reassurng. My own knowledge of the situation above .
lse di@fmed ~ arpteAsasaAs. fer tAAat quarter, and as before stated. there was
any call from any one in authority for my pslaHai arpearaacY sgth of /.
Pont.
The Flower Lake break occurred in on old levee that was built many years !
go and enlarged by me in 1887, with slight additions in 1889 and 1891. The 4
ID evees have been found to contain many concealed defects that battle detec. 4
'aa nRtn suddenly manifested; and my information is that the danger at this place 4
very Suddenly when not suspected and was beyond control before an 4
Elective remedy could be applied. Capt Ferguson reported that the evee was I
pparnhy. sound till Immediately before it broke /
In conclusion l desire to call the attention of the board to certain newsna. 4
structures on my official conduct during the high water camuaipn and re. 4
uest an expression of their approval or diapproval Of the course pursued, ,
Very respectfully, \
T. G. pAgNEYi Chief Engineer y