Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1897-06-04
PROTECTION or LEHEES.
Editor Commercial-Herdld:

mony of Capt. D. G. Kingman,
U. S. E., before a congressional
committee in January, 1891? He
speaks upon a subject of the great
est Importance to those interested
in the maintenance of our public
levee system:
"The first and most important
question in construction of a sys-
TEN of levees on the Mississippi
River from Cairo to the forts is
this: Can a system be construct
cd which will be able to restrain
any flood likely to occur? 1t is,
in my opinion, perfectly practical
bile to do, and at a moderate ex-
pense. II is just as practicable a
a problem as it would be to con-
struct a railroad from Cairo to
New Orleans, which nobody doubts
can be done.
81 think that some engineers,
when asked whether o system can
be constructed that will restrain
any food, have, in their answers,
had several things in mind. They
have had in their minds particu-
larly the care, or rather the lack
of care, that these works, when,
built. once, ordinarily receive in
time of low water. The only time
that they ever do receive any re-
pairs or any care, is in time of
flood, when they are greatly
threatened, and then the repairs,
though expensive, are hurriedly
made, and are of little or no per-
manent value.
eff anybody should ask, rs it
possible to build railroad from
Cairo to New Orleans?' of course,
the answer would be in the affir-
native; but if it were asked, rs it
possible to build railroad from
Cairo to New Orleans, capable of
sustaining a heavy traffic, without
ever receiving any repairs?' the
answer would probably be No
Anything exposed to the action of
rain and frost, and TO the work of
burrowing creatures, such as craw-
fish and beavers, as a levee is,
must be carefully looked after.
The weeds must be cut. the gull.
legs filled, and these burrowing
creatures must be killed and their
work undone. If that is done, and
q moderate amount of watchful-
ness and care taken, such as is ex-
ercised by railroad companies in
looking after their track, it would
be more than sufficient to maintain
a good system of levees when once
built, and to enable it to success
fully resist any flood in the river
that is ever likely to occur"
A fruitful source of danger in
high water, is the want of care of
our levees when the river is with
in its banks.
Louisiana has provided string
ent statutes intended for the pro-
lection of her levees, riding, driv-
ing or hauling upon them is pro-
hibited and fine and imprison-
ment provided as punishment.
After the cutting of the Red Fork
levee, the congress of the United
States passed statute, denounc-
ing as a crime the doing of
any act tending to destroy or
weaken or render less serviceable
and effective any levee built by the
government and providing for
fines or imprisonment as long as
two years for violation of the
statute.
In my opinion this statute would
reach the same class of offenders
provided against by the Louisiana
laws referred to above. Riding,
driving or hauling upon the levees
certainly Injuries and weakens
them and renders them subject to
the influence of winds in dry
weather and rain wash in wet
weather.
From what 1 read in your news
paper, the Promised Land crevasse
seems to have been caused by cat
tie permitted to roam upon the
levees.
We can expect no assistance
from the Government unless the
people interested render assistance
in their power to the protection
of the works when they are built,
and / invite your cooperation in
impressihg upon the public gener-
ly the necessity for the protection
and preservation of the leyees as
we'll in low as in high water.
Yours truly,
G.. G. CoRDILL.