Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-25
THE MISSISSIPPI : FLOODS
An Interesting Statement 81 the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Damage Caused by the overflow Last
Year-Discussion of Its
Causes.

partment Of Agriculture. 1t is prepared
under the direction Of Willis L. Moore,
chief of the weather bureau, by Park Nor
rill, forecast official in charge of river and
flood service. The bulletin has been hand
somely prepared. and contains many inter-
esting maps, charts and illustrations of the
subject touched upon.
The bulletin is divided into four sections
The first comprises the river and BASIN
Section contains facts of normal precipi-
tation and drainage Section tells of the
river in flood, comprising chief floods for
the past quarter of century. Section 4
has data Of the spring flood of last year.
In the Introduction the statement is made
that an effort has been made to briefly
cover the entire regimen of the river both
In Its normal condition and in flood. The
physical characteristics Of the Mississippi
basin and river have been reviewed, and
the best data available as to area of water
Sheds dimensions and slope of the main
stream and its tributaries, are given large
ly In tabular form convenient for reference
The charts Of normal precipitation, which
accompany the paper, are thought to be
the most accurate yet prepared for the
region covered, which is practically all
that portion of the United States living east
of the great divide.
The floods occurring during the past
twenty-six years are made the chief sub
Ject of study. Six notable flood years are
embraced in this period.
Last Years Floods.
The last flood is referred to as follows:
In the spring Of 1897 a great flood &C.
CURED, although not of extreme duration
The river nearly reached the stage of 1851
at Cairo, and from Memphis to it's mouth
rose to height greater than ever before
l re- The flood exceeded that of 1858
by 20 feet at Cairo, 90 at Memphis. ~ at
Helena. "a at Vicksburg, 2S at Natchez
o9 at Baton Rouge and 40 at Carrollton.
. VI the floods Of the last twenty-six yea re-
INC those OF 49, 1880 and 1897 are readily dis
tlnguishable as the most serious and de-
strnctive. These floods, together with that
OF 1883. In which the maximum height Of
water was reached at the head of the allu-
VA VA pam; that OF 1884. during which the
ONO was in greatest flood, and that Of
1885 as a type of summer flood have been
subjected to analysis. In determining the
sources OF flood in the lower Mississippi
points, so selected as to Indicate the con-
trloutfons of all the chief tributaries
whence food may come. The waters from,
the rne great Missouri basin and that of the
upper mississippi must pass st. Louis and
hence the stage at that point will serve as
an INDEX to flood waters out of those ba sins
me STAGES at Cincinnati and JohnsonviIIe
MI MI sunciently gauge the waters Of the
Snlo basin; flood from the Arkansas will
De SHOWN on the gauge at Eittle Rock. and
one from the Red on the Shreveport pange
IN IN the lower Mississippi itself the com
upper Mississippi and Missouri is shown a.
CAIRO: at Memphis the, same water appears
less That assing into the St. Francis bot
tom; at Vfcksburg there has been added
the drainage from the st. Francis White
Arkansas and Yazoo; and at New Orleans
the last tributary, the Red, and the efflu
ent oayous have been passed For the sta
IONS enumerated the photographs have
been constructed from the daily gauge
readings for each of the six floods. These
cover, in each flood a period of fonr
months, embracing the rise, elimination
and decline of the flood" - -
In commenting on the flood in tho Mic
sisslppi last year. the bulletin saws:
=, IN the Hood of last spring the river rose
In one long swell at ali stations from ST
Louis TO the Gulf of Mexico. At st. Louis
the rise began on February 2 and was
SLOW. continuing, with minor oscillations.
10 May z. when a stage 10 foot above
danger line had been reached: At Cairo
the rise commenced on February 4; it was
checked by a slight fall from February 10
to p, after which it continued to a max
lmum Of 11.6 feet above danger line on
March 70. The subsequent fall was slow
70 April 16, and afterward became rapid.
me river was at flood height for a period
OF fifty-nine days. The course of the flood
at memphis was altogether similar to that
at Cairo. The rise, commencing on Feb
rrary !, was checked by slight fall from
the 10Th to the oath, and then continued to
a maximum stage of Al feet above danger
line on March 10. The fall from the latter
date to the end Of April was only 3 feet,
Inen becoming more rapid The rise at
Vicksburg began on February r. and the
river came to a stand during the latter
days of the month. From March the rise
was steady until the crest was reached at
a stage Of lib feet above danger line on
April 16. The rise at New Orleans was
continuous from February 10 to May 10,
when a stage of 81 feet above danger line
was reached. sharp rise occurred in the
Ohio at Cincinnati from February 3 to II,
followed by fall to the Goth. still more
rapid rise then set in, lasting to the Goth,
when the river was 1874 feet above danger
line. This flood from the upper Ohio was
followed by a great rise in the Tennessee
and Cumberland rivers during March.
From the precipitation and departure
charts it Is seen that the downpour of this
flood fell much short of that in the notable
dant precipitation in the lower Missouri
and Arkansas basins and the central val
ley, which filled the bottom, and brought
the Mississippi to it's normal winter height.
In February rainfall, not of excessive
amount. but falling within short time,
occurred in the Ohio basin, and inaugural
ed the flood. In March still heavier rainfall
in the Ohio basin, and especially on the
Cumberland and Tennessee watersheds,
maintained the lower Ohio in flood. This
was supplemented by a slow rise from the
Mississippi above Cairo, caused by mod
crate rains in the lower sections Of the
Missouri and upper Mississippi basins. At
the same time heavy rainfall occurred in
the central valley and the lower Arkansas
basin. The departure of downfall in the
Ohio basin, from its normal value, Is seen
to be less than half its amount in 1882, and
yet the Ohio flood is. fully the equal to that
of 1882"
Causes of the Flood.
The cause of the flood of 1897 is given as
follows: The lower Mississippi in the early
part Of February was at low stage. Upon
1t was poured during February a great
flood from the Ohio. At the same time the
alluvial bottoms were filled by heavy rain
falls. The river was brought to full food
by the middle of March. 1t was maintain
ed by flood, chiefly, by heavy rain falls
over the central valley andI lower Arkansas
basin. somewhat aided byi higher water iu
the Mississippi river itself above Cairo
The cause of Mississippi foods is given as
"It is, Of course, conceivable that a flood
should occur in the lower Mississippi from
heavy precipitation DYER any of the great
contributary basins. In these floods Of the
past quarter century. we DO not, however,
find the western tributaries playing an I'm
portant part. The great source Of floods is
the Ohio basin, with Its steep slopes from
the crest Of the Alleghanies. upon which
fall the heaviest rains of spring, at time
when the normal risetOf the lower Missis-
Sippi brings the river almost to the danger