Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-11-14


nlted States Senate on the flood of
1882, Senator Garland said he was
more familiar with 1t on the Mississ-
ppi than on the Arkansaw side, but
Il nave known" said he, "the river at
that point to be nearly $50 miles wide.
On the west side there are no hills or
bluffs to be seen, only at Helena, about
75 miles below Memphis. A short
distance below Helena, on the east
side, a bayou leads out of the Mlssissi-
ppi, running into a lake which con-
meets with other lakes and bayous,
leading into the Yazoo river, which en-
ters the Mississippi eight miles above
Vicksburg, and over 300 miles below
where it took in a portion of its water
from the mississippi river through the
Yazoo bayou. Vicksburg stands on
Walnut Hills, lv0 miles above Natchez.
TIE bluffs are to be seen only twice
between Vicksburg and Natchez, at
Grand Gulf and Petty Gulf. The town
of Rodney is located at the latter place
Natchez is also on the bluffs, 300
miles above New. Orleans. In April,
1910, about one-third of the town was
destroyed by cyclone, then called
hurricane At that time much Of the
business was done in boats at the riv-
er There were quite a number of
steamboats, and flatboats at the land
ing at that time the most of which
were sunk, and it was never accurately
known how many lives were lost. On
our way to New Orleans the following
winter we called at Natchez long
enough to view the ruins. We don't re-
member to have seen single new
house or any repairs going on. The
town looked to be in the same condi-
tion that the storm left it,. An island
about four miles below the town that
was heavily timbered, did not have
whole tree left standing. Some stubs
or 40 feet high without the tops,
were to be seen.
The next hills or bluffs to be seen are
Ellis's Cliffs, 1S miles below. From
the ,op of these cliffs a number of
lakes are to be seen on the west side.
These lakes all have been made by
cut-offs, or changes in the Mississippi
river. This is the fact in regard to all
the lakes lying along the river from
Cairo down. Some of them made ages
ago and some of them quite recently.
1ne Horseshoe Bend" was 1G
miles around. We went around it
three times before the cutoff was
made and cord wood was being cut
on, of the timber that was growing on
land made where there had been 80 or
40 feet of water N the old bed of the
river. One other bend was % miles
around (Raccource Bend). There was
a ditch cut through to give the river
ci.ance and when it did begin to cut,
it went through inside of "a hours,
shortening the distance 22 miles. We
mention these things to show the folly
of talking about controlling the Mis-
sissippi river.
IN regard to the levees-in the '4Os
there was little said in regard to the
levees breaking from Baton 4.ouge
down, but as they were opening up
cotton plantations above and extend
ing the levees further up the river, they
began to have trouble along the Sugar
Coast, which finally resulted in the
breaking of the levee. At the Bonnet
Quarry church on the opposite sic of
the river, this was known as the Bon
net Quarry Crevasse, which did i'm
mense damage, destroying several
sugar plantations. lhe break in the
levee was repaired at great expense
and stood for a number of years; but
later it broke through again, and it
seems there is no intention to close it,
as the safety of New Orleans was
considered critical, some years ago
Bayou Planquemine, which is about 100
mics above New Orleans, was closed
up, as the citizens of New Orleans We're
afraid that the Mississippi river con-
templated a shorter cut to the Gulf
The people down in that wet country
are often in great danger. AS willows
for mattresses and stones to hold them
down are scarce in that locality, we
would recommend this River Commits
sion who are urging Congress to put
u millions of dollars annually for
improving the river with willow mat
resses and stone TO hold them down, to
visit chat country during an annual
flood next spring when the river is
spread out for 40 or so miles wide, and
the inhabitants with their stock are
living on RATS made of logs for the
express purpose, cutting brush for
their stock to live on and they an
xlously waiting for a relief boat to
bring them provisions. There will be
ample time, as this state of things
lasts for weeks, the writer well re-
membering the spring of 1850, one of
six weeks duration
VIM. HARRIS.
IT 1t n WcNf