The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-03-21
coLFAx, GRANT PARISH. La SATURDAY, MARCH Fl, 1903
The Present High Waters.

The Present High Waters.
The people Of Red river valley, Of
course, are just now more greatly in
terested in the water flowing down
Red river than in the conditions else.
where, but, while much devastation
is going on in this valley, it is well t.
reflect that We are better on than the
people affected by the floods in some
Of the other tributaries of the Missis.
sippi river. The combined result Of
all ID that the mighty Father Of Wa.
tiers has become terrible torrent,
such as has not been witnessed by the
present generation.
While this 10 true, It Is also true,
that, under State and United States
appropriations, the system Of levees
for the protection Of the low lands
have been built up and strengthened
20 az to withstand and hold almost
any volume Of water that may come
against them. This being the case, q
great deal Of confidence is expressed
in the ability Of the levees to protect
most exposed points. Thus far only
q couple Of new embankments have
given way in Louisiana, and these
were not any Of the State or Govern
ment system, but were built by rail-
roads sand other private corporations
for their own benefit. They were not
constructed on the liberal and ample
scale that has been followed in build
ing the government levees.
The critical conditions prevailing
provoke anew the outlet and levee
discussion. We opine that most per-
sons know about as little about the
relative merits of the two theories as
they haveinterest in their application
and efficacy. 1t may truly be said
that it Is q condition" and not a
theory" that besets the dwellers in
the low lands. They own the valu-
able rich lands OF the delta, and they
want to live there and cultivate their
holdings. II they prefer levees, that
is their business, and it serves their
purpose sufficiently and well in most
contingencies. II, as some contend,
the building Of levees raises the level
of the river, and the levees continue
to be built higher and higher until
the bottom Of the river Is level with
the surface Of the low lands, that is
still the business Of those same peo-
pie, because whenever the levees give
way they are the people who suffer
the inundation. The levees at least
afford some present probationary
be the outlet system would do the
same, and We only wish that both
theories might 1T present be available.
The Mississippi food crest i calcu-
lated to reach the neighborhood of
Baton Rougeand New Orleans to-day
and tomorrow, 80 we will soon know
the result Of the great strain on the
|evees. The high water in the Missis-
sippi prevents the water in Red river
rom getting out with anything like
freedom, as the wnter from the Miss
ssippi not only prevents Red river
rom flowing into it, but forces Red
river mp stream, and fights It's way
INTO the Atchafaiaya river, and al |
most monopolises that outlet to the
Gulf. As q result Red river will not
berelieved Of It's food for several days
10 come. In the mean while the pre-
iictions for Red river il it will con-
;inue to rise slowly from Shreveport
youth for two or three days more.
70 the crest Of the rise in Red river
nay be expected to arrive at Colfax |
a the next two or three days.
During the past week Red river at |
;olfax has risen about one foot. One
veek ago the water on the river guage
n front Of the town was -four feet be- |
ow the high water mark Of 1892, |
Ind last evening it was q little less
han three feet below that mark.
The indications are that It will con-
binue to rise for 6 or 6inches AID then
'lowly fall. In any event, we think !
Dur people need not fear the water |
xoing any higher than within two
eet Of the high water Of 1892, unless
here is q recurrence Of something
ike the late unprecedented rain fall |
Of two weeks ago.
Rev. H. N. Reagan this week receiv-
I'd the skeleton draft Of the artist who
A