Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-04-09

seepage going on In the earthworks,
and II the interior OF the levee IS open
II begins to cave, and the shell gives
way, The tremendous pressure OF the
rushing waters instantly carries the
walls away and the river rushes
through. Nothing can Withstand the
flood II Ii gets beyond the lnitlatory
break, and no force that man can
readily apply can close the gap until
an enormous amount OF damage mas
been done Some of the earlier build
ers left large tree stumps In the earth
of which the levee Is composed. These
gradually rot and leave a hole when
begins to cave, and the seepage fin
ishes the work Of destruction.
The conflicting lnterestst Of the plant
ers along the banks Of the river are
menace TO the integrity OF the leVee'
Naturally every planter would rather
see a break occur below than above
him II 1t occurs below, his river
frontage IN at once relieved Of the
pressure Of the water and II his levee
happens TO be weak In any spot i
may be saved by break below and
not only his plantation, but the ives
of himself and the members of bis
family, be preserved. This is the source
Of temptation in times OF stress that
makes men sometimes so far forget
themselves as to cause Il levee to be
undermined.
Another source OF danger comes
from the iumbermen in the swamps
back OF the levee 1t Is manltestly
cheaper for them to float their timber
out than TO haul Il. Hence they profit
by a flood.
During the season Of high water the
leyees are carefully and constantly
guarded. Hundreds OF policemen armed
with rifles march along the crown OF
the leyees watching every foot OF II
10 prevent its being tempered with. No
person not authorized or who cannot
give a satisfactory account Of bis pur-
nose Is permitted 60 approach. IL he Is
caught IN the act OF damaging the le-
wees, he Is promptly shot and tried af-
forwards.
A guard patrollng the levee notices
a slight leakage on the inner side Of
the embankment. The crown of the
leyee sounds beneath his feet. Pres
entity small stream spurts from the
inner wall He knows the sign. The
crawdsh have undermined the levee,
and one has worked through, making
small tunnel scarcely an inch In d.
amtter through which the water has
followed from the nest IN the middle
Of the embankment. In q case like
this eXpedlency Is the thing, Quick
work may save the levee. An hours
neglect may result IN a crevasse,
through which the Mississippi will
pour in a raging torrent.
The rapidly with which a break IN
the lcvee becomes crevasse Is one OF
the terrible features OF a Mississippi
food. When the guard has discovered
that a crawhsh has bored through the
leyee, he first sees squirt Of water
such as comes from a leak In q FIRE
hose or a break In lead pipe In
plumbing He knows the significance
Of this and Is not deceived at It's small
ness. He rushes for help because he
knows that In FIVE minutes the leak
win be twice greater, In half hour
win be the size OF q mill race and that
shortly after Il will be n crevasse. with
tho full might Of the Mississippi pour.
Ing through e.
should this occur and the waters be
turned loose on their errand OF de-
struction among the plantations the
Scene IS one never 10 be forgotten.
With q roar Ike Niagara the river
PUSHES upon the weakened bank. II
goes with q rush. Now ten feet Of
bank goes whirllng away In mud. In q
minute the gap is doubled IN width. In
another It Is trebled, and 20 on until
Il is n hundred feet wide, and the tre-
mendous pressure OF the waters is re-
lIoved.
The necessity therefor for prompt
and effective work az soon as the first
Indications o. O break are observed Is
apparent II widespread destruction Is
10 be ayorted