Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-02-26

LEvEE MEN TO MEET.
Call Covers Levees In Territory From
Cairo to vicksburg.

Memphis. Tenn, Feb. 22.-To ar
range better levee protection system
and to prepare for the spring rise will
be the purpose of meeting Of the gov.
ernment engineers and presidents and
chief engineers of the State levee
boards OF districts l, 2 and 3 of the
Mississippi river improvement, in this
city, at 1890 o'clock next Friday
morning.
The call for the meeting and invi-
tation to attend issued by Capt. z. w.
Van G. Lucas includes all who are
especially interested in the preserva-
tion and maintenance Of the levee sys
tens. It Is expected that all the le-
wee boards from Cairo, ILL.,, to Vicks-
burg, Miss, will be represented at the
meeting.
Beside the government officials the
following State districts will be repre-
sented at the meeting: st. Francis
district of Missouri, st. Francis dis
trict OF Arkansas, Reelfoot district of
Tennessee, Upper and Lower Yazoo dis
tricts of Mississippi, Cotton Belt dis.
trict of Arkansas, White river district
of Arkansas, Desha and Chico county
districts OF Arkansas and the Upper
Tensas district Of Louisiana.
Capt. Lucas in issuing the call at
tracts attention to sections IA and
16 of the rivers and harbor act OF
March 3, 1899, and states that 1t Is
the intention of the officials to rigidly
enforce the provision of penalties for
impairlng in any way the usefulness
of any of the levees.
H. N. Pharr, chief engineer of the
st. Francis levee board, stated yes.
terday that he would send out warn.
ings all along his district, calling at.
tention to the State laws relative to
the protection Of the levees. The stat
utes OF Arkansas provide that riding
or driving or even walking on the lie.
wees and the tearing down of fences
| used to protect the levees is punish,
able by fine of S. to $50 and an i'm
| prisonment of from five to thirty days
| The Arkansas law even goes fur
ther. 1t provides against the trespass
OF live stock on the levees.
The levee laws and regulations OF
Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mis-.
sissippi and Louisiana will be consid
cred at the meeting next Friday morn
ing in Capt. Lucas office and it IL
the intention to arrive at some decis
ion whereby the laws may be rigidly
enforced.
Except in high water time when ev
cry one is on the lookout to save life
and property, it is difficult to enforce
the levee laws. Many of the leyees
are so constructed that they furnish
excellent highways, level and smooth
while often the county roads which
run alonside are swimming in mud
during the rainy season. Thus the
levees are cut and worn until theil
condition Is rendered almost danger
Gus.
Any person living in the levee dis
tricts Is empowered by law to prose
cute any man found trespassing on the
embankments. but the farmers gen
orally hesitate about taking such &C
tion against their heighbors.
The st. Francis levees are at pres
ent in excellent condition and are ex
pected to withstand any floods tina
may occur this spring. There are
only a few weak places and these
arc being rapidly strengthened.
At next Fridays meeting report,
concerning the leveo conditions will
be made and thus the river men will
gain an idea of what to expect SHOULD
great rise occur.