The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-02-27
LEvEE MEN TO MEET.
Call Covers Levees In Territory From
Cairo to vicksburu.

Memphis, Tenn, Feb. 22.-no ar.
range better levee protection system
and to prepare for the spring rise will
be the purpose of meeting of the gov
eminent engineers and presidents and
chief engineers OF the State levee
boards of districts i, 2 and 8 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. e. w.
Van G. Lucas includes all who are
especially interested in the preserva-
ton 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 it is
the intention of the officials to rigidly
enforce the provision of penalties for
impairing 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 le-
wees and the tearing down of fences
used to protect the leyees 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
Their. 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 coasid.
cred at the meeting next Friday morn.
ing in Capt. Lucas Office and it is
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 leyee laws. Many of the levees
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 their
condition is rendered almost danger
ous.-
Any person living in the levee dis
tricts is empowered by law to prose
cute any man found trespassing on the
entertainments. but the farmers gen.
orally hesitate about taking such &C.
ton against their neighbors.
The St. Francis levees are at pres
ent in excellent condition and are ex.
pected to. withstand any floods that
may occur this spring. There are
only a few weak places and these
are being rapidly strengthened.
At next Fridays meeting reports
concerning the levee conditions will
ce made and thus the river men will
gain an idea of what to expect should
great rise occur.