Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-04-17

aye required 10 put tue 1etecS up 10
recommended grade and section, which
is four feetyabove the highest water
with ten foot crown and three and
three to one slope II would much pre-
fer the slope to be four and four to one.
This statement comprehends work from
the Arkansas state line through to Red
river.
Cubic Yards.
enlargement ............7. 1855 900
New levees necessary this year. $4,000
New levees necessary within
the next two wears. 1900. ,OS5, 900
Extension of system from PIT.
Breeze to Red River .....H. 100000
| Total g, 905. 900
| From this statement and the. profles
1t is known that the relation between
the grade of fhe levee and highest W a.
ter in the district is as follows:
to 2 feet shove high water-Twen-
ty-seven and two-tenths miles.
3 to feet above high water-Nine-
ty-nine miles.
4 feet above high water-Sixty and
nine-tenths miles.
| 1t has been the policy of the levee
authorities TO get levees up to grade;
therefore the great proportion of the
line which is up to grade is deficient
| in section.
The recapitulAtion discloses the fact
that to get the levees up to the condi-
ton they should be. and TO build the
many new ones which will be neces-
sary In one or two years, practically
10 100000 cubic yards of earth will be
necessary; although everv influence is
being brought to induce the Mississip-
pi River Commission to increase bank
protection by revetment: there can be
no early escape from the ravages of
caving banks, and new levePs will have
TO he built 1t is believed if caving
could be eliminated the levee o, oblem
would be solved. Capt. c. FL. West.
chief engineer of the lower Yazoo dis
trict in Mississippi. is so well con-
WINGED of this that he advocates the
commission to make all of its allot-
ments for bank protection. have not
quite reached that position. but I rec
ognize the fact that every cave the
commission stops. and every levee it
saves Is worth more to the levee sys-
tenn, both in actual levee work and eff
feet. than building new levees.
| The levee tax is an onerous one. hut
Judge Taylor, member of the river
commission, and an earnest friend of
the levees. in n speech before a large
levee convention held In New Orleans,
said that the great effort made by the
people by. local taxation to build up
the levec system, had been one of the
most potent arguments and greatest IN
fluences To get appropriations from the
national government.
The leyees are incomparably better
than ever before, and there is no point
where stage of fifty feet would af-
feet it as to section and height; but the
high water is not what causes uneasi-
ness. but the duration of the water
against the levees. making them soft
and causing trouble to the land side
slope. but they are not TO condition that
the river commission (made up of the
highest authorities on levee matters
both army and civilian) recommends.
The development in the district and
Improvement. opening up the back
lands and investment Of capital, has
been very great in the past few years,
and an era of prosperity is dawing for
1T; crevasse now would cause more
damage and greater loss would be sus-
tanned than few wears ago; and /
earnestly urge that the work of i'm
proving the levees Will be carried on
to completion, and not let any word
or act come from the fifth district. or
from the state of Louisiana, for Louis
lana has more interest in appropria-
lions for levees (having one-third of
the leyee mileage from Cairo to the
Gulf. and such an immense area of al
luvial land) which will give the oppo-
sition to appropriations by the national
government. weapons to use against
the friends who are fighting so hard for
iunds TO revet all the caving banks sup
plementing the amounts being spent by
the district and state to make it impos-
sible to have crevasse.
Louisiana has always been in the
front in the fight for levees and it goes
without question or announcement that
all her public men, congressman. gov
ernors and senator's are able and earn
est opponents for improving the rivers.
narDors and .levees of the country, and
do not believe'that the time has come
when their efforts should be slackened.
but should be continued until through
influences such as the national rivers
ano harbors congress. the federal gov
eminent is brought to recognize its
duty to make more liberal appropria-
lions, and eventually to take over the
entire expense of building and main
tanning them.
For financial condition of the board
l respectfully refer to the report Of the
secretary.
Respectfully Submitted,
J. II. MCCLELLAN.