Lower coast gazette., 1909-09-25
The Back Ieyee,

as a result of the storm, is not
las serious as first anticipated,
The mad, furious rush of the
tidal wave, as it were.. it was
feared would" have: washed the
levee completely away. 1t is a
conceded fact, however, that
when one considers the unprece-
denied volume. Of water backed
up against the levee in the short
space of one night, there are few
who. are yet willing to condemn
the levee as a failure, or to even
lay any blame at its door for the
terrible food, which probably
nothing short ola miniature sea-
wall could check:
At this point, as early as seven
o'clock on Monday morning the
water was actually washing over
the levee in low places. With
the hurricane wind flashing the
water into one furious mass,
what was formerly a marsh on
the exterior was quickly con-
verted. into one broad expanse Of
sea, while on the inside of the
levee awaiting destruction stood
stack upon stack Of Plaque
mines golden cereal. In less
than three hours time the fields
were inundated and rice stacks
and shocks set adrift. Needless
to say that less than ten per
cent Of the field rice will be
saved. Those who had partially
hauled their crops into front
stackyards for threshing later
will lose a very small portion Of
that. While we in Pointe-a-la-
Hache proper are heavy sufferers,
it is gratifying to learn that the
territory extending from Bohe-
mia plantation down Jared bet
ter, having had considerably
less water. In that section the
loss to rice is comparatively
small.
1t is, therefore, evident that
the Back Levee, District has felt
the disaster only partially, and
this fact should Lend fresh hope
to those less favored by fortune.
Just why Pointe.a-la-H ache
and vicinity should ts u have had
more water than the. section be-
low has not: VT 4 esn1'aseertained,.
but it is quite probable that the |
lay Of the land !: aqidI1'thf !! : direction.
Of the wind in relation thereto.
contributed largely in bringing
about this result -: ...,... . ...
The. future. Of tHe: Back Leyee.
is "a matter which should. be-
studiously considered by every:
one who hasa the welfare
of. the district at heart. The
levee in it's present badly DAM
aged conditionzis of no service
for the future. The. indomitable
American courage was evidenced
in the building ola concrete sea-
wall at: Galveston, it was eyi,
denced here on A. smaller scale
when the Back Levee was built,
with that spirit still pre-
dominant, the :. question now
squarely before: US is not so
much what should be done. but
early the, work should be
undertaken. A meeting Of the
Board should be held ask
ing the cooperation. of the State
Of Engineers to the end
that an immediate inspection
and survey of the entire line of
|evee be had in order that the
true extent Of the damage might
oe better ascertained. It is not
improbable that the State Legis-
allure might at it's next session
'e induced to vote an appropria-
ion. towards the relief q" the
district. : ar.:.: .:'H.": It
In. the meantime, however,
actionbein necessary
@ our future. welfare, .let:z us
thrive tovdo that which alone:will I;
guarantee the: p'ermanency:: Of
'ur future abode here, the re-
of a better and stronger
Sack Levee. @4:'* "a. ...a'~;s r.
~. Tx $50, Z .-:'... = ..:-::*
a.. :t- e -. y - rt,,..F,