The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1912-05-11
EARLY FLOODS.

In an old scrapbook, belonging
to Capt. .Ino 7. White, is a clip
ping from some newspaper, (name
AMI date not preserved) that is IN
terosting to this section at thus
time. 1t is probably the Hood Of
1896 which has 80 frequently been
mentioned as the "greatest' IN
this part of tho world But few,
however. have been agreed as to
the date of this "grea'est' Hood,
giving il various years within the
range Of more than half century,
The clipping reads rs sollows:
An extraordinary rise III the
Mississippi this year 5lenv'lle
had selected a site for a city, but
the colony not having means to
build dikes or levees the idea was,
for the present. abandoned.
1876.
Gayarre stat es that in this year
the waters were so high that
many levecs were broken, and
much damage was done New
Orleans itself was inundated.
The flood continued from the latter
part of December to the latter part
of June. When the river fell it
reached a lower point than ever
before noted, the range at New
Orleans being l., feet.
1882
This year the Mississippi rose
to a greater height than was re-
,nembeTed 10y the oldest inhabi-
tants. In the Attakapas and OPP
elousas the iDundation was ex
treme. The few spots which the
water did not reach were covered
with deer
1885
a great flood at st Louis IN
April, sald to have been equal to
that of 1874 Prof. J. Il Riddle,
of New Orleans, states on the au
thority of the L'1mV dcs Lois an
evening journal, May 25, 1916,
that New Orleans was flooded by
crevasses.
1896
The Teche over flowed it's banks
for some 60 miles above New lbe
ria and poured into Grand Lake
| in a smooth sheet of water. The
lake at this date attained the
highest level recorded. being . {
feet higher than in 1923, 6 8 feet
higher than 1850, | 1 feet highe:
than the ordinary Gulf level.
The want of accuracy in the
statement of facts, as we know
them to be today, by the unknown
writer of the above, clouds tht
whole marathon with doubt. W.
know, today, that New Iberia il
located on a ridge 22 feet above
sea level and that the sea Lays
Just ~ miles south Of us. W.
also know that Grand Lake il
about half that distance, north
east of us. Any stage OF waite
that would cover the Teche ridge
at this pOint-and for go miles
above New lberla'-wOuld nevc
.,,our into Grapd Lake in
smooth sheet of wateI," but woult
on the contrary at once be mad
furious, rushing, foamiDg torrent
pouring TO the sea,
Our unknown bistoeian, PrOba
bly, wonld have been closer Il
facts had he confined his state
, ments to saying that Grand LAKE
on this occasion (l7?6) had flood
. ed it's western shores az far west
ward as the Teche ridge-and thi
condition might have "btalne'
, along the lowlands to point y
miles above New iberia; but
t the distance we're measured IN
: straight line, as one would be pei
: mitted to travel on such a Hood,
|, would carry us some lG mile
I above Washington, La.
] Our historian tells us that tn
I famous flood was "2 ) feet hlgb'
than IN 1925" yet the same write
tells us that in 1928 che plant
e tions along the upper part OF II
/, Teche were not flooded, but II
: crops were lost Oh those with
the influence Of the backwat
= from the Atchafalaya overflow"
Ii condition that ia repeating itse
IS this year. He further compar
n Al, enc noo.l .,:%l.1hot OT 2rn Al