The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1912-12-21


Wednesday In January. 1913.
E. c. RHODES.
President Board Commissioners. Fifth
Louisiana Levee District.
o. w. CAMPBELL.
Secretary Board Commissioners. Fifth
Louisiana Levee District.
(SEAL.)
Office Of the Board Of Commissioners.
For the Fifth Louisiana Levee District.
Tallulah. La. December 18th. 1912.
To the President and Members of the
Board Of Commissioners for the
Fifth Louisiana Levee District:
On retiring from the Board as a
Member and its President, I deem II
proper to present to you a list OF work
under contract by the District (see
table attached) for your information.
and suggest the levees which should
next be undertaken. The yardage will
be somewhat greater than the table
submitted herewith.
Comforting with Mr.. NJ. p. Robert.
son, Member Of the Board Of State
Engineers. ii has been determined &c
materially increase the section
and grade at ReidBiggs in
Madison Parish. This IL an iso-
lated location-yery difficult to get
labor during times Of high water. and
has to bear the tTunt of an abnormal
overweight should any crevasse &C.
cur on the east side Of the river. as
the return water from the Yazoo
Basin comes directly against 1t.
also take the liberty Of suggest
ing Ierecs which should have first at
tention after the contracts now In
force are finished. and funds and out
fits can be had to do the work:
PUNCHES BEND-The ten-mil,
stretch around Old River in East Car
roll Parish is very weak in sections,
and as II Is on a permanent location
should be finished to full grade and
section. II Is in the extreme northern
portion OF the District and a crevasse
in 1t would cause general overflow and
disaster to the whole District. have
presented conditions here to the Mis-
sissIppi River Commission. and the
United States Engineer in charge has
submitted it as a project for future
care; but the Commission is not Ill
ways able to take care OF all the pro-
jects furnished. and the District has
to do what the. State and United
States docs not undertake.
COTTONWOOD AND LONGwOOD:
Should also be raised and enlarged;
Elton Slough north and Hagaman.
south Of Lake Providence are being
prepared for repair Of defects devel-
oped during the high water Of 1912.
All OF the crevasses in the District
for twenty years (exceptBiggs in Mad
ison Parish, which was an overtop-
ping by the return water from the
Yazoo) have occurred between Lake
Providence and Henderson. THIS
STRETCH OF LEvEE IS TREACH-
EROCS. and II 1t were an animate
thing, I'd believe IL had formed a habit
Of "crevassing:" at any rate there
must be something in the soil or in
the manner of the water piiing up
causing the trouble.
The levees from Lake Providence to
Atherton (skipping the new Anterior
Loop to Wilton as far as Alsatia
plantation have been enlarged recent.
ly; from Alsatia to Salem crevasse is
now under contract. and from Salem
crevasse to Henderson is also under
contract for enlargement.
There have been so many crevasse.
along this stretch that a deposit ha.
closed up all drainage and made g
very quick-sand foundations: thi,
whole stretch should have a system
of drainage. especially around Holly
brook and Point Lookout, and from
Alsatia to Willow Point. including tn,
new Salem Loop. by landslide canals
connecting with drainage system
which would take off the seep wate
from the levees. II Ia proposed. I un
derstand. by the Good Roads Depart
ment of the Board Of State Engi
neers to drain from Alsatia station oil
he railroad for the benefit Of the pub
ic roac. and this landslide cana
might be connected there.
Drainage should also be done a
d-Biggs in Madison Parish: Whit
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
Oak Lake and Kempe in Tensas Par
: ish. and Green Levee in Concordi
, Parish.
The levee from Millikens BEN
south to the Cabin Teele new Loo
showed low during high water: tn
Cain-Teele levee (south Of the ney
loop) also showed low. but the cav
ing there IL SO active in front at tn
latter place that IL would not be wis
: to enlarge It as a new levee will hav
to be considered in the near future.
By examination Of the work unde
contract it will be seen that the leyee
from Carolina Madison Parish) (
, Diamond Island, there are severa
contractors covering the lcvees whic
need enlarging.
White Oak Lake and Raritan 4
Tensas Parish should both have at
tention. There were quite q numbe
Of contracts Let In Tcnsas and Con