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Find New Gulf Outlet for Miussissipp1 CLIVNTIUTTTTET TTT 1922 Flood Spurs New Orleans To Seek Relief TMT ET CONSIDERABLE ACTIVITY ECISION to raise the levees, D wharves and railroad tracks on the New Orleans harbor front a minimum of one foot at a cost of ap- proximately $5,000,000 is the first of a of measures being taken as a series result of observation of the highest water ever known in the Mississippi river. The next decision probably will be whether to turn the Mississippi into the Atchafalaya river at Turnbull’s is- land, 125 miles northwest of New Orleans on an air line or to close Upper Old river and Lower Old river. To turn the waters into the Atchafa- laya would make New Orleans praocti- cally a still water harbor and permit the abandonment of levee maintenance from Turnbull’s island down to the Gulf of Mexico and dis- continuance of jetty work at the Mississippi mouth. The high water of 1922 may prove to be a blessing in dis- guise. The data gath- ered from St. Louis to the Gulf is expected to complete informa- tion for the purpose of providing a basis for a general policy. Sena- tor J. E. Ransdell of Louisiana, up to the present the leading ad- vocate of “levees only” and during 10 years a successful opponent of all proposed departures from that policy, now announces himself as willing to support any- thing the engineers rec- ommend to help the levees. A committee of 100 citizens of New Orleans is promoting an organization with these objects: First, to complete all levees to ABOVE—IN IS. DISPLAYED ALONG THE “MISSISSIPPI FLOOD TIME standard size. Only about one-third now are up to the specifications of the federal engineers. Second, to pro- vide whatever other means may be practicable to reduce flood levels and prevent strain on the levees. Third, to co-operate with other communities to obtain support in congress for what- ever plan may receive approval of the engineers. The general harmony and agreement started when the levee broke at Ferri- day. When water from the Mis- sissippi so crowded the Atchafalaya that the levee then broke at Ham- burg, the fight on the New- Orleans harbor front and at the industrial suburbs became intensely interesting to Orleanians who had come to be- THE RECENT FLOOD THE LEVEE WHERE TEXAS & BELOW— SOMETIMES IS NECESSARY TO PACIFIC TRAINS ARE FERRIED WAS THREATENED. DOUBLE LEVEEING DANGER OF A BREAK 347 AVERT VOD ITE TTT STOTT Shift River to NewBed, Is Planned As Solution HUTT TTT LEVEES APT lieve that with their resources in labor and material a flood in the city was impossible. This was a belief they had had for years, When the newspapers reported that the river was at 22 feet, the previous high record, and would go higher, the levee engineers and railroad men started the hardest fight they have ever had and when the gage showed 22.7 feet all the city became interested. The level dropped one-tenth of a foot and the United States weather bureau was about to predict still higher water when the levee broke at Poydras, 12 miles below New Orleans, and the water at the city was lowered two feet. Decision to raise the port front at New Orleans followed almost imme- diately. Then tthe levee broke at Myrtle Grove, further down the river, and at Angola, above. Then all danger, for the time, was past. The situation at Turn-. bull’s island particular- ly interests the port of New Orleans and the minor port at Morgan City. That something radical must be done at the island now is gen- erally conceded and whatever is done means much to these two ports. When there is low water, the Red river flows through Upper Old river and Lower. Old river into the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya. When the water is high, the Red and the Mississippi turn a large part of the flood into the Atch- afalaya. Cutting the Mississippi off from the other two rivers at the