Book .hc f ^fe .1i^ /^ Cih^ /C 19 0.6 0-5 0.6 I.I 2.2 2.8 1.2 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.5 0.4 loq 42 16 0.9 0.5 0.5 1.0 1-7 3-1 2.1 1.4 1.2 0.6 0.7 0.5 112 04 15 1.3 0.7 0-7 I.I 1.6 2.3 I.I 0.6 1.2 • 0.9 0.8 0.9 112 00 16 0.6 0.6 I-O 1.2 2-7 2-3 1.4 1.2 1-3 0.8 0.7 0.8 97 40 21 0.9 0.8 1.2 2.9 4.1 4.5 3-9 2-5 2.8 1.5 0.8 0.9 98 .56 18 I.I 1.2 1-5 3-5 5-3 5.4 5-2 3-2 2.4 1.8 0.9 0.8 100 45 29 0.4 0.4 0.7 2.1 3.0 3-5 2-5 2.3 i-5 0.8 0.4 0-5 "95 51. 27 0.7 0.7 1-5 3-1 4-5 5-3 4.6 3-3 3-0 2.6 I.I 1.0 100 38 22 0.6 0.6 I.I 2-3 2.5 3-5 2-3 2.0 1.2 '1.0 0.8 0.6 103 55 29 0.6 "•5 0.6 1.2 2.4 2.8 1-7 1.2 0.8 0.8 o.b 0.6 i03 28 16 0.8 o-5 1.4 2.8 .3.5 3-3 1.9 1.7 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 100 .39 25 0-5 0.4 1.2 2.1 2.6 3-3 2.7 1.9 0.9 0.7 0.4 0.5 PS OQ 14 0.5 0.6 0.9 2.9 3-0 3-6 3-1 2.6 1-4 . 1.2 0.6 0.6 97 28 20 0.6 0.8 1.2 3-3 4.0 4.1 3-5 3-0 2.6 1-3 0.6 0.8 104 48 27 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.5 2-3 1-5 1.9 1.6 1.0 0.7 0-3 0-3 108 53 12 0.6 0.4 1-5 2.1 2.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0-5 0.8 0.7 0.4 14.3 14.0 .35-9 38-9 36.1 35.7 41.3 40.8 12.6 14.2 13-2 14.6 26.8 32-3 18. 1 31-4 18.5 13-8 18.7 17-2 21.0 25.8 12.7 II. 6 ARKANSAS DRAINAGE BASIN. Fort Smith, Ark Lead Hill, Ark Little Rock, Ark Colorado Springs, Colo Las Animas, Colo Fort Gibson, Ind. T.... Dodge City, Kans Independence, Kans - . . 35 23 94 29 33 2.1 3-1 2.9 4.8 4-7 4.2 3-9 3-4 3-1 3-2 •■'•S 2.7 36 29 P2 45 15 2-7 4.1 4.1 4.2 6.0 4.8 5-2 4.7 4.0 3-5 .3-8 4-3 34 45 P2 06 16 4.9 5-3 5-2 4-8 .5.8 4.3 4.0 4.1 3-2 2.5 5-3 4-3 38 51 104 47 12 0.2 0-3 0.6 1.4 2.4 1-9 .3-2 2.2 I.I 0.6 0.3' 0-3 38 04 103 12 12 0.3 0.4 0.6 I.I 1-9 1.4 1.6 1.6 0.6 0-5 0.2 0.6 35 50 P5 20 29 2. 1 2.2 2.5 4.1 4-5 3-9 2.7 2.8 2-7 3-4 2.9 2.1 37 45 100 00 22 0.4 0.6 0.9 1.8 3-1 3-3 3-2 2.8 1-3 1-3 0-5 0.6 37 13 95 41 25 1.6 2.0 2.2 3-7 4.6 4.9 4.2 3-0 3-7 2-7 1.8 2.3 41-7 51-4 53-7 14-5 10.8 35-9 19.8 36-7 DRAINAGE BASIN OP THE RED. Washington, Ark Fort Sill, Ind. T.. Shreveport, La.. . Port Elliott, Tex. 33 34 93 41 27 4.8 4-7 .5.6 6.0 5-2 3-9 4-7 3-9 3-1 .3.6 4-9 4-4 34 40 98 23 24 1.2 1.2 1-5 2.7 4.4 3-7 2.9 3-2 2.8 2.7 1-5 1.9 32 30 93 40 25 4-7 4.2 4.6 5-2 4-2 3-7 .3-4 2.1 3-7 3.2 4.7 4-5 35 30 100 21 II 0.6 0.5 0.6 2.6 4-4 3-2 2-3 3-3 1.8 2-5 0.6 0.7 54-8 29.7 48.2 23 I CENTRAL VALLEY. Helena, Ark Mattoon, 111 Baton Rouge, La . New Orleans, La.. Bronkhaven, Miss, Vicksburg, Miss . . Memphis, Tenn... 3t 33 90 36 20 6.1 5-2 6.6 6.7 4-5 4-7 4-5 3-5 3-9 2.4 4-8 4.6 39 29 88 24 15 2.5 3.8 3-4 4.2 5-0 4.8 3-9 3-4 2.9 2.8 3-4 2.7 30 25 91 05 24 5-1 4.6 5-0 4-7 4.5 5-0 5-3 5-9 4-2 3-2 5-5 5-6 29 58 90 04 26 5-1 4.4 5-3 5-2 4.8 6.7 6.4 6.0 4.6 3-3 4.1 4-4 31 34 90 29 12 4-9 .5-6 6.7 6.9 4.6 .5.6 5-7 5-«> 3-7 2-5 4-1 5-0 32 23 90 50 42 5-3 4-9 5-5 5-3 4.4 .3-9 4.5 3-* 3-3 2.6 4-7 4.9 35 09 90 03 26 5-5 5-2 5-9 5-4 4.4 4.6 3-4 3-5 3-1 2.7 4.8 4.1 57-5 42. 8 .S9.6 60.3 60.9 52.7 52-6 DRAINAGE TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. Hartford, Conn. .. New Haven, Conn Washington, D. C. Jacksonville, Fla. Augusta. Ga, Savannah, Ga .... Gardiner, Me 41 25 41 18 38 5+ 30 20 33 28 32 05 44 '4 72 40 27 4-3 4.0 4.2 3-0 .3.6 3-0 4.1 4.6 3-2 3-9 ,3.8 .3.6 72 56 45 ,3.8 4.0 ,3-8 3-3 3-9 3-1 4.5 4.6 3.8 3-8 3-8 3-4 77 03 41 3-4 3-1 3-9 3-4 4.1 3-9 4.5 4.0 3-5 3-3 2.7 3-1 81 39 27 3-1 3-0 ,3.6 2.7 ,1.8 6.1 6.2 (■■7 8.2 5-2 2.7 2.8 81 54 27 4-5 4.0 5-1 3-4 3-4 4.6 \x 5-0 3-7 2.5 3-0 3-4 81 05 48 3-1 2.8 3-7 2.7 ,3-8 .5.8 7.8 5-2 3-0 2.0 3-5 6p 48 53 3.6 3-5 3-9 3-4 3-8 3-2 3-2 3.0 3-2 4.1 40 3-8 45-3 45-8 42.9 54.1 48.0 50.0 43-3 22 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Tabi Year. A 3-3 3-0 3-6 3-8 3-1 4-5 4.8 3-8 3-2 3-0 3-4 3-9 3-4 4-5 4.8 3-8 3-1 3-1 3-7 4.2 3-8 4.8 4.8 4.0 3.0 3-2 3-4 4.0 3.8 4.4 4.4 3-8 3-8 3-7 3-7 4.0 4-5 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3-9 4. I 4.3 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.0 4.0 4.2 4.1 4.0 4.2 4-5 4.2 3.6 3-7 3.6 3.4 3-6 4.1 3.7 3.3 3-4 3-1 2.8 3.0 2.9 3-5 3-2 3.2 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.6 2.8 2.8 3-2 2.8 3-1 3-9 3.5 4.0 3-8 3-5 3-4 2.9 3-2 3.6 3-2 3.5 3.8 3.4 41. I B 39- 5 c 41. 6 Ohio D 45.0 E 43-2 F 47.3 G 49. 6 Entire basin. 44.2 A 0.9 1.6 1-5 2.0 1.4 0.9 1-5 1.4 2.4 1.4 1.4 2. I 2. I 2.7 1.8 2.4 2.7 2.9 3-3 2.8 3-3 3-7 4.0 4.2 3-7 4.2 4.4 4.7 4.3 4.4 3-6 3-8 4.2 3-7 3-8 3-2 3.3 3-3 3.4 3-3 3.1 3-5 3-6 3.2 3-3 1.9 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.3 1.4 2. 1-9 2.6 1-9 1. 1 1. 8 1.8 2. 2 1.6 27. 5 Upper Mississippi. B 32.8 c 33- 7 D 36.7 Entire basin. 31.9 A 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 1.6 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.7 1-9 0.7 0.6 1. 1.0 1-3 I. t I. I 0.9 2.4 I. I 1. 1 1-7 2. 1 2.7 2.8 2. 2 2. I 3-5 2. I 2. I 2.6 2.8 3-4 3-3 3.0 3-4 4.6 3-0 2.8 2.4 3-2 3-6 4.2 2.5 3-5 4-9 3-2 1.6 1.4 2. 2.7 3-5 2. 2 3-4 4.4 2.4 1. 1 1. 1 1.6 2. 2 2.7 1.7 2.8 3-6 1-9 1. 0.8 0.9 1.4 2. 1 1.4 1.8 3.3 1-5 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.6 I. I I. 2 2-5 I. 2 0. 6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.6 2.0 0.8 0. 6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 1.8 0.7 13.6 B 14-3 17. c D 20. 6 Missouri. E 24. I F 17.3 21. 7 G H 36.6 19.4 Entire basin . A 0.6 0.9 1.8 3.6 1.6 0.8 I.O 2. I 3-9 1.8 I. I 1. I 2.4 4-3 2. 2.0 2. 2 3-9 5-0 3.0 3.0 3.2 4.6 5-2 3.8 2.9 2.8 4.4 4.4 3-4 2.6 3.4 4.3 3-2 2.4 2.7 2.9 3-7 2.9 1-7 1.8 3.2 3.4 2.3 1-3 1-9 2.8 2. 1 0.7 I. I 2.4 3-8 1.8 I. 1. I 2. 2 3-5 1.8 20. 4 22.3 36.3 48.0 29. 6 B Arkansas. c D Entire basin . A 0.9 4-9 2.9 0.9 4.8 2.8 I. I 5-2 3-1 2.6 5-3 3-9 4.4 4.9 4.6 3-4 4.0 3-7 2.6 4.2 3-4 3-2 3-4 3-3 2-3 3-3 2.8 2.6 3.0 2.8 I. I 4-9 2.9 1-3 4-5 2.9 26. 4 52.4 39-1 Red. B Entire basin. A 2.6 4-5 4.6 5.6 5-2 5-1 4.5 3-3 4.6 4.6 5-3 5-2 4.5 4.5 3-5 5- I 4.8 6.1 5-9 5-2 5.0 4.2 5-0 4.6 5.8 5-7 5-0 5.0 4-7 4.8 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.6 4.5 4.6 4.6 4-5 4-3 4.6 5-8 4.7 4.0 4.1 3-4 4.3 5-3 6.4 4-5 3.3 3-6 3-2 3-6 4.8 6.0 4.0 3.0 3-4 2.8 3-4 3-6 4.4 3.4 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.6 3.2 2.8 3-2 4.4 4-5 4-7 4.7 4.8 4-5 2.8 4.0 3.6 4.6 5.1 5.0 4.1 41.9 51.0 47.6 54.5 57.1 B c Central Valley. D E F Entire basin . 51.4 Entire Mississip pi basin 1.8 I. 8 2. 2 2.9 3-6 3-7 3-2 2.7 2-3 1-9 1-9 1.8 29.8 Note. — It will be noted that the sum of tlie 12 monthly values for some districts in the above table does not agree exactly with the annual value. This arises from the fail that the latter has been computed from the annual values of Table XI by the same process by which each monthl)' value has been computed from the corresponding monthly values of that table. NORMAL PRECIPITATION ON THE WATERSHEDS. 44. Method of its compittation. — The logical process for finding the average precipi- NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND DRAINAGE. 25 tation over any watershed would be by planimetric measurements from the precipitation charts. Very nearly the same results, however, can be more easily obtained by deter- mining the average precipitation over each of the small divisions, into which the whole Mississippi basin has been divided on the drainage map, Plate I, by a combination of the stations in and about the region considered. In the tables which were given in Section I, the ratio of the area of each of these small divisions to the larger basin of which it is a part has been given. If the precipitation over each small division be multiplied by this ratio and the various products added together, the result will be the average precipitation for the entire basin. By this process the error resulting from an unequal distribution of stations is almost wholly avoided, and the only faulty part of the procedure lies in the fa6l that the precipitation may be inaccurately determined for some of the small divisions. Following the method outlined above, we dedtice the values of normal precipitation on the various watersheds, which are set forth in Table XII. It is not deemed necessary to give in detail the various combinations of stations from which the precipitation over the various drainage areas is determined. The sta- tion records have already been given in full in Table XI, and anyone can readily test the accuracy of the computation in any case. 45. Average precipitation on the various watersheds. — It is seen, from an examina- tion of the above table, that the Missouri basin receives the least downpour, 19.4 inches, in the year, and the Central Valley the greatest, 51.4 inches, amongst the six grand divisions of the Mississippi drainage basin. The average precipitation of the whole basin is about 30 inches per annum, being lightest in winter and heaviest about the first of June; the ratio of summer to winter downpour is very closely two to one. As to the distribution of precipitation during the year, the Mississippi basin may be divided into two parts. The southeastern third is marked by a fairly uniform and abundant downpour throughout the year. This sedlion embraces all of the Ohio basin and the Central Valley, the southeastern part of the Upper Mississippi basin, a small part of the lower Missouri basin, and the lower Arkansas and Red basins. The remaining two-thirds of the Mississippi basin has a very deficient precipitation during the four months from November to February, inclusive, followed by a rapidly increasing down- pour, until a well defined maximum is attained in May or June. The difference in the amount of summer and winter precipitation over this area is ver}^ great, the former being five or six times the latter in some distridls. NORMAL DOWNFALL OF WATER. 46. Doivnfall in the six chief divisions of the Mississippi basin. — Having determined the areas of the component basins and the normal precipitation over each, it is a simple computation to find the corresponding downfall of water. In the following table this is given for the six grand divisions of the Mississippi basin for each month and for the year, as computed from the data of Tables I and XII. The amount of downfall is stated in units of ten millions of cubic j^ards. 4 MISS 26 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Table XIII. — Noniial vionthly and annual downfall in river basins. [Unit of 10,000,000 cubic yards.] Basin. Ohio Upper Mississippi. Missouri Arkansas Red Central Valley — Total . Month. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec 6.595 i,9<)S 3.175 2,565 2,246 2,672 19.251 6.595 l.99« 3.175 885 168 672 19. 493 6.942 2.570 4,989 3.206 2,4or 2,968 23.076 6,595 3.997 9.525 4,809 3,020 2,968 30,914 6,942 5.282 13,608 6, 091 3.562 2,672 38.157 7.289 0,281 14.515 5,450 2,865 2,790 ,39. 190 7,289 5,424 10,886 5.130 2.633 2,672 34.03t 6,421 4.711 8,618 4,649 2.5.56 2.375 29.330 5.551 4.7" 6.804 3.687 2,i6S 2,019 24.943 4,860 3.2S3 5.413 3,366- 2,168 1,662 6,074 2,712 3.629 2,885 2,246 2,672 5.90t 2,284 3.175 2,88d 2,246 2,434 20,782 I 20, 2r8 j 18,926 Year. 76, 710 45-537 S7. 995 47,449 30,279 30.517 318,487 Note.— In this table, as in Table XII, the annual values have been computed from the annual values of the preceding table, and hence are not, as a rule, exactly equal to the sums of the monthly values. The result secured by this process is slightly more accurate than by summing tlie months. NORMAL DISCHARGE OF THE RIVERS. 47. Determination of discharge. — The only accurate method of ascertaining the volume of water which passes a given point on a river, is by the diredl measurement of the cross section and velocity of the current. The cross sedlion in square feet, multi- plied by the mean velocity in feet, will obviously give the volume of discharge in cubic feet. The velocity, however, varies greatly in different portions of the cross se6lion, this variation following a certain law, which was carefully investigated by Humphreys and Abbot. It is plain that the cross sedlion can be stated in terms of the height of the water surface, that is to say, in terms of the river stage as shown by gauge. The velocity, however, is not capable of similar correlation to the stage of river, but also depends upon the local slope of the water surface. The contention was made by Hum- phreys and Abbot that in the average of a year, or from beginning to end of a flood, covering both the rising and falling stages of the river, the velocity, as well as the cross sedlion, would bear a fixed relation to the stage, and hence that from the average annual stand of the river, the volume of its discharge could be inferred, after the neces- sary measurements had been made once for all. Much doubt has been cast upon this proposition by subsequ.ent investigations, and no satisfa6tory connection between the stage and the discharge has been determined as yet. 48. Available data. — A great deal of work has been expended on discharge measure- ments since the initiative by Humphreys and Abbot, but, so far as ascertained, no full discussion has been made of the various series of observations, and the normal dis- charges of the component basins remain to-day largely a subjeA of conjefture and esti- mate. Humphreys and Abbot, b}^ actual daily measurements for a year, determined the discharge of the Mississippi both above the mouth of the Red and below the effluent bayous. By a comparison of the simultaneous gauge readings, made during the j^ear, with the discharge measurements, the average relation of stage and discharge was determined. Then, from a long series of gauge readings made at the same points, the normal discharge of the river was computed and found to be pra5lically the same above the motith of the Red and below the outlet bayous. From this it appears that the dis- charge of the Red was equivalent to that of the bayous. The discharge of the latter was also measured. One of these outlet bayous, the Plaquemine, has since been closed, and hence the discharge of the Mississippi at its mouth, as determined at that time, should now be increased by the former discharge of bayou Plaquemine. The discharge of the Arkansas was also subjedled to direft measurement by Humphreys and Abbot. NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND DRAINAGE. 27 Prom a consideration of the rainfall in conne6lion with discharge measurements made on the Upper Mississippi, above St. Paul, and a comparison of the charadler of this por- tion with the remainder of the Upper Mississippi basin, Mr. Jas. L. Greenleaf, of the Mississippi River Commission, has estimated '-'that in this basin 27.5 per cent of the downfall is discharsred. 49. Conipiitatioii of normal discharge. — The data above enumerated forms the basis from which to estimate the normal discharge of the six grand divisions of the Missis- sippi basin. We have by diredl determinations of more or less accuracy the discharge of the Mississippi at its mouth, of the Red and Arkansas rivers, and outlet bayous. The total discharge from the basin will be that of the Mississippi proper, increased by that of bayous Atchafalaj^a and L.a Fourche. From the known discharge and downfall of the Arkansas basin we find their ratio to be 0.156. Humphreys and Abbot, and also Greenleaf, assumed, from their physical similarity, that the ratio of discharge to downfall would be the same in the Arkansas and Missouri basins. The latter is decidedly the drier, and it is reasonable to suppose that the ratio will be rather less than greater. We may, perhaps, assume the discharge to be 15 per cent of the down- fall, which is the value employed by Humphreys and Abbot. Adopting Greanleaf's estimate of 0.275 ^^ the ratio for the Upper Mississippi, and 0.300 for the Ohio basin, we can compute, from the downfalls given in Table XHI, the discharge from each of the six divisions, except the Central Valley. As the total discharge from the basin is known, we readily compute that of the Central Valley by simple subtra6lion. Pur- suing this method we obtain the data of the following table : Tabi^E XIV. — Normal animal discharge from river basins. Basin. Ohio Upper Mississippi Missouri Arkansas Red Central Valle}' Mississippi above the Red Mississippi at its mouth Bayous Atchafalaya and La Fourche. . . Total discharge from Mississippi basin Annual discharge in cubic yards. 230, 130,000,000 125, 230,000,000 131,990,000,000 74, 070, 000, 000 66, 670, 000, 000 157, 100,000,000 718,520,000,000 724, 360, 000, 000 60, 830, 000, 000 785, 190,000,000 Ratio of discharge to downfall. o. 300 0.275 o. 150 o. 156 o. 220 0.515 o. 247 50. Rejuarks upon the computed discharges. — The process followed in computing this table differs from that pursued by Humphre^^s and Abbot, and the results differ essentially. It was assumed b}- those investigators that the discharge in the distri(?ts which we have included under the designation of Central Valley, was 90 per cent of the downfall, but, as pointed out by Greenleaf, there is reason for thinking this too high. Their method, indeed, was to assign first the discharge for all the basins except the Ohio and Upper Mississippi and, assuming the ratio of discharge to downfall the same in each of the latter, to divide the residual discharge between them. Subsequent inves- tigations, however, have established the ratio of discharge to downfall in these basins * Sedtion on Hydrology in Report on the Water Power of the Mississippi river, Tenth Census. 28 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. more accurately than in the Central Valley, and the process followed here has been to first assign the discharge of basins other than the Central Valley, leaving the residual to that region. This leads to the conclusion that the discharge in the latter se6lion is about 52 per cent of the downfall. The Central Valley includes about 30,000 square miles of swamp land and 39,000 square miles of upland; the ratio over the former is doubtless much greater and over the latter much less than this average. 51. Differences in normal drainage. — Assuming, as we probably may, that the figures of Table XIV fairly represent the annual discharges from the various basins, we see that the Ohio basin and the Central Valley, together, furnish nearly one-half of the total discharge of the Mississippi, although in area they form but 22 per cent of its basin. The discharge from each of these drainage areas largely exceeds that from the great Missouri basin. It is obvious that the size of a river basin does not measure its hydrological importance; in addition to its size, must be considered the doivnpour of rain over it and the ratio of its discharge to downfall. Of the downfall of water over the "Mississippi drainage basin there is discharged to the sea, on an average, 25 per cent ; the remaining 75 per cent must be ultimately returned to the clouds, although a considerable part is first incorporated into vegetable growth. The relation is seen to be a very variable one in different localities, and doubtless also varies with the season. Under conditions of great aridity the drainage will be «//, and under those of the highest humidity may probably reach 95 per cent of the downfall over a considerable region. NORMAL RIVER STAGES. 52. Measurement of the stage of a river. — By the stage of a river is meant simply the height of the water surface at a given point above (or below) a fixed plane of reference. There is no natural plane of reference, unless that corresponding to the normal annual stage might be so considered. In point of faA, the plane of reference is an arbitrary one, seledled as accurately as may be at the level of lowest known water. In few cases does the reference plane coincide with the level of extreme low water with close accuracy. Having seledled the plane of reference, the vertical distance in feet and tenths of a foot above this plane is indicated on a vertical or slanting sur- face washed by the river, or, in some instances, the relation of water surface to plane of refeixnce is determined by measviring from an elevated point upon a bridge to the river surface, the height of the bridge above the reference plane being known. 53. Value of river stage jneasurements. — Although, as already pointed out, it is impossible at the present time to deduce the flow of water past the station from the stage of the river, yet the stage in itself is of value. It indicates the danger of over- flow in the adjacent portion of the river. The stage at which injury begins depends, of course, on the charadler of the banks and adjacent lands. The corresponding height on the river gauge is called the danger line. Indeed, it is obvious that the danger at a given place arises diredlly from the height of a river, without regard to the volume of its flow. The stage may, therefore, be itself made a subjeft of stud}^, and may be regarded as an index to the state of the river, all important in the immediate locality, and somewhat less important than the discharge for lower points on the river. The . record of river stages is happily of considerable extent, covering more than a quarter of a century at many stations, and affords the means of computing normal values throughout the year at several points on the Mississippi and its tributaries, NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND DRAINAGE. 29 54. Stations seleRed for study. — Eleven stations have been selected, and normal data computed for them, the latter taken chiefly from the published stages of the Mis- sissippi River Commission. On the Mississippi, Keokuk is taken to represent the regimen of the Upper Mississippi; the lower river is represented by St. Louis below the mouth of the Missouri, Cairo at the mouth of the Ohio, Memphis at the head of the Yazoo bottom, Vicksburg below the confluence of the Arkansas and at the mouth of the Yazoo, and Carrollton, a suburb of New Orleans, below all the tributaries and the outlet bayous. The Tennessee, which is the chief tributary of the Ohio, enters the latter so near its mouth that any station below it will be affedled by very high water in the Mississippi at Cairo; and, hence, Cincinnati, on the Ohio, and Johnson- ville, on the Tennessee, are both taken to represent the conditions in the Ohio basin. The regimen of the Missouri is well shown by the observations at Hermann. On the Arkansas, Little Rock is sele6led, and on the Red, Shreveport. 55. Method of conipitting normals. — The daily gauge readings at these stations have been first added in pentads from the first day of each month, the incomplete pentad in February being summed by itself, and the last six days of the months of 31 days being combined. The resultant sums have been obtained for these periods throughout the whole series of years in the record, and then divided by the corresponding number of days included. Any given quotient is taken as the normal stage for the middle of the period covered. The normal stages, as first obtained, are referred to the arbitrary zero planes of the various gauges. Corredlions are finally applied to each station record in order to reduce its stages to the plane of lowest known water. The values, so corredled, and plotted on cross-se6lion paper, give the normal hydrographs of Plate III. 56. Normal regimen of the rivers. — An examination of these hydrographs discloses in the Upper Mississippi, at Keokuk, a single swell in the year, reaching its height about May 9, and then falling steadily to the latter part of August. From the latter date to the end of January, a period of more than five months, the river is at pradlically the same low level. The annual rise then begins, continuing to the May crest. In the Missouri, at Hermann, a swell appears after the minimum, which occurs about December 20, and obtains a minor maximum toward the end of April. The river then falls slightly to the middle of May, after which it rises rapidl}^ to its highest point about June 29. From the June maximum to the December minimum there is a continuous fall, most rapid at first. The Mississippi below the mouth of the Missouri, at St. Louis, shows the effect of the earlier rise in the Upper Mississippi, and the later one in the Missouri, by a much longer period of high water, with two crests. The river is at a low stage from early in September to the end of January, while the lowest water occurs in the middle of December. From the beginning of February to the end of April the river rises rapidly. This high water lasts to the middle of May, and is succeeded by a slight fall and a subsequent second rise to a high stage during the latter half of June; the river is thus in fiood for over two months. From the first week in July there is a steady and rapid fall to the low water of September. The regimen of the Ohio is shown by the hydrographs for the main stream at Cincinnati, and the Tennessee at Johnsonville. These curves are much more irregular than those already considered, a fa(?t probably due to the disturbing effedl of the great floods of this region, for the record at Cincinnati is the longest we have, thirty-nine years. There is seen to be a single annual oscillation, upon which, in our curves, are superim. 30 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RI\'ER. posed many small flu6luations, probably adventitious. The lowest stage is reached two months earlier than in the Missouri river, and about the middle of Odlober. By the first of November a sharp rise sets in, and continues to the latter part of January without interruption. There is then a slight falling olT, the rise being resumed at the beginning of February. On our hydrographs the highest stage is reached on February 20 at Cincinnati, and on March 24 at Johnsonville, but the curves, as already remarked, are irregular, and probably the normal maximum occurs about March 10. The water remains high to the middle of April, after which a rapid fall sets in and, b}' the first of August, ver}^ low stages are reached. The early rise of the Ohio, and those following later in the upper Mississippi and Missouri, produces in the Mississippi at Cairo a main swell, which reaches its height about April 15. This is preceded by a slight rise at the end of February, perhaps due to the melting snow, and its decline is checked during June by the Missouri rise. Except for the stationary stage during June, the fall is stead}^ from the highest stage on April 15 to the lowest on Ocfhober 20, occupying almost exaftly six months. The reversal of its course is sudden, and it moves steadily upward from 06lober 20 to April 15, following the regimen of the Ohio. The stages at Memphis are a duplication of those at Cairo, except that the curve is smoother and its maximum and minimum are found about four days later. The retardation in the fall of the river during June is much less marked. In the hydrographs of the Arkansas river, at Little Rock, we have another curve of great irregularity, the reason for which is not clear. The river is seen to be pra6li- cally at its lowest stage from the middle of August to the middle of November. A gradual swell then commences, and attains its maximum about May 4. For a month the river remains at nearly the same stage, and then declines slowlj^ to its autumn minimum, the annual range being about 8 feet. Little effe6l is produced on the Mississippi by the normal discharge of the Arkansas. The h3'drograph at Vicksburg closely resembles that at Memphis, but is much more smooth in its sweep. Its single annual maximum is attained about April 30, and from that time a steady fall takes place until 0(?tober 29. The stationary period, observed in June at Cairo and Memphis, is barely apparent, as a slight flexure in the curve. The annual range is about 35 feet. The regimen of the Red river, as shown by the hydrograph at Shreveport, is similar to that of the Arkansas, the highest stage occurring about Ma}^ 18, and the lowest about September 26. The annual range, however, is much greater. Its dis- charge apparently produces no effedl on the Mississippi. At Carrollton, within 116 miles of its mouth, the annual oscillation of the Mississippi is a long, steady rise of six months' duration and a corresponding fall. The June rise is here apparent only as a slight diminution in the rate of fall. 57. Mean and extreme river stages. — The date and height of mean high and low water are most accurately obtained from the charted hj-drographs, and their difference gives the mean annual range of the river. From the original records are computed the mean annual stage, and from the same source we obtain the date and stage of highest and lowest known water. When the river stages are referred to lowest water, the high- est water necessarily indicates the absolute range in river height. The above data, together with the length of record and established height of danger line, are given in the following table for our eleven seledled stations : NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND DRAINAGE. 31 I ■53 ^ I > w < ^ ro w CO "-^ lo -^ M CO ON -^ CJN s .^ CO cn to 1" CO CO i-H CO . CO CO CO CO >-i (N M t:J- hH 1 . -^ _ K Q CO i>. a\ \o •^ j ^o" CO >- CO M CS '-''-< t^ CN 01 n (N H-1 ,0 i;j ^^ E? i;i pi^ ^ <] ^ ^ 5 ri rt tfi 10 ^ CO ON • ON r-- I>. !>. S GO CO CO CO ^ & in lO ►- (N I-. rO M M C^ 0^ i>. c^ _ t-- CO _ M h CO c/: CO -^ 00 ,_ O) CO ~ CO IN d OJ rt d r- > cJ ^ a; . CO CO CO W CO 1 rO CO CO -^ >-^ CO 10 I>- M CO vd i-i c. tS CO M M (N " s & ■*-* CO o M Tt W CO -i- ON CO CO 1 ■ij . ^ rO CO CTv CO 0^ 10 t-- r- 1 fN M W " * ^ -1-+ OJ c r^ vc CO ^ ^ CO vo -sh tH be m 1 !>. cc vi: ;; c cJ 10 -4 MD 10 ds tu i 13 0^ c CO t^ o^ 'O: P 10 >o ^O ^ aj CO CN l-H "- (N ■-' 01 s OJ 't ^ Co 0^ '^ CO CTv M r-- w ■* OD l^ rH 1" r"^ d ^C c vc rO M d . CO 10 "5) s t*. CN CO CO ^ M CJ CO w M W CM ■^ i rt ■s 10 C^ C CO •^ C 0^ -^ CO g: ii CD P rO 1 — » w i-. rO 01 Ol )-3 v^ ^i i-i b p. p^ d^ Ph rt < < •< ^ m; •* uo CO a\ t^ o 10 -^ 1 -"■s ° K CO OJ ^ c rO CN 0. (N a S ° tJ ■^ »-N 'CU '&! P* .&■ 1 tU '55 cfi > S S X y cc 1-1 C ^ c c Cfi c ^ 'C ■^3 " _c &. "^ OJ J P< 'i V- at h4 ^ C P < P^ d > 1 rt d" c c •if < rt h— .0 1=5 r- _ s ^ 1-1 rt c/T _ T- it C 'c -T^ P c 5q c % > to 1, 1 OJ a. 1 -. CO ^ (N U <^, 10 a OJ CJ t3 n1 u OJ Q a^ rn rfi a 0) OJ n y,i :=! r- s « be bp 3 cfi (fi n H H < * •4- ++ 32 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. From the pentad means already computed, we readily deduce the normal monthly river stages of the following table, which may prove of utility : Tabi,e XVI. — Normal monthly river stages, referred to the plane of lowest water. Station. St. Louis, Mo Cairo, 111 Memphis, Tenii . . . Vicksburg, Miss. . . Carrollton, La. . . . Johnsonville, Tenn Cincinnati, Ohio . . Keokuk, Iowa. . . . Hennann, Mo. . . . Little Rock, Ark . . Shrevepprt, La ... . 8.8 23-3 i8. 6 27. 6 6.5 13-9 21. 7 5-8 7-7 9-1 19. o pi< 10.5 30-7 23.8 36.4 10.3 18.5 26.3 5.6 9-5 II. 2 14. 6 34-2 27-5 42.4 12. 4 19-5 26.5 7-7 II. I II. 5 24.4 ■c ft < 19-3 36. o 29-5 45. 13. 17. 25. 10. 14. II. 7 23-7 20. 2 29.8 25-4 43-3 13-2 9.0 18.0 11-5 13-9 13.2 24-5 20. 2 26. 2 21. 7 37-9 II. 4 6.7 12.4 9-9 16. 2 II. 8 22.0 18.5 23.0 19. 2 33-5 9.2 4.7 9.0 8.1 15-5 9-4 17.5 < 12. 7 15. I 12. 9 23.0 5.5 3-5 7-5 5.0 II. 7 7.3 13.0 o O 9-1 8.7 7-3 12. 9 3-2 2.7 6.0 5-4 7-7 6.0 10. I a > o "A 8.8 12.3 9-3 14. 6 3-2 4.4 10.3 4.9 7-4 6.3 11.9 a 7.2 15.9 12.4 19-3 4. 6 6.9 15.9 4. 6. 7- 14. SECTION III. THE RIVER IN FLOOD. Constant liabilitj' to flood in the alluvial regions. — Notable floods. — Floods since 1870. — Frequency and duration of floods. — Chief floods of the past quarter-century. — Six floods seleifted for study. — Precipitation in the six floods. — Downfall in the six floods. — Flood of 18S2: Its two swells. — The downfall which caused it. — Origin of the flood. — Flood of 1883: Itssingle great rise. — The accompanying precipitation. — Flood of 1SS4: Its main features. — Distribution of rainfall. — Flood of 1890: The rise in three swells. — Origin of the flood. — Flood of 1893: A sum- mer flood. — The source of it. — Flood of 1897: Its chief features. — The rainfall and probable drainage. — Source of the flood. — Relative importance of these six floods. — Cause of Mississippi floods. A S the greater and more fertile portion of the lands bordering the Mississippi from Cape Girardeau to the Gulf are below the high-water level of the river, the history of damage from the overflow of the Mississippi begins with the first settlement of the valley. The first permanent establishment of Europeans on the Lower Mississippi was at Natchez and New Orleans. The former town was built on the bluff above danger of flood, but the initial plans for New Orleans, in 171 7, pro- vided for a levee in front of it. Ever since that time there has been a constant struggle to keep back the floods of the river from the towns and plantations along its banks. Nearly every year some portion of the valley is inundated, but the notable floods occur at longer intervals. The great floods of the past were made a special sub- ject of inquiry by Humphreys and Abbot, who collecfted data for all known floods up to that of 1S59. The record has been continued to 1S74 by Abbot in the report of the special commission of engineers, authorized by Congress in 1874, " to investigate and report a permanent plan for the reclamation of the alluvial basin of the INIississippi river subjedl to inundation." Since that time the stage of river has been recorded daily at many points. FLOODS OF THIS CENTURY. 58. Notable floods. — Prior to 1798 little is known, except by tradition, as to the occurrence of floods. The notable floods of this century up to 1870 are those of 181 5, 1828, 1844, 1849, 185O) 1851, 1858, 1859, 1862, 1865, ^11^ 1867. Of floods subsequent to that of 1867 there are abundant gauge readings ; the j^ears in which notable floods occurred during this time are 1874, 1882, 1884, 1890, 1893, and 1897. The flood of 1858 was made the subjedl of careful measurement by the Delta Survey, and has sen-ed ever since as the standard of comparison. It was long thought to represent the full possibility of danger from flood, but its high-water marks were far exceeded by the flood of the present year. A comparative table of flood heights for the notable floods from 1828 was worked out by Humphreys and Abbot, and was subsequently brought down to 1 8 74 by AbbDt, in the report referred to above. In the following table this comparison 5 MISS 34 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. has been extended to include the flood of this year. The plane of reference is the flood level of 1858. A plus sign indicates that the flood in qtiestion exceeded that of 1S5S, and a minus sign that it fell short of this height. Tabi^e XVII. — Flood heights for great floods from 1S2S, refei red to the flood level ofiSjS. Station. 1844. 1849. 1850. 185 1. 1858. 1859. 1862. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Cairo, lU Memphis, Tenn . Helena, Ark Vicksburg, Miss. Natchez, Miss . . . Baton Rouge, La , Carrollton, La . . . —1.3 —1.5 —0.6 +0.7 +0. 2 +0.1 — i.o —2.4 — O.S +0.1 —0.6 —0.6 —3.3 — i.S —0.6 — 0-3 +0.4 +0.1 —0.6 —I.S +0.1 —0.5 o. o —1.3 — 1.0 -4.8 —0.7 o. o +0.3 Feet. 0.0 o. o o. o 0.0 0.0 o. o 0.0 Feet. —3.1 ■ — o. I — 1.0 + 1.3 + 1.2 +0.5 +0.4 Feet. + 1.2 +0.5 + 1.8 +2. 2 +2.1 + 1-3 +0.8 Station. 1865. 1867. 1874. 1882, 1890. 1893. 1897. Cairo, 111 Memphis, Tenn . . Helena, Ark Vicksburg, Miss. Natchez, Miss . . . Baton Rouge, La. Carrollton, La. . . Feet. —1.6 —0.6 — o. 2 —0.5 Feet. +0.9 o. o + 1.2 — O. I — o. % Feet. — 2. 2 —0-3 + 1.2 —3-2 —2.6 +1.5 +1.0 Feet. +2.3 +0.9 +2.6 — o. I -0.4 + 1.3 o. o Feet. +2. 2 — o. I +2.4 +0. I —0.8 + 1.4 +0.6 Feet. —0.8 + 1.3 +3-1 +0.1 +0.4 + 1.9 + 1.0 Feet. —0.3 +0.9 —3.3 +0.6 — 1.4 +3-7 +2.4 Feet. +2.0 +2.8 +7.2 +3.4 + 2.8 +5-9 +4.0 59. Floods since i8jo. — The establishment of numerous permanent river gauges in 1 87 1 has greatly facilitated a study of the floods since that time. In Table XVIII, the highest and flood waters of each year from 1872 to 1897, inclusive, are given, with their dates and duration. The later feature is set forth in the number of days the river was above the danger line of the gauge. The five stations, St. lyouis, Cairo, Memphis, Vicksburg, and Carrollton are selefted, as well typifying the different se6lions of the lyower Mississippi river. As has been done in the previous tables of Sedlion II, the river stages are here referred to the plane of lowest water. Whenever more than one period of flood occurs in the same year, the highest water of each flood is given. Tabi,iC XVIII. — Floods and highest 'waters in the Loiver IMississippi for each year from iSj2 to iSg-j, inclusive. [Stages referred to the plane of lowest water.] ST. LOUIS, MO. Year. Highest stage. 1872 1S73 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 18S0 i8Si 1882 1883 Feet. 23.7 26. I 19. 1 30.5 32.7 27.3 26.5 21. 9 26. 2 34.3 33-1 35.5 Date. June 12-14 • Apr. II . . . . Jime 19,20. Aug. 3 May 10 ... . June 14 ... . June 15 Julys July 2 May 6 Julys June 26 ... . River above danger line. From — May 9 Apr. 27 July 2 June 17 To- May 14 May S July 10 July 3 Number of days. 12 9 17 THE RIVER IN FLOOD. 35 Table XVIII. — Floods and highest waters in the Lower Mississippi — Continued. ST. LOUIS, MO.— Continued. Year. 1884 1SS5 i885 1887 1888 18S9 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 Highest stage. Feet. 28.8 27.8 27.7 21. 4 30.1 25-3 21. 3 24.4 36.7 31-8 32-3 24. I 17. 8 28.4 31-7 Date. Apr. 9, 10 . June 17 . . . May 13 . . . Apr. 3 . . . . June 4 . . . . June I . . . . July I . . . . July 4 . . . . May 19 . . . July 9 . . . . May 3 . . . . May II... July 8 May 26, 28. May 2 River above danger line. From- May 12 July 4 May I May I To— June 16 July 15 May 5 May 5 Number of days. 35 12 5 CAIRO, ILL. Apr. 19, 20 . "FeK 26 .'. .. Apr. 12 ... . Mar. II Apr. 26 ... . Mar. 21 ... . Aug. 8 Feb. 5 Apr. 6,7... Apr. 15 ... . Apr. 29 ... . Dec. 31 ... . Jan. 15, 16 . Mar. 22. . . . "Feb. 25 . . . . Apr. 20 ... . Feb. 26 May^3 . . . . feb.~27^. ; . ; Apr. 15 .. .. Feb. 22-24 ■ Jan. 26 Apr. 19 ... . Mar. 9, 10. . Apr. 4 June 24 ... . Jan. 20, 21 . Mar. 12 ... . Mar. 3-6 . . . Apr. 28 ... . Feb. 28 ... . May 8, 10. . Feb, 16 ... . Mar. 25 ... . Apr. 13 ... . Mar. 25, 28. Feb. 22 Apr. 10 Feb. 27 Apr. 16 Mar. 9 July 20 Jan. 29 Mar. 23 Apr. 14 Jan. 12 Feb. 20 Feb. 20 Apr. 14 Jan. 14 May 13 Feb. 14 Apr. 8 Feb. ^7 Apr. 2 Feb. 7 Mar. 29 Jan. 16 Feb. 13 Feb. 13 Apr. 6 Feb. 20 Apr. 17 Feb. 28 Mar. 2 Apr. 14 Mar. 15 May 13 Apr. 9 Aug. 18 Fell. 24 May 18 Apr. 16 Jan. 19 Mar. 30 Mar. 2 May 12 Apr. 4 June II Mar. 12 May 4 Apr. II Apr. 27 Mar. 22 Apr. iS Jan: 31 Apr. 14 Apr. 19 June 18 Mar. 4 June 14 Apr. 27 9 5 17 32 ' 30 27 57 3 s 40 II 29 81 30 27 27 65 26 44 21 16 61 66 74 T3 59 J 59 MEMPHIS, TENN. 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 34-2 35-2 36.7 35-7 36.8 34-7 Apr. 24 ... . Mar. 3 May 2 Aug. 15-17. Apr. 8, 9. . . Apr. 29 ... . Mar. 9 May 15 Aug. 14 I Aug. 18 Mar. 30 Apr. 19 68 5 36 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Tabi,k XVIII. — Floods and highest ivatcys in the Loivcr Mississippi — Continvied. MEMPHIS, rma-^.— Continued. Year. 1878 1879 18S0 1881 r882 1SS3 1S84 1SS5 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1S93 1894 1895 1896 1897 Highest stage. Feet. 31-8 30. 8 36.1 36.0 37-9 37-5 36.9 31-9 37-5 38.0 36.9 29-3 36.0 38.3 37-6 37-3 37-9 31-7 26. 7 32. I 39-8 Date. Ma J' 2 Jan. 29 Mar. 24-29 Apr. 27, 28 Mar. 6-9 Mar. 6-8 Mar. 1-3 Jan. 28 Apr. 2S Mar. 10 Apr. II, 12 June 27 Jan. 27,31 ( Mar. 16, 17, 23-25 '\ Apr. 4, 5 Mar. 10 May 2, 3 May 15-17 Feb. 19, 20 ( Jan. 24, 25 ) I Mar. 29 ... J Apr. 15, 16 Mar. 19-21 River above danger line. From- Mar. 1 8 Apr. 25 Jan. 25 Feb. 21 Feb. 17 Apr. 13 Feb. 16 Apr. 6 Jan. 25 Mar. 5 Feb. 26 Apr. 14 May I Mar. 10 To- Mar. 31 May 2 Mar. 30 Mar. 15 Apr. 9 Number of days. May I Mar. 26 Apr. 18 Feb. 2 Apr. 19 Apr. 21 June 20 June 16 May 14 8 65 23 53 ^9 39 13 46 55 6S 47 53 VICKSBURG, MISS. 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 187S 1879 1880 i88i 18S2 18S3 1884 1885 1886 1887 1 888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 45-8 46.9 52.0 49-3 51.2 47-9 47-3 45.7 49-5 48. I 55.1 50.1 55-3 48.7 50.5 51.0 5°- 40. 55- 54- 54. . 48.7 54-6 47.2 38.0 45.3 58.6 May 2,3.. May 29, 30 May 2-5 . . Apr. 21. . . May 10 . . . May 8-13 . Mar. 24-27 Feb. 17 . . . Apr. 8, 9... Mar. 10, 12 Mar. 20, 2 1 Apr. 7 Mar. 25 . . . Feb. 3 . . . . May 7-9 . . Mar. 26-31 Apr. 26 . . . July 3 . . . . Apr. 24, 25. Apr. 2-4. . . June 2-4 . . Mar. 13-15 May 22, 23 Apr. 2 Apr. 4 Apr. 21.... Apr. 16. . . . Mar. 14 Mar. 29 Feb. 10 Apr. 29 Mar. 24 Mar. II Mar. 2 Jan. 22 Feb. 24 Feb. 16 Jan. 21 Apr. 18 Feb. 25 Apr. 13 Jan. 30 Feb. 21 Apr. 14 Mar. 8 May I Mar. 16 June 4 May 3 June 13 May 26 Mar. 27 May 3 May 22 July 2 May 17 June 1 Feb. 7 June 4 Apr. 10 May 5 June 4 May 14 July 24 Mar. 21 July I June 3 83 36 125 28 4 54 82 162 83 107 18 48 45 23 126 83 102 14 62 80 CARRODDTON, LA. 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 13-9 14.5 17.6 12. 9 14.3 12. 7 12. 9 12.4 May 6 June 3,4 Apr. 15 May 3-5, 14, 16, 18 , May II June 4, 8 Mar. 21 Feb. 20, 22 Mar. 17 May 18 THE RIVER IN FLOOD. 37 Tabi^E XVIII. — Floods and highest waters in the Loioer Mississippi — Continued. CARROLLTON, \,K.— Continued. Year. 1880 i88i 1882 1883 1S84 1885 1886 1S87 1888 18S9 1890 1S91 1892 1893 j 1894 1S95 1896 1897 Highest stage Feet. 15- 8 14. 2 16. 6 17- 17- 2 IS- 2 IS- 4 1 5. I 16. 13- 2 17- 6 17- 6 18. 8 14- 8 19- 15- II. 7 15- 3 20. 6 Date. 24. Apr. 23, Apr. 12 Mar. 27 Apr. 7 Mar. 18 Jan. 22, 23 Ma)' 31 Apr. 6-9 Apr. 26 Mar. 13, 14 ... . Mar. 14-17, 22. Mar. 16 June 12, 13 ... . Mar. 17 June 22, 24 ... . Apr. 5-7 Apr. 8 Apr. 24 May 7-14 River above danger line. From — Mar. 22 Feb. II Mar. 17 Feb. 24 Jan. 22 Apr. 27 Mar. 9 Apr. 16 Feb. 3 Feb. 20 Apr. 14 Mar. 15 May 7 Apr. I To- May 21 May 12 June 16 June 8 Feb. 14 June II Apr. 19 May II Apr. 19 Mar. iS May 30 May 19 July 25 Mar. 23 July 14 Apr. 12 Apr. 27 June 13 Number of days. 61 91 92 106 24 46 42 26 117 89 103 9 69 9 88 60. Frequency and duration of floods. — From the above table we perceive that 011I37 rarely does the river above Cairo reach a dangerous height, but from Cairo to the Gulf the years without flood water are exceptional. At St. Louis we find, in the twenty-six years covered, only seven in which the river rose above the danger line ; and the aver- age number of daj^s the water remained at the flood height, in these seven floods, was fourteen. At Cairo the years of flood number eighteen, with an average duration of flood of fifty-four days ; at Memphis we find sixteen flood years, with an average length of flood of thirty-seven days ; at Vicksburg, floods, averaging seventy-two days in length, have occurred in nineteen years ; at Carrollton the flood years are sixteen in number, and the average duration of flood sixty-five days. As to the season in which floods occur, we find the earliest date on which the river has been above danger line to be : at St. Ivouis, April 27 ; at Cairo, January 12 ; at Memphis, January 25 ; at Vicksburg, January 21 ; and at Carrollton, January 22. The latest date to which the flood has continued is : at St. Ivouis, July 15 ; at Cairo, August 18 ; at Memphis, August iS ; at Vicksburg, July 24 ; and at Carrollton, July 25. In the past twenty-six years, therefore, there has been no flood water in any portion of the Lower Mississippi between August 18 and Janu- ary 12. 61. Chief floods of the past quarter-century. — The loss incident to a flood depends not alone on the great height reached by the water, but also on the duration of the dangerous stage. Measured by its destru6live chara6ler, the fii^st notable flood since 1870 was that of 1874. In that year the river did not reach the height of the 1858 flood at Cairo, but almost attained it at Memphis, and exceeded it at Helena b^^ a foot ; at Vicksburg and Natchez the flood was lower hy about 3 feet than in 1858, but south of the Red river it was higher by more than a foot. In 1882 a great flood occurred, the water at Cairo, Memphis, and Helena reaching the highest point recorded up to that time. At Vicksburg and Natchez, the river 38 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. closely approached the stage of 1S5S, but fell short of that of 1S62. The record of 1S58 was exceeded by 1.3 foot at Baton Rouge, and equaled at Carrollton. The river remained in flood at Cairo for eighty-one days, and at Vicksburg for one hundred and sixty-two days, the longest flood period recorded at either station. The flood of 1883 was notable only for the great and sudden rise at Cairo to the highest stage ever recorded at that point. At Memphis and Vicksburg, the water did not reach an extreme stage, nor was the flood of unusual duration. The stage at Carrollton exceeded that of the previous j'ear, and the flood was of equal length. In 1884 about the same stages were reached as in 1882, but the flood was of much shorter duration at Vicksburg and above. At Carrollton the height of the rh'ev exceeded that of 1882 by 0.6 foot, and the flood lasted one hundred and six days. In this year the highest water ever known occurred in the Ohio. The next five years were marked by moderate waters and freedom from serious flood damage. In 1890 another notable flood occurred in the lower river, but was not of marked severity above Memphis. In 1892 and 1893 there were moderate floods, differing from those previousU' noted in occurring much later in the year. They ma}- be termed summer rather than spring floods. In 1893 the highest water up to that time was reached at Helena, Baton Rouge, and Carrollton. In the spring of 1897, a great flood occurred, although not of extreme duration. The river nearly reached the stage of 1883 at Cairo, and from Memphis to its mouth rose to a height greater than ever before recorded. The flood exceeded that of 185S by 2.0 feet at Cairo, 2.8 at Memphis, 7.2 at Helena, 3.4 at Vicksburg, 2.8 at Natchez, 5.9 at Baton Rouge, and 4.0 at Carrollton. STUDY OF RECENT FLOODS. 62. Six floods seleEied for study. — Of the floods of the last twenty-six years, those of 1882, 1890, and 1897 are readily distinguishable as the most serious and destructive. These floods, together with that of 1883, in which the maximum height of water was reached at the head of the alluvial plain; that of 1884, during which the Ohio was in greatest flood; and that of 1893, as a type of summer flood, have been subje6led to analysis. In determining the sources of a flood in the Lower Mississippi, we will study the gauge records at certain points, so selected as to indicate the contributions of all the chief tributaries, whence a flood may come. The waters from the great Missouri basin and that of the Upper Mississippi must pass St. Louis, and hence the stage at that point will serve as an index to flood waters out of those basins. The stages at Cincinnati and Johnsonville will sufficiently gauge the waters of the Ohio basin ; a flood from the Arkansas will be shown on the gauge at Little Rock, and one from the Red on the vShreveport gauge. On the Lower Mississippi itself, the combined effedl of the waters from the Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Missouri is shown at Cairo ; at Memphis the same water appears, less that passing into the St. Francis bottom ; at Vicksburg, there has been added the drainage from the St. Francis, White, Arkansas, and Yazoo ; and at New Orleans the last tributary, the Red, and the effluent bayous have been passed. For the stations enumerated, hydrographs have been constru6led from the daily gauge readings, for each of the six floods. These cover, in each flood, a period of four months, embracing the rise, culmination, and decline of the flood. For the first THE RIVER IN FLOOD. 39 three months of each period covered by the hydrographs, charts of the a6tual monthly precipitation have been drawn. It is found that, in each flood, the excessive precipita- tation, to which the flood was due, occurred within a period of two months, and a chart of the departure from the normal precipitation is given for each of these months, together wath a chart showing the total departure in the two months. There are thus six rainfall charts and a sheet of hydrographs for each of the six seledled floods. 63. Precipitation in the six floods. — By a process similar to that followed in deter- mining the normal precipitation over the various basins, the nionthl}'- precipitation during each flood, over the six grand divisions of the Mississippi drainage basin, has been computed, and is presented in the following table : Table XIX. — Precipitation in six floods. OHIO BASIN. Subdivisions. 18S2. 1883. 18S4. 1890. 1893. 1SQ7. Jan. Feb. Mar. Jan. Feb. Mar. Jan. Feb. Mar. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June Jan. Feb. Mar. \ 5-6 4..-i 3-8 11. 1 12.0 7-2 +.0 4.4 5-7 8.2 6.9 7-7 6.9 6-3 4-7 3-9 4.3 6.6 4.6 7.0 5-7 5-1 3-0 3-0 3-1 30 2.1 4.1 5-9 3-6 5-8 4.9 7-6 7-9 7.6 6.8 4.8 6-3 2.2 3-2 3-4 3-3 2.2 3-4 3-5 3-1 3-8 3-7 \x 5-2 5-1 3-9 5-6 5-7 8.0 7.6 7-5 7.0 4-4 !:i 3-9 3.7 7-5 8.S 6.7 4-4 3-6 4.8 5-9 6.2 4-4 5.0 4.8 5-7 7.8 5-2 0. "^ 8.1 6.9 t1 5-6 6.0 b.2 6.9 7-5 5-9 4.4 S-6 5-5 6.0 4.6 6.7 6.7 5-7 2.S 3-6 4.6 5-3 4-7 5-5 5-1 4.6 2-5 1-5 2-3 i-6 3-2 3-2 2.8 4-0 6.2 6.4 4-8 2.8 4-7 5-5 5.0 3-8 3-9 6 6 B C D ; 7-9 .•i-9 8.0 8 6 E F G 6 6 0PPBE MISSISSIPPI BASIN. A. B. C . D. : 1-9 Entire basin , i.o 1-3 1-5 1-5 4.1 2.4 3-4 3.0 3-9 0.9 1,4 1-3 1.4 0.7 2.6 3-3 5-3 0-3 0.5 0.9 0-5 0.9 0.6 0.9 1-5 1-7 1-5 2.6 0.6 0.7 1.7 2.2 2.4 2.8 o.g- 2.1 2.0 4.6 2. 1 0.6 1-3 1.0 2.4 0.8 1-9 1.8 3-5 l.S 3-8 4-5 5-4 6.0 2-5 2.6 3-9 3-6 4-8 ; 3-1 2.1 4.8 4.8 3-7 3-7 1-9 2.9 3-1 4-7 2-9 1.2 1-3 1.0 1-9 1.8 2.7 2-7 4.6 MISSOURI BASIN. A. B. D. E. F. G. H. Entire basin . 0.4 0.3 0.7 1.4 0.5 O.q 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.4 o..'; 0.6 :.o 2-7 1-4 0.6 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.4 1-4 0.4 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.9 o.S 0.6 0.9 1.4 2.4 I.I 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.2 0.8 1-7 0-5 1-5 0.3 0.4 1.0 0.5 0.3 I.I 1.5 2.7 2.6 1.0 0.8 0. r 0.1 0.4 1.4 0-5 1.4 0.5 0.8 1.4 0.7 0.6 1-3 3-8 2.6 2.6 1.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 i.r 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.4 1.2 1.8 o.S 0.4 1.0 3-3 2.1 3-9 1.6 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.2 1.3 0.9 0.5 0-5 0.7 2.0 0.6 0.4 0.6 1.4 2-5 2.2 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.6 I.I 0.4 0.2 0.9 1-7 0.9 0.3 0-3 0.3 T.8 2.3 1.2 1-3 0.9 3-4 2.3 1-5 3-5 1.6 I.I 2.6 3-2 4-3 1.8 3-1 6-3 5-3 5-0 4.2 1-7 0.4 0-5 0.7 1-3 0.9 1.2 0-5 0.8 1-5 1.0 0.6 1.0 2.0 2-7 2-5 1.2 0.9 1.6 1-7 1-4 2. I 1-5 1.2 1-3 4-3 ARKANSAS BASIN. 0.7 0.2 0.6 0.4 1.4 0.6 0.4 1.0 1.4 1.0 0.5 0-3 1-7 2.0 1.7 l.l 1-3 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.3 1.6 0.7 0.4 0.7 1.2 1-5 0.8 0.9 1.2 2.2 1.4 2.2 1.0 1.8 3-7 2.3 1.0 3.1 1.2 0-5 3-1 1.4 3-6 1-9 2.6 4.2 .'i.2 3-9 4-6 1.2 6.7 8.9 4.9 3-3 6.2 2.9 2.8 9-7 4-5 S.2 6-5 b.9 8.7 9-8 5-4 7-2 3-0 2.2 2.9 1-9 I.I 2.8 1.2 1.0 3.2 2.2 3-1 2.2 2-3 3-5 4-3 2.8 3-3 1.6 A. B . Entire basin . 2.0 2.6 4-5 9-3 RED BASIN. A. B. 0.6 S.8 Entire basin 4.6 1.0 8.0 1.0 4.8 0.2 5-5 1-4 6.8 1-7 4.4 4.4 2.9 , 2.8 I 4.0 I 3.0 I 0.4 5-4 0.4 7-3 1-8 5-9 3-8 2.0 7.0 0.2 5-4 4-4 1 2.8 0.2 4.6 0.3 4-5 9.6 6.1 1-3 6.0 1-7 7.0 0-5 1-5 i.S 7-4 CENTRAL VALLEY. A. B. C . D. E. F. Entire basin . 4.1 9.0 9.6 13.0 12.7 4.0 9.0 : 10. I 10. o 8.6 ; 6.1 I 4-6 I 4.4 6.2 6.6 7-4 6.7! 1.4 ! 1.6 3-5 3-7 6.2 9.0 12.0 8.2 8.2 5.3 ; 5.7 6.8 7.8 8.4 6-5 5-4 2.6 5-2 1-4 1 3-9 4.0 6.5^ 7-6 ! 7.2 4.8 'i-4 3-1 7.2 4.6 6.0 9.9 5-4 5.2 4.8 2.8 9.2 .■i.6 S.o 7.6 7-1 6.1 8.8 8.1 5.1 4.4 7.6 4-6 7-4 7.8 7.0 6.2 10. 5.5 4.2 4.6 9.6 7.8 6.9 7.9 6..'i 5-4 II. 5 4-5 5-3 4.4 7-3 8.8 3-0 6.7 6.2 2.9 9-5 .5-6 .5-0 4.2 2.4 9.2 1.2 3-0 2.4 6.8 2.7 7.0 3-4 5-0 6.8 6.3 5-8 5-1 6.8 6.6 7-S 6.0 4-7 4.2 7.2 9.6 8.8 9-4 6.3 5-3 7.8 40 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 64. Downfall' in the six floods. — A knowledge of the discharges from the com- ponent basins and that of the Mississippi itself, during these floods, is greatly to be desired, but such information is not to be had in any completeness. We can, however, from the data of Table XIX, compute the downfall over the various watersheds, and thus obtain some idea of the sources of the different floods. In the following table the departure of the downfall from its normal value is given for the six grand divisions of the entire basin. Tabi,E XX. — Departure from normal downfall in six floods. [Unit of 10,000,000 cubic yards.] River basin. Jan. Feb. Mar. Three months. Jan. Feb. Mar. Three months. 1884. . Jan. Feb. Mar. Tliree months. Ohio Upper Mississippi Missouri Arkansas Eed Central Valley... +5,9"! — 570 —1,361 + 962 +1,316 — 2, 196 +4.339 + 714 — 907 +1,764 +1.239 +2,195 +1,1909 +1,712 —1,814 — 160 — 155 + 179 +12,149 + 1,856 — 4,,oS2 + 2,566 + 2,400 + 4. 57I'. — 347 — 285 +2,722 — 802 + 712 +4. 339 +1,713 + 907 —1,603 + 930 + 415 —1,561 — 1,614 + 454 —I, 282 - 78 ^ 593 +2, 431 — 186 +4.083 + + 173 — 999 — 907 — 962 — 78 + 178 +5.554 + 429 + 462 +2,245 + 775 +1,365 --4,686 - - 570 --i;8i5 -- :^2o -- 542 + 772 +10.413 + 1.370 + 1,603 + 1,239 + 2,315 l8go. River basin. Jan. +2,083 -t-r, 000 +1,361 +2, 404 +1,161 Central Valley I -f 771 Ohio Upper Mississippi Missouri Arkansas Red Feb. +5.380 — 285 + 434 642 + .35' Mar, +3.471 453 481 , 542 +1, 059 + Three months. +10.934 + 715 + 454 + 3, 527 + 619 + 2. 196 1893- April. +3.124 +2.855 — 453 + 802 — I, 162 + 950 May. +2, 950 - 857 —1,361 + 802 +1,162 + 1,959 June. + 694 — 999 —3.176 — 962 — 77 + 772 Three months. +6, 7S8 + 999 —4. 990 + 642 — 77 +3.6S1 1S97. Jan. —1.736 +2, 142 +2, 268 +2,725 +1, 084 + 118 Feb. +2,083 — 142 + 907 — 320 —I, .394 — 178 +4,512 --1,284 ■4.990 ■3. 517 ■1,084 +1.673 Three months. + 4,859 + 3. 284 + 8, 165 + 5,9^2 + 774 + 1,013 FLOOD OF 1882.. 65. Its tiuo szvells. — From an inspe6lion of the hydrographs for the flood of 1882, as shown on Plate XXIII, it is seen that this flood rose at Cairo in two swells, the first culminating on February 3, at a height of 7.6 feet above danger line, and the second on February 26, at 11. 9 feet, the river remaining above danger line for eight3-one days. Both swells came chiefly from the Ohio, although the second was slightly increased by the rise shown in the Mississippi at St. Louis. At Memphis the river was in flood from January 25 to March 30, a period of sixty-five days, but only reached a height of 2.2 feet above danger line. At Vicksburg and New Orleans the river rose slowl}^ from the beginning of the year, reaching the danger line at Vicksburg on January 22, and at New Orleans on February 11.* The river was in flood at the latter point for ninety-one days, to May 12; at Vicksburg the river remained above danger line for one hundred and sixty-two da5'S, to July 2. There was a small flood in the Arkansas during the latter part of February, and a great swell in the Red from the middle of January to the mid- dle of April. 66. The, downfall which caused it. — The precipitation which caused this flood is shown on the monthly precipitation charts, Plates XVII to XIX, and its average amount over the various watersheds has been computed in Table XIX. It is seen that in January the precipitation is heavy in the Ohio basin, the Central Vallej^, and the lower sedlions of the Arkansas and Red basins. In February heavy rainfall continued in these seAions, becoming still heavier in the lower Arkansas basin, and extended to * Danger line at New Orleans is taken at 13.5 feet, although danger to the city itself does not begin until a stage of 16 feet is reached. THE RIVER IN FLOOD. 41 the southern portions of the Upper Mississippi basin, and a small part of the Missouri basin. In March similar conditions held, with a further increase of rainfall in the Upper Mississippi basin. There is seen, from Table XX, to be a large excess in the downfall over the Ohio basin and Central Valley during Januarj' and Februar}', and a smaller excess in March. The downfall in the Arkansas and Red basins was also above the normal in January and February, but slightlj^ deficient in March. In the Missouri basin there was a deficient downfall in each of the three months ; in the Upper Mis- sissippi basin the downfall somewhat exceeded the normal in February and March. This distribution of the flood rain is illustrated in the departure charts. Plates XX to XXII. 67. Origin of the flood. — The genesis of this flood is, therefore, as follows : The Lower Mississippi was at a moderately high stage at the opening of the year, the gauge reading beirife_ 9.2 feet above the normal at St. Louis, 21.2 feet at Cairo, 16.7 at Mem- phis, 18.4 at Vicksburg, and 4.8 at Carrollton. For the first ten days of January the river at St. Louis, Cairo, and Memphis was falling slowly, but, from the effe^ of rains in the basiijs of the St. Francis, White, and Yazoo, it was rising steadily at Vicksburg and points below. Upon the river, already well filled, was precipitated the first Ohio flood in January. The Tennessee was already rising at the beginning of the month, ■ and the upper Ohio began to rise on the 6th. The flood reached Cairo on the loth, and the river rose during the remainder of the month. The Ohio fell from the first of Feb- ruary, and the river at Cairo followed more slowly, but was still 3 feet above the danger line when a second flood came out of the Ohio. This rise came from the upper Ohio, as the Tennessee continued to fall throughout the month. The Ohio rose rapidl}^ at Cincinnati from February 7 to 21. At the same time there was a sharp, but short, rise in the Mississippi at St. Louis. During the first swell of this flood the INIississippi, above the mouth of the Ohio, was slowl}^ falling, and during the second swell was low, except for the slight rise at the end of Februar3\ The only effedl of this was to make the rise at Cairo a little more sharp and high. It is clear that the flood of 1882 arose from heavy precipitation in the Ohio basin and the distridls adjacent to the Mississippi below Cairo. FLOOD OF 1883. 68. Its single great rise. — The hydrographs of this flood, Plate XXX, show the Lower Mississippi at its normal level at the beginning of January. The rise, which should have been in progress, under normal conditions, did not set in until the latter part of the month. From the 17th the river at Cairo rose in a great swell, attaining on February 27 the highest stage ever recorded. The decline during March was rapid to a stage 10 feet below the normal on the 26th. A second but much smaller swell immediatel}^ set in, reaching its maximum the middle of April. Both these rises came from Ohio floods ; the first was aided by a rise in the Mississippi above Cairo, but the St. Louis hydrograph shows a stationary river during the second. At Memphis the river stages followed closely those at Cairo, but the maximum height attained during the first swell was only 1.8 foot above danger line, and the river remained in flood but twenty-three days; the danger line was not reached during the second swell. A small swell occurred in the Arkansas at the same time as the first at Cairo, and its decline coincided with that at Cairo. At Vicksburg the river rose in a single swell from 6 MISS 42 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. January 20, reaclimg danger line on February 24, and remaining in flood to Ma}- 17; at its maximum the stage was 2.8 feet above danger line. At New Orleans, also, there was a single swell, reaching its crest on April 7. 69. The accompanying precipitation. — The downfall of water during Januar}', as shown in Tables XIX and XX, was deficient in all the basins except those of the Mis- souri and the Central Valley. In February there was a large excess in the Ohio basin, and smaller excesses in the other basins. In March the downfall was somewhat defi- cient except in the Missouri basin. These facts are further illustrated by the precipi- tation and departure charts, Plates XXIV to XXIX. This is a type of a purely Ohio flood. A great flood out of the Ohio descended, in this case, upon a low river. The resultant flood is short in duration at Memphis. A second and much smaller flood, following from the Ohio, produced a second rise at Memphis, but at Vicksburg formed a continuation of the earlier swell. The prolonga- tion of the latter at this point would seem to have been due to slow drainage through the St. Francis and Yazoo bottoms. FLOOD OF 1884. 70. Its main features. — In this j^ear occurred the memorable flood of the upper Ohio, in which the river at Cincinnati rose 69.2 feet above lowest water. At St. Touis the Mississippi remained at a nearly uniform low level from the beginning of the year to the middle of March, when a moderate swell began. The great flood wave in the Ohio, as shown by the Cincinnati hydrograph, Plate XXXVII, began on Januar}^ 29, reaching its crest on February 14, and declining rapidly to March 6. This flood was immediately followed by a second of much less magnitude. The Mississippi, at Cairo, rose in two swells, the first beginning on Februar}? i, reaching its crest at 11.8 feet above the danger line on the 2 2d. There was then a fall of about 16 feet to March 11, followed by a second and smaller swell, which reached its height on April 7 at 8.8 feet above danger line. Negledling the few days between the two swells, when the river fell a little below the danger line, the river was in flood sixty-five da3^s. At Memphis the two swells were evident, but much less marked than at Cairo ; the flood reached a height of 1.2 foot above danger line, and its duration was fifty-three days. At Vicks- burg the flood rose in one swell, somewhat accentuated at the time of its crest by the second rise. The river reached a height of 8.0 feet above danger line, and remained in flood one hundred and seven days. The single, long swell at New Orleans rose 2.7 feet above danger line, and the river was in flood one hundred and seven da3's. 71. Distribution of rainfall. — The precipitation of this flood is shown on Plates XXXI to XXXIII, and its departure from the normal on Plates XXXIV to XXXVI ; its amount in the various river basins is given in Table XIX, and the resultant down- fall in Table XX. In January the precipitation is seen to be above normal in the upper Ohio and Tennessee basins and the lower portion of the Central Valley. During February the downfall is very heavy in the Ohio basin, and exceeds the normal in all basins. In March the downfall is again largely in excess of the normal in the Ohio basin, and there is an increased downfall in the lower Missouri basin. This flood was closely analogous to that of 1882. Each was caused by two flood waves from the Ohio, but in the former one the second wave was the greater, while in this the first was the more important. The duration of the flood of 1882 was much THE RIVER IN FLOOD. 43 longer. The first flood out of the Ohio descended, in the flood of 1SS2, upon a much higher river than in 1884. The latter flood, like the two previous ones, came essentiallj^ out of the Ohio, the second swell being somewhat increased by a rise in the Missis- sippi above Cairo. Short floods also came out of the Arkansas and Red rivers. FLOOD OF 1S90. 72. The rise in three sivells. — The hydrographs of Plate XLIV show the Missis- sippi above Cairo to have remained at a low stage throughout the period covered. At Cairo the river rose in a short swell in January, reaching a height of 3.7 feet above danger line on the 2 ist ; by February 8 it had fallen to a stage of 7 feet below danger line. A second small swell occurred in February. Toward the end of February the river again began to rise, and remained above the danger line from February 13 to April 14. The same three flood waves are seen at Memphis, where the river was in flood fifty-five days, and the water reached a height of 2.6 feet above danger line. At Vicksburg and New Orleans there is a single, grand swell, the rise at Vicksburg beginning on Janu- ary 7, and culminating on April 26 at a stage S.o feet above danger line ; at New Orleans the river also rose from January 9 and reached a stage 3.7 feet above danger line. In the Ohio there were three distinct rises, the first occurring in Januar}^ and culminating in a stage i.o foot below danger line at Cincinnati; the second rise, in February, reached a height of 12.0 feet above danger line on March i ; the third rise began on March 11 and reached a stage 14.4 feet above danger line on March 26. No flood occurred in the Arkansas this year. 73.. Origin of the flood. — The precipitation and departui^e charts. Plates XXXVIII to XLIII, show the heaviest downpour to have occurred over the Ohio basin. There was also heavy rainfall in the Central Valley and the basin of the White river. These facts appear in detail in Table XIX. The excess of downfall is shown, in Table XX, to have been wholly supplied from these sources, and here we again find a flood occasioned by water from the Ohio and the alluvial basins along the Mississippi below Cairo. The Missouri, Arkansas, and Red rivers play no part in the development of the flood. FLOOD OF 1893. 74. A summer flood. — The hydrographs of Plate LI show a flood of somewhat different character and origin. The river at Vicksburg, after a slight spring flood of little moment, had fallen on April 17 to a stage 10 feet below its normal level for that date. It then began to rise rapidly, reaching the danger line on May i, attaining a height of 7.3 feet above danger line on May 22, and remaining above danger line to July I. At Cairo the rise began on April 11, reaching the danger line on the 17th, and its maximum height of 9.3 feet above danger line on May 8. This rise was succeeded by a rapid fall to the 26th, when a second small rise set in. From June 12 the river fell rapidly. The two swells are apparent at Memphis, where the flood rose to a stage 2.2 feet above danger line. A rise began in the Ohio, at Cincinnati, on April 6, and in the Mississippi, at St. Louis, on the loth. At the former point the river rose to a stage of 5.9 feet above danger line bj' May 7, and at St. Louis the Mississippi reached a stage 1.6 foot above danger line on May 3. 75. The cause of it. — From the precipitation and departure charts, Plates XLV to 44 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. L, as also from the data of Table XIX, we see that the rainfall to which this flood is due fell, in April, over the Ohio and Upper Mississippi basins, the lowest sedlion of the Missouri basin, and the upper distriAs of the Central Valley ; in May the rainfall was above the normal over most of the Ohio basin, the southernmost part of the Upper Mississippi basin, and southward over the districts adjacent to the Mississippi. In June the downfall was rather below the normal over the entire Mississippi drainage basin. We find this flood to have arisen from the combined adlion of moderate floods out of both the Ohio and Upper Mississippi basins, aided by a heavy downpour over the Central Valley and White river basin. FLOOD OF 1 89 7. 76. Its chief features. — In the flood of last spring, as shown by the hydrographs of Plate LVIII, the river rose in one long swell at all stations from St. lyouis to the gulf of Mexico. At St. Louis the rise began on February 2, and was slow, continuing, with minor oscillations, to May 2, when a stage i.o foot above danger line had been reached. At Cairo the rise commenced on February 4 ; it was checked by a slight fall from February 16 to 22; after which it continued to a maximum of 11. 6 feet above danger line on March 25. The subsequent fall was slow to April 16, and afterward became rapid. The river was at flood height for a period of fifty-nine days. The course of the flood at Memphis was altogether similar to that at Cairo. The rise, com- mencing on February 7, was checked by a slight fall from the 19th to 24th, and then continued to a maximum stage of 4.1 feet above danger line on March 19. The fall from the latter date to the end of April was only 3 feet, then becoming more rapid. The rise at Vicksburg began on February 12, and the river came to a stand during the latter days of the month. From March i the rise was steady until the crest was reached at a stage of 11. 3 feet above danger line on April 16. The rise at New Orleans was continuous from February 15 to May 13, when a stage of 6.1 feet above danger line was reached. A sharp rise occurred in the Ohio at Cincinnati from February 3 to II, followed b}^ a fall to the 20th. A still more rapid rise then set in, lasting to the 26th, when the river was 16.4 feet above danger line. This flood from the upper Ohio was followed by a great rise in the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers during March. jj. The rainfall and probable drainage. — From the precipitation and departure charts. Plates LII to LVII, it is seen that the downpour of this flood fell much short of that in the notable flood of 18S2. In January there was abundant precipitation in the lower Missouri and Arkansas basins and the Central Valley, which filled the bot- toms, and brought the Mississippi to its normal winter height. In February' a rainfall, not of excessive amount, but falling within a short time, occurred in the Ohio basin, and inaugurated the flood. In March still heavier rainfall in the Ohio basin, and especially on the Cumberland and Tennessee watersheds, maintained the lower Ohio in flood. This was supplemented by a slow rise from the Mississippi above Cairo, caused by moderate rains in the lower sedlions of the Missouri and Upper Mississippi basins. At the same time heavy rainfall occurred in the Central Valley and the lower Arkansas basin. The departure of downfall in the Ohio basin, from its normal value, is seen trom Table XX to be much less than half its amount in 1882, and yet the Ohio flood is fully the equal to that of 1882. This must be explained by the rapidity of the fall of water, a short and rapid rain supplying an immediate flood drainage equal THE RIVER IN FLOOD. 45 to that of a much greater raiu at a slow rate of fall. The downfall in the Missouri basin is very greatl}' in excess of that in 1SS2, but is chiefly due to a very moderate rainfall over the great, dry plains which form the major part of its area. A comparison of the St. Louis hydrographs for the two ^^ears does not indicate that the Missouri dis- charge was increased to a degree corresponding to the stated increase of downfall. 78. Source of the flood. — The genesis of this flood appears to be as follows: The Lower Mississippi in the early part of February was at a low stage. Upon it was poured, during Februar}^, a great flood from the Ohio. At the same time the alluvial bottoms were filled by heavy rainfall. The river was brought to full flood by the middle of March. It was then maintained in flood chiefly b}- heavy rainfall over the Central Valley and lower Arkansas basin, somewhat aided by higher water in the Mis- sissippi itself above Cairo. COMPARISON AND CAUSE OF FLOODS. 79. Relative iviportcince oj these six floods. — In the following small table are shown the heights above the local danger lines reached in these six floods at several typical points : Table XXI. — Heiglits of six floods, stages referred to local danger line. Station. 1882. 1883. + 4.8 +12. 2 + I.S + 2.8 + 2.8 1884. 1890. 1893- 1897. fit TjOuis TVlo . . . + 2. 2 +11.9 + 2. 2 + 7.8 + 2.3 — 1.9 + 11. 8 + 1.2 + 8.0 + 2.7 — 9.4 + 8.8 + 2.6 + 8.0 + 3-2 + 1.6 + 9.3 + 2.2 + 7-3 + 4.2 + 1.0 + 11. 6 4- 4.1 + 11.3 + 6.0 Cairo 111 Virksburcr Miss . ... It is difficult to decide the relative severity of these floods from the available records. This would be properly measured by the extent and depth of the overflow upon lands adjacent to the river, and these depend not only upon the stages reached on the river gauges, but also on the duration of high water. Below Cairo the highest river ever known occurred during the flood of 1897, but, in the duration of high water, the floods of 1882 and 1884 exceed that of 1897. The two great floods of 1882 and 1897 differ somewhat in character; the flood of 1882 was longest in total duration, but that of 1897 had greater duration of extremely high water. This is seen in the follow- ing comparative statement of the duration of various stages at the head of the alluvial plain at Cairo : Stage of river. River above danger line Two feet or more above danger line . Four feet or more above danger line . Six feet or more above danger line . . Eight feet or more above danger line Ten feet or more above danger line. . 18S2. "fa vs. Davs Si 59 6S 56 63 51 47 47 15 42 9 19 IS97. It is seen that the earlier flood holds the lead until a stage of 6 feet above danger line is reached, but at higher stages, the later one has much the longer duration. A 46 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. more detailed account of the flood of 1897 will be given in Section IV, based upon the reports of Weather Bureau officials, who were present on the ground. So. Cause of Mississippi floods. — It is, of course, conceivable that a flood should occur in the Lower Mississippi from heavy precipitation over any of the great contrib- utary basins. In these floods of the past quarter-century, we do not, however, find the western tributaries playing an important part. The great source of floods is the Ohio basin, with its steep slopes from the crest of the Alleghanies, upon which fall the heaviest rains of spring, at a time when the normal rise of the Lower Mississippi brings the river almost to the danger line from Cairo to the Gulf. In the greatest floods, we also find that heavy rainfall over the great swamp region that extends along the Mississippi from the mouth of the Ohio to the gulf of Mexico, is an important fadlor. Thii'd in importance, as a fadlor in producing floods, is the Upper Mississippi, which, while never discharging a volume suflicient to produce of itself a flood, yet, rising later than the Ohio, serves to prolong the high water, and thus to increase the overflow. <^, « i>. f T3 O O 3 p. o SECTION IV. SPRING FLOOD OF 1897. Special reports on this year's flood. — Extent of the overflow. — Losses by the flood. — Work of the Weather Bureau. — Flood in the Ohio river : Sources to Wheeling, W. Va. — Wheeling to Point Pleasant, W. Va. — Point Pleasant to Lavs'renceburg, Ind. — I,awrenceburg to Mount Vernon, Ind. — Mount Vernon to the mouth. — Tennessee river. — Flood in the Upper Mississippi river r Sources to Reeds Landing, Minn. — Reeds Landing to North McGregor, Iowa. — North McGregor to Clinton, Iowa. — Clinton to Burlington, Iowa. — Burlington to Quinc}', 111. — Ouincy to Louisiana, Mo. — Louisiana to the moiith of the Missouri river. — Flood in the Missouri river : Sources to Fort Yates, N. Dak. — Fort Yates to Chamberlain, S. Dak. — Chamberlain to Vermilion, S. Dak. — Vermilion to the Little Sioux river. — Little Sioux river to Atchison, Kans. — Atchison to the mouth. — Flood in the Arkansas river : Sources to Dodge City, Kans. — Dodge City to the southern border of Kansas. — Southern border of Kansas to Dar- danelle. Ark. — Dardanelle to the mouth. — Flood in the Red river. — Flood in the Lower Mississippi river : St. Louis, Mo., to Chester, 111.— Chester to New Madrid, Mo.— New Madrid to Helena, Ark.— Effecft of the St. Francis levee. — Helena to Vicksburg, Miss. — Vicksburg to the mouth. DETAILED accounts of the spring flood of this year by officials of the Weather Bureau, who were on the ground, will be presented in the follow- "ing pages. Early in April, when it became apparent that the flood would prove one of exceptional severity, those officials were dire6led to colledl information in regard to it, and, at its conclusion, to render a report. To each of the various officials engaged in river work, was assigned a seAion of river upon which to report. This method was applied not only to the Mississippi itself, but also to the main tribu- taries, and in this seftion will be found the various reports — some perfundlory, and some carefully prepared and highly interesting. It is doubtless impossible to obtain, from a written description, a full realization of the horrors of such a visitation as this great flood. The days of anxiety and nights of fear, before the dreaded waters begin to rise ; the wearisome struggle to hold the protedling levee ; the final hardship, when the flood has triumphed and only flight remains. These things are not to be measured by the money loss alone; besides this they mean, for many, sickness and death long after the flood has receded. As graph- ical illustration often helps to a clearer understanding than many pages of text, a few typical flood scenes have been reproduced from photographs taken during the progress of the flood, and will be found scattered through the book. The view, on the opposite page, of Stop Landing crevasse, which occurred on March 30, taken after the flood had subsided, shows the state in which flooded lands are left. The reports from the flooded distridls confirm fully the conclusions which we had already reached, from a study of the rainfall and hydrograph charts, as to the genesis of the flood. The general opinion of these officials is that the flood of this year was not equal to that of 18S2, except at a few scattered points. The remarks in the report of Mr. S. C. Emery, Weather Bureau observer at Memphis, as to the effe6l of the St. 47 48 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Francis levee, which has been construdled since the great flood of 1S90, are specially interesting. The comparative table of gauge readings at Cairo, Memphis, and Helena, which he presents, seems to support his proposition that this levee, even in its incom- plete state, has had the effedl of raising the height of great floods three or four feet at the head of the Yazoo bottom. 81. Extent of the overfloiu. — The extent of the present flood has been carefully- investigated. Charts were prepared by the Weather Bureau officials for the various reaches of the rivers, by the aid of reports obtained from the numerous correspondents of the Bureau in the flooded distridls. Similar charts had also been prepared bj- the engineer ofiicers in charge of the levee distri6ls of the l/ower Mississippi, and copies of these were kindly furnished to the Weather Bureau. From these sources the over- flowed area has been charted, and is shown by the darker tint on the map of the allu- vial regions, Plate II. This map, while, of course, not accurate in minute details, represents with substantial corre6lness the flooded area. From planimetric measure- ments the extent of the overflow in each seAion of the alluvial plain has been deter- mined, and, together with the total areas of alluvial lowland in the respedlive se(5lions, is given in the following table. The latter data are as given by the Mississippi River Commission in 1887, with the single exception of the sedlion on the west bank, between Helena and Arkansas City, where the overflow of this 3'ear exceeded the stated area of alluvial land. Tabi,e XXII. — Extent of overflo-dL< areas. Reach of river. On the east bank. Commerce, Mo., to Memphis, Tenn Yazoo bottom Vicksburg, Miss., to Baton Rouge, La Baton Rouge, La. , to the Gulf On the west bank. St. Francis bottom Helena, Ark., to Arkansas Cit}-, Ark Tensas bottom Basin of Atchafalaya Bayou Basin of La Fourche Ba3-ou Total In the past. 29, 986 In 1897. Sq. miles. Sq miles. 616 58,s 6,648 4,273 415 II 2,001 12 6,090 2,660 1,152 1,152 4,955 3, "3 6,085 884 2,024 890 13,57s 82. Losses by the flood. — The precise extent of the loss resulting from a great flood is impossible of estimate. This loss results from many causes, among which we may enumerate the destruftion of buildings, fences, levees, and similar constru61ions ; the drowning of stock ; the ruin of growing crops, and, if the flood is late in the season, the prevention of subsequent planting and hence the total loss of the 3'ear's crop ; the injury to land by covering it with sand and debris, a loss that is probably in the total more than counterbalanced by the general enrichment of the soil by the deposit of rich alluvion ; and the injury or carrying away of implements and movable propert}'. The loss to wage earners by the cessation of work is also a large fa^lor in the damage infli6led by flood. By a consideration of the overflowed area, as shown on Plate II, the statistician of the Department of Agriculture has estimated the value of movable agricultural property in the flooded district at the beginning of the flood at about $15,000,000, as follows ; SPRING FLOOD OF 1S97. 49 Horses, cattle, sheep, and other live stock $10,037,540 Corn, oats, cotton, and other movable products, of last year's crop 4,664,900 Total 14,702,440 This, it will be noted, inclndes no real estate and no personal propert}', other than stock and crops, the greater part of which was moved to places of safety as a result of Weather Bureau warnings. 83. Work of tJie Weather Bureau. — The River and Flood Service of the Weather Bureau embraces at the present time one hundred and thirteen river stations at which the height of river, together with certain meteorological data, is observed. These are supplemented by seventy-five rainfall and special stations, from which reports are obtained in time of flood. These stations are grouped about certain centers, at which their reports are colle6led. The essential dutj' of the Weather Bureau in this work is the issuance of warnings of impending floods. For this purpose the official at each river center is assigned a certain territory, for the proper warning of which he is held responsible. From the press reports and other sources of information, it appears that this dutv Avas well performed in the late flood. The conditions having become critical, a special warning was issued from the Washington oflice on March 15, that "the impending flood will prove very destruAive in Arkansas and northern Louisiana." Again, on March 19, a special warning was issued that "the floods in the Lower Mississippi during the next ten da3's or two weeks will, in many places, equal or exceed, in magni- tude and destrudliveness, those of any previous years, and additional warning is given to the residents of the threatened distridts in Arkansas, Louisiana, and western Mis- sissippi to remove from the region of danger." Indeed, so completely was the public warned that it caused criticism, in certain quarters, that the Bureau was needlessly alarming the people in the threatened districts. Subsequent events, however, fully justified the a6lion of the Weather Bureau. There follow, in the subsequent paragraphs, the detailed reports upon the river conditions of the past spring. These are grouped with respecft to the five great tribu- taries, the Ohio, Upper Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, and Red, as well as the Lower Mississippi itself. THE OHIO RIVER. 84. Sources to Wheeling, W. f^a., reported by Mr. Frank Ridgway, Local Forecast Official., Pittsburg, Pa., June 16, i8gj. — Both the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers originate in and flow through hilly and mountainous districts, and are subjedt to frequent floods, which are charadlerized b}' an overflow confined to narrow limits, and a verj' rapid subsidence. Agricultural interests suffer little, the damage being con- fined almost entirely to navigation, railroads, and manufa6luring establishments. During the spring of 1897 two floods occurred in western Pennsylvania — the first, in February, being confined to the Monongahela, and the other, in March, to the Alle- ghany watershed. On February 20 rain began to fall over the IMonongahela valley, and continued until the early morning of the 23d. The rain was general in character and averaged over two inches on the 21st and 2 2d, causing the Monongahela river to rise from a moderately low stage on the 21st to a flood stage during the earl 3- morning 7 MISS 50 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. of the 23d. The river continued high all day and the following night ; the fall was not rapid until the night of the 24th. The banks were overflowed at many points, but pradlically no damage resulted in the headwater distridls. In the lower distridls trans- portation, shipping, and manufacfturing interests suffered greatly, the damage, at a conservative estimate, amounting to about half a million dollars. It is further esti- mated that the loss to wage-earners, by being thrown out of employment while the water flooded the mills, and while repairs were being made, amounted to at least $400,000, which brings up the figures representing the entire loss on account of the flood to nearly f 1,000,000. On March i from one to two inches of snow remained on the ground over the larger part of the watershed of the Alleghany river and its tributaries. The mild temperature during the first week of the month caused the snows to melt, and this, supplemented by the general rains which fell over western Pennsylvania during the same period, caused flood conditions in the Alleghany river on the 6th. The only damage caused by the high water, was in the delay of railroad traffic while tracks were submerged. During the floods of both February and March the upper Ohio overflowed its banks at several points, but no considerable damage is reported to have been done. 85. Wheeling to Point Pleasant^ W. Va., reported by Mr. H. L. Ball., Observer., Parkersburg ., W. Va., June 18, i8gj. — On the eastern border of West Virginia the Alleghanies traverse the state its length, and form a watershed, eastward to the Atlantic, westward to the Ohio, four-fifths of the state draining westward. The surface of the state, scarified and torn by a multitude of mountains, threaded by numberless valleys, and bounded on the west by the undulating basin of the Ohio, represents every sort of topography. The serrated hills and tortuous ravines are waterways down which often sweep mighty torrents. So rapid is the fall of the streams that a downpour of rain in the hills is followed in the narrow valleys by a rush of water as of a tidal wave, and which as quickly recedes ; and it is only when the more sluggish Ohio is reached that the march of the flood becomes less riotous. In the interior, floods may and often do occur which have no great effedl upon the Ohio, but do great damage to crops and property along the smaller streams. At the outset it may be stated that, in West Virginia, the floods of February and March, though great, were not unprecedented .or disastrous. At the opening of Feb- ruary from 6 to 10 inches of snow lay upon the mountains in the northern part of the state. Cold weather had prevailed and the rivers were frozen. Increasing warmth and general rains caused a break-up, and from February 7 to 10 the rivers were full and running freely. Such were the conditions preceding the general and heavy rains which fell from the 20th to the 24th of the month. The average rainfall during these four days, over that part of the state draining into the Ohio, was 3.3 inches, and over that draining into the Potomac, 2.7 inches. The rivers, already full, were made raging torrents, especially those emptying into the Great Kanawha. Sudden and heavj' rises occurred in all the mountain streams, and the danger line was reached at many points. In the Monongahela, the Cheat, the Potomac, and the Great and Little Kanawhas, the rise began on the 22d, and reached its highest on the 23d and 24th. The Ohio felt the heavy rains almost as quickly as the smaller streams, and the latter were choked by backwater, and overflowed their valleys. The most sudden and serious rises occurred in the Monongahela and the Great and Little Kanawhas. SPRING FLOOD OF 1897. 5 1 The river stages at Parkersburg and Marietta are praAically the same, except when a rise occurs in the Little Kanawha. During the period under consideration, very heavy rains fell along the Muskingum and Little Kanawha rivers, and these were immediately felt in the Ohio at Parkersburg. The river began rising on the 22d, and rose rapidly until the 25th, when it reached a maximum stage of 37.9 feet, the crest of the wave passing at 4:15 p. m. The Little Kanawha during this time was out of bank along all the lowlands, and immense quantities of timber and railroad ties were washed from the side streams into the Ohio. Freight traffic on the Ohio River Railroad was abandoned, and several hundred families living along the river front were compelled to move to high ground. No diredl loss was occasioned b}- the high water, other than the washing away of lumber and ties, the Weather Bureau having issued flood warnings in ample time for the moving or securing of other property. The stage of water at Parkersburg was not unusual. The Elk, Coal, Gauley, Guyandotte, and Big Sandy rivers were flooded, and immense quantities of lumber and ties were washed away, and many families on the lowlands were driven to high ground. No accurate statement can be given of the loss, but $250,000 appears to be a conservative estimate, founded upon the general reports through newspapers and otherwise. While the floods were undoubtedl}' great and widespread, they were by no means unprecedented or unusually disastrous. There is not found recorded the loss of a single human life, and the suffering caused by the necessity of moving from habitations was no more than could be expelled by people who will live along the river fronts. 86. Point Pleasant to Laiurenceburg ^ Ind., reported by Mr. S. S. Bassler, Local Forecast Official, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 5, iSgj. — Bxcept at the cross valleys, through which the large tributaries — the Great Kanawha, Guyandotte, Big Sandy, Scioto, and the two Miamis — flow, the country along the Ohio river, between Point Pleasant and Law- renceburg, is fairly well protected from serious overflows by the series of hills and highlands through which the mighty volume of water, gathered mainly from the mountainous territory of West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, is swiftly carried to the Lower Mississippi. A remarkably good stage of water and great adlivity in river traffic, for the season of the year, prevailed during January up to the 27th, when navigation was suspended on account of increasingly heavy floating ice. Ice gorges formed, which, under the influence of milder weather and rain during the first part of Februarj^, were broken up and carried away without damage of any consequence. Navigation on the Ohio river was twice suspended during the month of February, which was charadlerized by a continuation of the January ice-run and by high water. Since i860 only two higher stages than that of last February have occurred — one in Februar}', 1883, and the other, and greatest in the history of the river, in February, 1884. Sudden and almost simul- taneous rises at all points in the Ohio valley, due to general and extraordinary rainfall, were the remarkable features of the 1897 flood. At Point Pleasant the Great Kanawha, one of the most important tributaries of the Ohio, pours the water collefted in southern West Virginia, western Virginia, and the northwestern corner of North Carolina into the main stream. The land at Point Pleasant is hilly, and comprises two terraces, the first extending to Seventh street, and the second to Thirteenth street. At a stage of 52 feet the water entirely covers the 52 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. first terrace. During the high water of Februar}^ about one-half of the town was flooded from I to 7 feet in depth. The damage was small and has not been estimated. The river observer reports that advantage was taken of timely flood warnings issued, and only the few who ignored the warnings suffered. The following table shows the danger line and river stages at points named, dur- ing the time of highest water, between Point Pleasant and Cincinnati : Date. Point Pleasant, W. Va. Danger line, 36 ft. Cattlettsburg, Ky. Danger line, 50 ft. Portsmouth, Ohio. Danger line, 50 ft. Cincinnati, Ohio. Danger line, 45 ft. Stage. Rise in 24 hours. Stage. Rise in 24 hours. Stage. Rise in 24 hours. Stage. Rise in 24 hours. February 21 February 22 February 23 Februar)' 24 February 25 Feet. 19-5 30.2 45- 50-9 52.3 50-5 Feet. 1-5 10.7 14.8 5-9 1.4 Feet. 24. I 37-5 52-4 56.0 58.5 56.5 Feet. I. 2 13-4 14.9 3-6 2.5 Feet. 25-5 37-0 51-8 57-4 59-0 58-1 Feet. 1. II- 5 14.8 5-6 1.6 Feet. 29-5 41.0 50-4 56-0 59-4 61. 1 Feet. 0.4 II- 5 9-4 5-6 3-4 1-7 For 15 miles from its junftion with the Ohio the Guyandotte river was overflowed. Guj^andotte, W. Va., was nearl}' all under water. Proclor^'ille, Ohio, on the opposite side of the river, is situated on a long stretch of bottom land, and was about two- thirds overflowed. The highest stage over this area of bottom land occurred on February 24, and the overflow on both sides of the river was 3 miles wide, water remaining in the bottom for ten days. Much distress and man}' losses were sustained along this part of the river. It is estimated that the damage to the town and farms in the vicinity would reach not less than $10,000. Nearlj- the entire cit}' of Catlettsburg, K3^, was covered with from i to 7 feet of water. The lowlands along the Big Sand}' were overflowed, as is generally the case when that tributarv gets out of its banks. It is estimated that $5,000 will cover the damage done at Catlettsburg. The water was above the danger line for six days. At Portsmouth, Ohio, the Scioto joined with the Ohio in making the rise both rapid and strong, and in less than four days covered 33.5 feet on the gauge. The water overflowed the lowlands from i to 6 feet, and a little over one-third of the city was flooded, including Mill and Front streets, the greater part of Third street, and the low portions of a great man}' other streets in both the dwelling and business distridls, compelling occupants of dwellings and business houses to vacate first floors. A warn- ing that the river would pass the danger line (50 feet) had been sent out by the Weather Bureau. This enabled those whose property was in jeopardy to move their goods to places of safety. For a distance of about 5 miles above its mouth the bottom lands of the Scioto river average about 2 miles in width. Over these bottoms the water was 20 feet deep. In Kentucky, opposite Portsmouth, high hills closely border the river. The total land submerged in and near Portsmouth was about 9,900 acres, and the estimated damage was $10,000. The Little Miami river flows into the Ohio just east of Cincinnati, through a stretch of fertile bottom land. This serves as a storage reservoir for an immense amount of backwater. The overflow into the Little ]\Iiami valley extended about 4 miles up the stream, and was, on an average, i mile wide. Cincinnati had ample warn- SPRING FLOOD OF 1897. 53 ing of the impending flood. On the morning of February 23 the rapidlj^ rising river had exceeded the stage forecasted by 0.4 foot. Careful calculation and the use of the telegraph confirmed the opinion that 60 feet, if not more, would be reached at Cincin- nati. The warning was therefore renewed, and, at 9 a. m. of the 26th, the river came to a stand at 61.2 feet. Great damage by water to goods and merchandise in cellars throughout the wholesale distriAs, usuall}^ covered by floods, was averted b}' prompt removal. The total loss from all causes, resulting from the flood, is estimated at $150,000 at Cincinnati, $30,000 in the Mill Creek bottom, and about $25,000 along the mouth of the Licking river. Below Cincinnati there was comparatively little loss until the bottom lands of the Big Miami river were reached, where there was an overflow. Lawrenceburg, Ind., suffered no loss this j^ear, thanks to the new Government levee, which withstood the pressure of the water. 87. Lawrencebitrg to Mt. Vernon^ Iiid., reported by Mr. Frank Burke, Local Forecast Official, Louisville, Ky., June 20, i8gy. — The conditions prior to the spring flood of 1897 did not, in any manner, give reason to apprehend a serious rise. There was an almost total absence of snowfall ; the early spring rains were generally moderate, and only sufficient to maintain a fair stage of water until February 22. Upon this date excessive downpours caused the stream to swell rapidly, and brought it above the danger line at Loviisville on the 24th, and at Mt. Vernon on the following day. It attained its maximum height, 35.4 feet, at the former place on the 28th, and, except for the interval from March 5 to 10, was above the danger line until March 16, after which the water subsided rapidly, and at the close of the "month had resumed its normal stage. At Mt. Vernon the rise began on February 8, and on the 12th the water was close to the danger line, near which it hovered until the 25th, passing it upon that day, remaining from 5 to 10 feet above it until INIarch 26, and attaining its maximum height of 44.9 feet on March 17. During the latter days of the month the water was receding very rapidly. To the succession of heavy rains, occurring between February 22 and March 10, the main rise can be attributed. All the smaller tributaries of the Ohio, especially those entering the river from the northern side, were bank-full during this period, and the outflowing waters maintained the stream at a flood stage for a month or more. The topograph}- of the country along the river banks from Lawrenceburg to Lewisport, Ky., precludes any very great damage, even from an exceptionally high stage of water. The hills rise abruptly from the water, or are separated from it by lowlands, ranging from a few hundred j^ards to half a mile in width. From Lewisport to Mt. Vernon the distance between the hills on either side of the river gradually increases, the lowlands being rarely less than a mile, and in manj^ places 5 miles wide. During the climax of the flood these lowlands were under water, but only for a short time, and pradlically no damage resulted in this sedlion. The greatest loss was occasioned by the smaller streams in Indiana washing out tracks, bridges, and culverts, and causing an almost total suspension of traffic on the railroads entering Louisville from the north, for the week subsequent to March 6. At Evansville, Ind., the greatest apprehension was felt in regard to the threatened cut-off above the city. Evansville is located on what is known as the " Horse Shoe Bend," opposite a projection of the Kentucky shore in the shape of a peninsula. During 54 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. every high water a current is formed across this peninsula, about 8 miles above Evans- ville, and empties just above Henderson, Ky. It was supposed that this current was more dangerous than usual, owing to the fadl that an ice gorge, which had formed just before the rise of the river, had worn away the channel, and that a strong current would flow through and possibly divert the river itself. Though the aftion of the water was not continued long enough for this to happen, it was considered necessary by the United States engineers to take steps to prevent a recurrence of the trouble. 88. Mt. Venion to tlie mouthy reported by Mr. P. H. Smyth., Observer^ Cairo., III., May 5p, iSgy. — During this spring, for the fourth time in thirty years, the river at Cairo reached a stage exceeding 51 feet. The flood in the lower Ohio valley did not, however, equal in magnitude nor destrudliveness the floods of 1882 and 1884. At most points the water lacked 3 to 7 feet of being as high as in 1884, but at Mound City, 111., the river reached a stage 3 inches higher than the previous high-water mark. This unusual stage is believed to have been due to the Government gravel road, which runs from Mound City to Mound City Junftion, a distance of about 3 miles, and has been construfted within the past four years. At Cairo a great volume of water, instead of taking its natural channel, passed over the embankment at Birds Point, Mo., nearly opposite the mouth of the Ohio. This water reentered the Mississippi at Lucas' Bend, a point about 14 miles below. On the Kentucky side the water was over the lowlands and bottoms for from four to six weeks. All lowlands in the vicinity of Paducah, Ky., and the lower portions of Paducah itself were flooded from March 3 to April 18, forty-seven days. A conservative estimate . of the money value of property destroyed or damaged by this spring's flood, in the lower Ohio valley, is $175,000. Many thousands of acres of wheat were drowned out and ruined, and thousands of bushels of corn in cribs were destroyed. The loss of stock was very small, it having been removed to places of safety. For nearly one month navigation was considerably interfered with, and river business was pradlically at a standstill during the period of high water. 89. Tennessee river, reported by Mr. L. M. Pindell, Observer, Chattanooga, Tenn., June ij, iSgy. — In July, 1896, a protra6led spell of dr}' weather set in, which continued during the rest of the year, except for a few heavy showers in December. With a dry spell, extending over a period of six months, it was to be expedled that the early spring would be accompanied by heavy precipitation. In February, 1897, the rainfall saturated the earth, and, when March opened with heavy precipitation, the water drained quickly into the streams. The precipitation was heavy during the whole of March, thus keeping the streams well filled ; the total rainfall ranged from 7 to 13 inches over the watershed. General and heavy rain fell over the entire river on the 6th, i2th, 14th, and 19th, and heavy rain at a few stations on the 9th, loth, i6th, and i8th ; from the 3d to the 23d the rain was almost continuous. The river rose from the 4th to the 14th at Chattanooga. The Clinch river, at Clinton, had three distindl rises, and the Tennessee, at Rockwood, had two, and at Chattanooga three rises during the month ; at Chattanooga the crests of these rises occurred on the 8th, 14th, and 22d, respedlively. At Lower Muscle Shoals the river observations were discontinued on the 19th (the gauge reading at that time being 17.7 feet) on account of the water being over the gauge ; the observations were resumed on the 24th. Another rise followed SPRING FLOOD OF 1897. 55 the heav}^ rainfall which occurred during the first five daj'S of April, but the river did not reach the danger line at any point above Florence. At Chattanooga the river covered the lowlands and bottoms from February 25 to 27, March 13 to 18, and on the 21st and 2 2d, in all ten days. It is estimated that 5 square miles were covered by water; the flood of 1867 covered about 30 square miles. The river reached the highest point, 38.2 feet, at 3:30 p. m. on March 14, and remained stationary up to 9:30 p. m., when it began to fall. After April 6 the river declined gradually until Ma}^ 11, when another rainv spell set in, causing the river to rise until the 22.4-foot mark was reached on Ma}^ 15. Since that date dry weather has prevailed, and the river has fallen to low water. At Florence, Ala., the river began to rise on March 6 and to fall on the 20th, reaching a stage 1.4 foot higher than any previous flood. At Riverton, Ala., the rise commenced during the day on Februar}- 23, the gauge reading at 6 a. m. on that day having been 7.5 feet. The water rose rapidly until the evening of March 2, when the gauge read 26.6. This water all came from the upper river and the reports from above Chattanooga were so alarming that extensive prepa- rations were -made at the Government works here to protedl perishable and floating property. Notwithstanding these reports and indications, a rapid fall occurred between the 2d and 6th of March, the gauge reading 14.3 feet at 6 a. m. on the 6th, a fall of 12 feet in four days. On the 6th the water commenced to rise rapidly. Until the nth the rise was due entirely to water from above this point. On the night of the nth there was an unusually heavy rain, inaugurating a series of frequent and heavy showers, ^yhich culminated on the night of the 17th in a storm of unusual severity. The rain fell in torrents "almost continuously for forty hours, beginning about 9 p. m. on the 17th, and stopping about i p. m. on the 19th. The quantity of rain which fell during this period is estimated at 8 inches. The effedl of this rain, falling as it did on ground already saturated with water, was marked, as is best shown by the record of the river gauge, which was as follows : March 18, 6 a. m., 41. i ; 6 p. m., 43.0. March 19, 6 a. m., 47.3 ; 6 p. m., 49.6. March 20, 6 a. m., 50.3 ; 6 p. m., 49.7. Between 6 p. m. on the i8th and 6 a. m. on the 19th the rise was most rapid, amounting to 4.3 feet, and attaining a rate of 6 inches per hour during part of the time. The crest of the rise reached Riverton during the early morning of the 20th, at which time the gauge read 50.3 feet. The records of 1867 and 1875, which are said to be identical in this neighborhood, were exceeded by about 2.5 feet. Between ]\Iarch 6, when the second rise began, and March 20, when it culminated, the river rose a total of 36 feet, making an average rate of over 2.5 feet per day, and a maximum of 6.2 feet from the i8th to 19th. The overflowed distridl includes pradlicall}' all of the land between the bluffs from Florence to Pittsburg Landing, a distance of over 60 miles. The average distance between the bluffs is estimated at 2 miles. At Johnsonville, Tenn., the river reached 48 feet on March 24, being 27 feet above danger line. It had passed the danger line on February 28, and did not fall below it until April 18. The river reached the same stage as it did in the high water of 1S82. The lowlands above and below the city were submerged. The river was out of its banks nearly four weeks. The highest point was reached at the mouth on March 24, 56 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. at a stage of 50.9 feet ; the higiiest stage ever reached was on Februar}- 22, 1884, when the river reached 54.5 feet. The overflow along the lower Tennessee was from i to 4 miles wide. THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 90. Soiiires to Reeds Landings Mniu., reported by Mr. P. F. Lyons, Observer, St. Paul, Minn., May 12, 1897. — The recent high water in the rivers of Minnesota may be traced back to the abnormally heavy precipitation of Odlober and November, 1896, supplemented by the rather early setting in of freezing weather, and, while not a severe, still a rather long winter, with a much more than average snov^all. The accumula- tion of snow on the ground during January', Februarj^, and most of March, was far in excess of anything seen since the winter of 1880-81. In the spring following that winter the rivers attained the highest stages of which there is a reliable record, during April and May, 1881. The rainy season, which had its beginning in Minnesota about the middle of March, was by no means marked; in fa6l, the rainfall from that date to April 30 was rather light, and considerably below normal. No damage of consequence resulted from high water along the St. Croix ; on the Mississippi the boom companies sustained the major portion of damage, which is estimated at $60,000, from the break- ing of booms and the escape of millions of feet of logs, that floated down the river and were finally gathered up about lake Pepin. The high water attained the maximum stage at St. Paul on April 6, at 18 feet; this stage was equaled April 16, 1875, and was surpassed April 29, 1881, when the extreme record of 19.7 feet was made. The river remained above danger line (14 feet) from April i to 18 ; after that there was a gradual and stead}' fall. 91. Reeds Landing to North McGregor, Lowa, reported by Mr. M.J. Wright, Jr., La Crosse, Wis., June 4, 1S97. — With the exception of the highest lands, the entire Mississippi bottom, from Reeds Landing to North ]\IcGregor, a distance of 147 miles, was overflowed. The width of the bottom, from bluff to bluff, in this sedfion averages 3 miles. At Winona, Minn., the highest stage of water, according to the records kept by the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Compau}', at the bridge, was 6 inches lower than in 1880. One death by drowning was due dire6lly to the flood, that of a child of two and a half 3-ears. The flood in the vicinit}- of Winona was nearly if not quite as severe as in 1880, although the damage was small. Some of the residents on the shores of lake Winona had to move out of their houses on account of high water. Along the shores of lake Pepin there is verj- little land subjedf to overflow, but on iVpril 18 a very high south wind, veering to the west, washed the water over the banks and undermined the roadbeds of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul, and the Chicago, Burlington, and Northern railroads, but traffic was interrupted for only a couple of daj'S. The ice moved out of lake Pepin on April 5, thawing before it reached beyond Winona. It is a very unusual occurrence for ice to move out of lake Pepin, as it usuallj' melts in the lake. It is presumed that a high northerly wind, which prevailed shortl}' before the ice in the lake broke up, was the cause of its moving out this 3'ear. Ice moved out of the Chippewa river into the IMississippi the latter part of March, and the log jam moved out on April 3, at 11 a. m. Alanv square miles of land were overflowed in Buffalo and Pepin counties. Wis., and Wabasha count}-, ]\Iinn., during April. The area of country known as the Chippewa bottoms is rather thickl}' settled, SPRING FLOOD OF 1897. 57 stock and hay being raised exclnsivel}^ Previous to the rise these settlers moved their families and stock to adjacent high land, and did not return to their homes until the water subsided, which was about the end of April. This sedlion was overflowed from three to four weeks. The Chippewa gorge moved out and thawed so gradually that the onljj^ damage resulted to overflowed lands and delayed trains. A large amount of lumber and logs were scattered over the Chippewa bottoms. In the vicinity of I^a Crosse the Mississippi, I^a Crosse, and Black rivers overflowed their banks, the water covering some farming lands and bottoms. At La Crosse the highest stage of water reached was 13.7 feet, and the flood lasted about ten days. From April 5 to 19 the levee, from State street to the wagon bridge, was covered with several inches of water, and the tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroad, on Front street, were submerged. The damage was small, as the Weather Bureau had given warnings of the approaching flood, and the occupants of buildings on the levee had removed from their basements all goods that were liable to be damaged b}^ water. The large area of the city, known as the North Side, was overflowed, and several families had to vacate their houses. The Onalaska ele6lric car line was submerged for about ten days, during which time no cars could be run. The damage to the Missis- sippi bridges at this point, from high water and floating ice, was $2,500, and the damage to railroad property is estimated at an equal amount. The cost of picking up the drift- ing logs this spring was estimated at $10,000, and a large number of logs were never recovered. The flood of 1880 was more severe in many respedls. 92. North McGregor to Clinton^ loiva^ reported by Mr. L. M. Tarr, Observer, Dubuque, Iowa, June 18, iSgy. — The tributaries of the Mississippi in this sedlion are numerou'S, but are all very small streams, except the Wisconsin, Galena, and Maquo- keta rivers. The water was high in th;s2 and th2 smaller streams, but no serious damage was done, with the exception of the washing away of two or three small county bridges. The Mississippi between North McGregor and Clinton runs for the entire distance between high bluffs, which prevent it overflowing much arable land. The water began rising before the ice went out, which was on March 19 at Dubuque, and it continued to rise slowly but steadily until April 15, when the highest point, 17.9 feet, was reached at this place. This was 2.9 feet above the danger line, and 3.9 feet below the high water of June, 1880. At North McGregor the river reached its highest point, 17.6 feet, on April 13, and was then 0.4 foot below the danger line. The river rose slowly, and the daily river bulletins from this office kept the people informed of river conditions, and there was ample time to prepare for the rise. There were no lives lost and no serious damage was done in this sedlion. In the cities and villages along the river a few families occupying houses in low places had to move out for a few days, and basements and cellars were flooded. The lumber yards in Dubuque were at considerable expense in moving lumber on low ground, but none of it was washed away. The damage by the high water between North McGregor and Clinton was very slight, i ne Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul rail- road runs the entire distance along the west bank of the river, and the Chicago, Bur- lington, and Northern runs on the east bank. These roads are very close to the river for the entire distance, and yet they suft'ered no inconvenience from the high wa,tef, There were no washouts on either road, and no trains delayed. S MISS 58 FLOODS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 93. Clinton to Burlington^ lozua, reported by Mr. F. J. U^alz, Local Forecast Official, Davenport, Iowa, May /j, i8gj. — Tlie Avater did not begin rising \\-itli much rapidity at Clinton until April 5, and the flood crest of 16.8, or 2.8 feet above the danger line, was reached on April 17. The highest stage at Burlington was 13.3, or 3.3 feet above the danger line, on the 19th. The water registered 13 feet at Burlington on the 20th, and remained nearh' stationary until the 27th, after which a rapid fall began. The river received a considerable increment, which showed on the gauge at Burlington, from the Iowa river, and this was due to the heavj' local rains over central and south- eastern Iowa. The islands and lowlands in the vicinit}' of Clinton were generall}^ inundated, but onh' slight damage resulted, as the}^ are sparsel}- populated, and are cultivated to only a small extent. A few houses in Clinton, mostl}- verv cheap ones, occupied b}' the poorer classes, were flooded so that the occupants had to abandon them. From Clinton to the mouth of the Wapsipinicon river some 5,000 acres were over- flowed on the Iowa side of the river, including the islands, and of this area not over one-third is cultivated land. On the Illinois side of the river the banks are high and the countrv well prote6led down as far as the mouth of Rock river, except in what is known as the ]\Ieredosia slough. The latter district was generall}- submerged, but as it is largely swampy, waste land, it could not be considered damaged by the flood. About the mouth and extending up the broad vallej" of the AVapsipinicon river are rich, fertile bottom lands under high cultivation. About 6,000 acres of land in this district, which include many fine farms, were inundated ; but the damage even here will not be great, as farming operations had not yet begun, and the water receded and the land dried off in time to allow a late planting to be made. The ha}- crop, which is large in this sedlion, is unhurt. Below the mouth of the Wapsipinicon, and on to Davenport, little or no damage Avas done. The river did not get out of its banks in this reach, and onl}- a few islands, mostl}- uncultivated land, were overflowed. In Davenport and Rock Island there was little or no damage other than the flood- ing, to a small extent, of cellars and basements in the business houses near the river. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern line of railroad, running into Davenport, had to abandon, for a week or so, its tracks entering the city along the levee ; but its trains were brought in and out over the tracks of another road, and no loss other than a little delay and inconvenience resulted. Below Davenport, Big Island, at the mouth of Rock river, was partly covered. From this point to i\Iuscatine, Iowa, the river banks are high, and the ' country on both sides well protected from overflow at the highest stages of water. The islands in this reach were all prettv generallv covered, but there is little or no cultivated land upon them, and what there is will be dried off in time to raise a crop. Muscatine island, extending from Muscatine nearly to the mouth of the Iowa river, and containing some 20,000 to 25,000 acres of the most valuable and highl}' cultivated land in Iowa, would have been entirel}- submerged had it not been so well protected \>y an excellent private levee, which extends along nearly the full length of it. This levee held intact, as it also did in the much higher flood of 1S92. There was no break in it, except a slight one at the lower end of the island, which was of no consequence, and was soon repaired. The part of the island below Port Louisa, not protected b\' the levee, was entirel}^ submerged, and considerable damage resulted. The area flooded, including the whole distridl on the Iowa side of the rixox, as far SPRING FLOOD OF 1 89 7. 59 soutli as tlie Iowa river, will amount to some 10,000 acres, and the damage done is about $70,000. From Drury's Landing to New Boston, on the Illinois side of the river, the bottom lands, amounting to some 30,000 acres, of which about one-sixth is cultivated, were all overflowed. The damage in this distridl will aggregate $80,000. From the Iowa river, south to Burlington, there was a general overflow of the bottom lands and islands. In places the inundation stretched clear to the bluffs, some 6 or 7 miles distant from the natural shore line. On the Iowa side, in Louisa county, there were many excellent farms covered, and the damage here will amount to considerable. The land submerged is some 30,000 or 40,000 acres, the greater part of which is cultivated. The only cases of suffering and destitution on account of the flood, north of Burlington, occurred in this Louisa county distriA, and was principally among the tenant farmers in the Iowa and Mississippi river bottoms, and the subcontradlors and laborers on the Government levee. Thieves (or Huron) Island, containing some 2,000 acres of farming land and having about 125 inhabitants, was entirely covered, and the occupants compelled to abandon it for a time. On the Illinois side of the river the laud was overflowed from 2 miles below Oquawa to opposite Burlington ( 10 miles below) and i to 3 miles back. This land, however, is low and swampy, and very little of it available for cultivation. 94. Burlington to Qiiincy, III.^ reported by Mr. F. Z. Gosewisch^ Observer., Keokuk., Iowa., May 21^ iSgy. — The usual rise, with the breaking up of the ice, began early in Februar}^, causing onl}' a moderate stage, and by March 7, when the stead}- rise began, the river had fallen to the low stage of 2.4 feet at Keokuk. From this date the river rose, with some flu(?tuations, until the crest of the flood reached Keokuk on the morn- ing of A~pril 27, at a stage of 18.5 feet, then graduall}^ falling to below danger line by the morning of May 5. From Burlington to Keokuk the river hills extend nearl}^ to the banks, leaving but a narrow margin of land liable to overflow, except in Green Bay township of Lee County, Iowa, and on cultivated islands in the river in that vicinity. The losses at Green Baj- are estimated at $7,000. In the city of Keokuk the losses were confined to the lumber distridl, which was covered with from 2 to 4 feet of water, and the damage will not exceed $1,000. On the Illinois shore the river hills begin receding from the river at Warsaw, 111. South of Warsaw the bottoms are protected by substantial levees, and comprise the Hunt, Lima lake, and Indian Grave drainage distri(?ts. The Hunt levee was broken between 6 and 7 miles south of Warsaw on the morning of April 27, at a place where repairs had been made after the flood of 18S8, and where the new work joined the old. The break widened rapidly to 475 feet. The river at the time of breaking was 3 feet lower than the top of the levee. Within four days after the break 25,000 of the 30,000 acres in the distridl were flooded with from 2 to 6 feet of water. The water from the break in the Hunt levee spread over the Lima lake distridl, inundating the entire 14,000 acres embraced. The losses in these two distrifts are estimated at $64,000. The Indian Grave levee was not broken, but the distridl was overflowed earlj^ in January from the waters of Bear creek, and winter wheat was then destroyed, the later flood doing no damage. On the Missouri shore the laud is mostly unprotefted bottoms. The Eg3^ptian levee skirts the south bank of the Des Moines river, ending at Alexandria, Mo. The banks of Fox river are leveed to its mouth near Gregory, Mo., the levee then extend- 6o FLOODS OF THE MISSISvSIPPI RIVER. iiig a short distance south, on the bank of the Mississippi. Owing to excessive rainfall durino- the month of March the levees were water-soaked, and much water soaked through the Egyptian levee at an early stage of the flood. On April i8 a considerable portion of the Missouri lands were overflowed, and the water began encroaching on the track of the St. Louis, Keokuk, and Northwestern railroad at a low point between Gregory and Canton, Mo. By April 24 southbound trains were abandoned, and on April 26 the Des Moines river poured over the top of the Egyptian levee, carrying out the railway track between the Des Moines river and Alexandria, Mo. The towns of Alexandria and Gregory were flooded. The Mississippi river, south of the Des Moines, was from 4 to 6 miles wide, extending inland to the foot of the hills. 95. Quincv to Louisiana, Mo., reported by Mr. E. A. Niinino, OI)servei-, Hainiilml, Mo., June 5, iSgy. — Copious rains, during the latter part of March and early in April, caused all creeks and sloughs along the river to be filled to overflowing. The river during this time continued to rise steadily, and on April 4 the gauges at Quincy, Han- nibal, and Louisiana showed a rise of 7.5, S.8, and 10.2 feet, respedlively, since the 15th of the preceding month. On March 26 water began to invade all unprote6led bottom lands between Quincy and Louisiana, and by April 3 the entire bottom, extending back to the bluffs, and aggregating about 31,200 acres on the Missouri side, and about 2,700 acres on the Illinois side, were submerged. During the period from A^aril 5 to 14 the water receded somewhat, but by April 20 the bottom lands were again entirely covered and remained flooded until May 6. From this time onward the river fell rapidly, and on May 1 1 the water had entirely receded from the flooded distridf. At Hannibal the high water caused much inconvenience to property owners and railway companies along the river front. The wharf and floor of the Diamond Jo packet house was flooded, and, at the highest stage, water covered the floor to a depth of 15 inches. The eledlric light plant, which is the property of the city of Hannibal, was entirely surrounded by water from April 26 to May 4, necessitating the use of boats to get to and from the building. During the time when the flood was at its height, con- siderable inconvenience was caused merchants on Main street by seepage, many cellars and basements having as much as 5 feet of water in them. 96. Louisiana to the moutJi of t lie Missouri river, reported by Mr. LL. C. Franlcen- field, Local Forecast Official, St. Louis, Mo., May 20, i8gj. — Heavy rains in Iowa and northern Missouri about March 19 caused a rapid rise in the Des Moines and Fox rivers, and the commencement of this rise was felt at Louisiana on the 2 2d. Before the crest of this rise had passed, the first waters of the flood wave from the north arrived, and thereafter there was a slow, steady rise for six weeks, with the exception of a slight intermission during the second week in April. From Louisiana to St. Louis the flood was less marked than that in the Illinois river. At the former place the river goes over the banks at a 12-foot stage, and this stage was reached on March 27. The crest occurred on April 30, the stage being 1S.5 feet, or only 0.3 foot less than that of the great flood of 1892. The water did not again go below the danger line until May 10. About 20,000 acres of land were submerged on the Missouri side of the river, the Illinois side being protecfted by the Su}' levee, which successfully withstood the flood. Twelve miles below Louisiana the private levees of H. L. Hart and J. W. Col well were broken, and several thousand acres of fine farm lands overflowed. The loss in the vicinity of Louisiana was at least $75,000. In the vicinity of Clarksville, Mo., 10,000 SPRING FLOOD OF 1 897. 61 acres were overflowed, and damage done to tlie amount of $40,000. The water covered all the lands, except those places where the blulTs extend to the river. From Alton to St. Louis all lowlands were flooded, but the damage was trifling. The crest of the flood wave reached St. Louis on May 2, when a stage of 31 feet was recorded, being one foot above the danger line. The water remained above the danger line until May 5, and has since been falling rapidly. The heavy rains during the first week in Januar}^ brought the Illinois river to a stage approaching the danger line throughout its upper portion. During the remain- ing portion of January, and during February, sufficient rain fell to prevent any decided recession of the water. Consequently, when the heavy rains of March commenced, the already overburdened river could carry no more water, and overflows took place along its entire course. The flood proper may be said to have commenced on IMarch i , reaching its crest at Hennepin on the iSth. Owing to the wide overflow and the very slight fall of the river bed, the crest traveled very slowly, reaching Peoria on the 23d, Havana on the 27th, Frederick on the 2Sth, Versailles on April i, Naples on April 3, and Grafton on April 6. The decline was equally as slow, and the effedls of the flood waters of the. Illinois were felt at Grafton as late as May 5. The stages of the water during this flood were on an average about 6 feet lower than those of the great flood of 1844. On the upper river, above Hennepin, there was oul}^ a slight overflow, covering some bottom lands, with little or no resulting damage. A total area of 500 square miles was overflowed. The extent of territory covered was quite small, as compared with that covered by the great flood of 1844, when the river averaged from 10 to 15 miles in width from La Salle to Grafton, and from Hardin to Grafton united with the Mississippi to form one continuous river. THE MISSOURI RIVER. 97. Sources to Fort Yatcs^ N. Dak.^ reported by Mr. B. H. Bronsoii, Observer., Bismarck, N. Dak., April i-f, iSgy. — The past winter was an unusual one in North Dakota and Montana on account of the heav}^ snowfall, while the temperature was lower than usual, with the result that ice from 3 to 5 feet thick formed in all the streams, making an early break-up doubtful. The first part of March was unusuall}' cold, and the lowest temperatures ever recorded in that month occurred in the second decade, but warmer weather soon followed, especially in Montana, which caused the snow to melt rapidl}', and effedled a breaking up of the ice in the Yellowstone river the latter part of March. It was expedled that, when the water from the Yellowstone reached the Missouri, the latter would open, and that, on account of the thickness of the ice, much trouble would occur from gorges in the river. These expeftations were only partly realized; the river broke at this point early on the morning of April 5, and after the ice had moved for a short time it gorged, overflowing the bottom lands and flooding the railroad tracks. These conditions prevailed in some parts of the river between the mouth of the Yellowstone and Fort Yates until the nth, when the ice moved out and the river assumed its normal condition for this time of 3'ear. Aside from the delays to trains, no damage of any consequence was done, as there are very few people above this point along the river, and in most cases there was nothing to damage except some stock, which was removed early. 98. Fort Yates to Chaviberlaiji, S. Dak., repoi'ted by Mi'. F. O. Stetson, Observer, 62 I-'I.OODS OF THE MlSSISSim RU-KR. /'//■/rc, S. Diik.y June 20, iSgj. — Over nearl_v the whole drainaji-e area above Cham- berlain the snowfall, during tlie winter of 1896-97, was much Iiea\icr thau usual, and in some se6lions was the heaviest on record. That the damage from high water on the portion of the Missouri under consideration, during the spring of 1S97, ^^'^•'^ ^° small as to be inconsequential, is due to a fortunate combination of circumstances. The river oi)eucd gracluall\- from hclow, the ice passing out froui Chaml)erlaiu to W'elland before it had started at points a])ove; but few ice gorges were formed and these were not of sufficient size or strength to have any important effect; an alternation of warui and cool weather during the latter half of March allowed much of the snow-water to pass off gradually before the ice broke up, at the same time assisting in the uielting and rottiugof the ice, aiul there])v diuiiuishiug the danger of gorging. The foruiatiou of a gorge of considerable magnitude at Bismarck partially held back the water from above until the rise, due to the breaking up of the Missouri and its tributaries below that citv, had begun to subside. From Chamlicrlaiu uorlliward to Wellaud the river opened on the aSth or 2gt]i of March, the ice above remaining firm for several days longer. The iirst half of March was unusually cold, the average daily deficiency up to the i6th amounting to more than 16 degrees. The weather of the next five days was warmer than the average, and the tcuqicrature rcuiaiucd above the freezing-point during not only the day, but also the greater pai't of the uight. Tlie suow uielteil rajndly, aud on the i6th a thiu la\"er of water was observed flowiug over the ice in the river; by the following" day this had increased to a depth of 6 inches; aud on the iSth a volume of snow-water, two feet in depth, was passing down the river, continuing in somewhat smaller quantitv on the iqth. Had the weather coutiuued warui, the ice wtnild probabU- ha\e lirokeu up at this tiuie, but a succession of cold days kept the river closed uutil the water froui uielted suow had passed off. AltluMU'li the river froui Cliain])erlaiu to Fort Yates was higher than for several years, it overflowed its hanks at but one place, Rousseau, and here no damage whatever was ilouc, unless the ca\iug (tf the liauk uiav be considered such. Considerable cutting of the bank also occurred at Fielder. High water at Chamberlain, although the river was not at that place out of its banks, caused some injury to the pier and dike of the Pontoon Bridge Company. This is the only damage to property reported from Chamberlain to lAirt Yates. Near the mouth of the Little Chevenue, at Forest City, the lowlands were overflowed on March 29, making it expedient for several families to remove for a short time to higher ground, but there was no loss to property. With these exceptions there were no floods, so far as learned, on this reach of the river. 99. Llhuiiht'ila/}! lo W'Diiilioii , S. Oak., rrpor/nf hv Mr. C. H. C. riiDiiif^soii, Obs('ri'(i\ )'(iit/:/()i/, S. />' '3/j77o/7 . Ti'lvar staffs. & // /e 2/ 26 3/ 5 /O J5 20 25 2 7/ ? /7 22 2? / 6 // /£? ^/- Z6 / (5 // /6- .:/ .J63< -5 .'O /6 W2S,}0 J iO i:i 2f!25 30 4 S .'■> ,y :-:4 29 3 J 131323283 a I3iaz3'l37 7 /2 '7 22 97 3 7 r, H 2'> 2'J 60 J.C 30 20 /o ._ ._ - — .._ — — ■~- - ,__ -- •- - - , • . 1 50 40 30 20 70 o - t"^" 1 1 1 1 j ! \ 1 L J. 1 "'" / \ i 1 1 .-^ \i- • — ' 1 / -^ ■n nI - 1 / S 1 j 1 / /^ K V y ! 1 \ 'T' '■ /' N -I 1 \ / «r ■^^ I _J- ■^ L^ y ^^ , k -JL / / —. , ^^ f' N S J / \ \ \ ./ > s / 1 '\ \ - / 1 1 s N \ 1 s / 1 \ ^ y N \ \ — 1 l/ickisbur^ - /' 1 ^ ■^ -^ \ N \ V J \ ^ s /-■ >^ \, V s I / / / ^ J: v.. — "> /••■ \ •^N ^ ^^ — ^ \' l^cJfsburff 1/ 1 r / \ / ,^- \ N ".. ~ ... \ / Ai / / ** ,/ .■' / \ V, \ \ / '/ / • / ...^ ••-' '■• -... \, .•■■ ■^. ■ '" s, 1 , / / V /. \ x Nl \ \ 7 '/ ! > \j J'- \ ~-v -^ \ \ / l^ ' J- •■ / -"■ ■•• ' \ .- ^v — — ^•^ ^^ — — — X" % \ s 1 / Cairo '_ S/ireivporf r Aferr?oh/s ■^ / 4 ,^' ■"\ s / '\ /■ A ''' ^Lu^ -- **•. r<\ \ k 1 '^L / "■ — Cairo CiTicin/iafi 677revepor7 Aifemphii y /\ 1 ■'1 .'' i —*. N. V. V \ ^ k / V.^ \^ / /' ^ i i y \ \ .... • '•» '. N >, \ / 7/ / 1 —' / "^ ^, 'v J ji..- • *•« \ \ \ / / I-/ •*'' A ! y \ N ^ '.'■■'' •• 1 '*-. N N. \ ^ / .'- K //■ j .--' _., c*" ••■\ ■v '^ , -• k \ V / / ' / p ,^ — 1» »^ .... *•-. 4«. <;/ ,...1 ^ 1 '.,. N- \ \ k. / 7 y /■'. .•' / / ... ,y ^, ■^ — - / \ ■■• .^ s. *\ \ ■,V s^ N •n y f r'' ■/ ^ -N •■ / ,- ^ / x".^ ■X* ...■ ■■■■ ., .-•; .-' \ N -^ ^ ••-:.-;^v "N ^ v^- ; / / J f. .-* * •>, ^-.^ __ '^ 5S =i N ■*^ ~^.^ ■> V .-* / y.^ 1 l/ftfeffocic ., -'■■ ^ rr ■■ / ^ \ ■~ 1 '■v_ S; :*", ...... ^< -.^ • ':.^. ■■^ i \ I7777e TfocA iJo7?/7so/?i''777e S&in7 loc/iiS /■■/ /7er/97df^j^/ ■[" ^ ^ ' ^■ -' \^ ^s \ . M- .,'~- . ~^ X i;_ ... -«. .^f:;^^!::?;^ /feo/f'fj/C -Lj :^ ^_^. ^^ •< . ■s V. ■\ 0.i.C .> /- '**'.. v^ •. ^-- f' .•T-"f ' r-- ■■T\:. ■■■ Carro///<^/7 ^ ?K ^ ^, "^ 1 V y \ -.;N "-v^ \'. y __ _« _. ■^: ri .- I'Z t' --.. -•■ ! i - 4i: — 1 ■-^ N ^„ •~, *• ^^ ?^ °^ ^ ■— _^ ^ .^i-e \ — ~l ■*' " N, ;-. / ..^ **. — — ' —. — ^ / ^ -^ 1 _^ ' — ^ _ — ~ I 1 I J L _ _^ u L_ 1 L^ Lj u u b _j L_ 3 PI. IV. NORMAL ANNUAL PRECIPITATION. 1^ NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR JANUARY. h — 4-- --4- ii'Krfvt 'Ji / 1 '•■"•'■■-.I-.- ."" :Ci^L ■;-■/--. T^4-4ll:d -r-= it- '-- '--H- -i_ _-«fc^J ^ -fA- TT \K s-..,)-., ;t^\^ ^ t;_ caii*»-**^-; =iii ^V*^ Arr^j^ •'^s^^^ ^"^./: K^. '"^I ■42 ,-?5-"' "1"^ -jiSi^^ ^-1 — -«f r'i-i^i 1 rf&) IAN :^::^ -H i"H' Sral' \ \:> \ : \ .V- t: .. -■j^. ^Y " NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR FEBRUARY. 7 --7 u 'k.«V- I "V- )25" wy i-ip up. (j^."" ^4--r / c { ! > ^ r • - ■ ^7~- j^ - / ■ J- .^it:':-fl y ^i^t^e»f. SiJ^rb. >.ji. ^,.^^ ^ r^'fl .? / \ [J U»."-fc>,„^ , .-i 1 u,.,,., / ! ---:- li"^-'^! i - i / ^ I , ftk- ; I ■"•"'" I j r~-_,-._L**BMtUfcL ' ' I / ' ;' .-"V- I I c ., Sc:i.le (if Tiiil s I U-ff.v t^ietn Ixncfi I_Zj I fo 2 Uic7trjf_ . [S - - -i •V ' ^^f -lie I ! ' ' I T K (a H i t/o R ^ ' ■/ i / ' ' I \l^v '^r^" ScnJi* MOO ' Mile "fi --ifl sr PI. Vli. r NORMAL PREiCIPfTATION FOR MARCH. ,1 % ■ 4-^*^ f" 3?! i.m ': i PI. VIII. NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR APRIL. NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR MAY, 139* .-1. '"~'-w K -, / ^ / ■~'a'-. -^2 T~T .V-' .\ T»r — 4-^-t +— ■'SS^A \ \- \! tk- J ^, t -^-4 . ^--iu- _.a^-_-f . 1 ! ' ',';". >; -;.- j. f ;k' ' k ".tv T ■ A 1 ^f"ia^^ ■ I J 1' '» ■■■■, ' ' ■' ' ^'XiK_.i-4^'*-'"A ),, '''^"T^S. >. - — '/A -1.. _ U-N \/ r/ : Scale of Tmis IBs ^ '" - Utr/if,.'.- 3 ■■ 1 4 • .; ;..iV".. J. Ji. •K- I — " 1^1 iK-^"'-:, .'.ill ; \c>, y^ !, ■•■ .., I : u.-.-ln 1 ^ '^ "'-t!i.^--W*'- N4-.-J ^- --i%?^^-sr- 4^. -■ ; ^^ .^>'„^i i n-ts^^'TM--"*^ i^;s3^Tr^^""r\^ j..^-j?^f^=fS^" rf- -1—1 / i l-y.../.'."-_ i 71. R / .. r i ! . I (.' K I A A g mIaJ' l\ '-,.,j o-.U^Tylv AB K:^^.syW. ■ \' '; ---% SrnK 1 \ 11.', ;iou \ ...„. Mil,-» ' -,;';■■ '' '■_ ^ ' •v . ;=-.r ■ , NORMAL PRECI PITATION FOR AUGUST. ^?^r-_ — '\/l mtJ^i -'if TT-^— ■ / -7 ; -.li p-"is--.:^-^-A,.-. Scale of Till Is I U rs.t l/,a,i I ijirli II / ■.,..,... .■- ''■" " ' ' • i \\' A X -^ -■^ \-V . . r^.-- «(..'-'■■■ j-.j,^ ^. In! NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR SEPTEMBER PI. XfV. NORMAL PREQIPITATION FOR OCTOBER. -g^'^'v/v im- ,..;• ior>" 103 ^'H; / / / ""i I A ^-s-f--..- i S|i- UT ,ih.. ^ ■W <;r*T -i,K. ^/ -"-Mi #H A. 1 ■ ■ ■■■"OV L^- '--'A-'^'-' ■<^. f \A. L& 3^.At \ rr:-^^ ^1 I ,;^j^»«.-J^_^': I CfindrprV "-^ 4>w— ' / •**, -l-^W-^- kfc -H-:-- '"■"■■"''SV'*"™"' ■ ""V ■"•'""'»'S'*'^ 5,1 I lilwnnifc" ^ I* / r o 1 -Tr^ijfl^'-^^tj'.''^ l*.*''*^, /A>v*ii MI S .5r Jul J^fe.-4■'•■SJ*»^' \ \ ^-"-T --f: / ^-4 Scale of Tinls I ( I 1 to 2 'irtc^ft^v. 1^3 •- ■• ^ ■• \ftx- i" ■' 7-—, 1 ^>^--^----4_ 1 J 1 / - ' fv ^^ p_ i i _^ / 1 P^- ^J____-. 1 1 1 V i v X-'-- / ,.«««»-■* a -I \ e :n W '^ ^ t .-^\ -l'"-" A-^ M ■'- I ' ■ c 1 \ Jul— *-J-{----7-rT^" A', 1 ■ ^^fo. ,. ■Y-' n — TiB i :raH r M NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR NOVEMBER. £1 'V 09-" WT P i 1 -I -I- ^^«^-^T-~.-.-.. ',-'• H' T i Ti 11 ^ / ^tA^S-"-^ -ri- ii° ■ pi/;,,?/! = w: ■»•«, iff< : ScmI,. (>[■ TllllK / ■ .; --'• Avr "I A .^%E?;dv^,- #^'' '"A r-- -ir-^ -'^'"^^fW ^^'' ''' - > ' .->-. "^k^'^'m f . '■■""■•'17! - .«>4''V"/-,.'''',f-'T;' •^•'''' "' > M""'-''' ■■''"^"''f^'-/--i»''''^' '■ '■ ot...''-'-""'....%.<^: '--m f A s /i » r s;^ <^ " •! V &v:-k/>i< -^ i ^ > .v'-fc-'t: V '■■■ ." -^ 5t,m^/^- I :vj-'*^" -— ..Dxjp. L'-Li* V*kj W&- r-U J i i I- ,4 Ir K I t/o ft Yl A U/«i A X S A *;V ! -— •., / - - / ■ I ! / , ■;;' ...4 T-t-" i\ ] X...^ 1- ' " ;„„.„„.y.r-_^7"'-''\ j-^-%\ Pi. XVI. NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR DECEMBER. M»* JOr 105* U)3* r :rt A',,, 1 .rl4''-^^hJ-. 'A.,„,,i7^.»..\ A4^ i-^-'-- Sft* 93- .J / I : --■.//I i/.l.iSsA^ ~^|;ti(#:«3* / u ^^/ Scalf of Tint.s I \ /-rtx tJinii I inch S O A K ^ J;*Wn^_^ a - A ^ '-' O R A D K A r^^.: ^«-u. '> '^ « x( t c o ,,^- T i =XI ^"i::^^ 4^^ ^ /' \ i \~ lY-^^ ' ,. '-n/ ^ ^. \n^' t a o .,; */4 — t""^ 'V'-rr^ I »-^ V^ 1 - — fei^P*«=^ \ -.Vy j K..t S;{i. Y" A R l<\ -V i /v.,^ - -^-r A"' \ 4 l-^-x-'- -—--^r ,•1 M T ^■"< HYDROGRAPHS FOR FLOOD OF 1882, m oo 00 >• < E CQ DC O Li. g D. o UJ CE Q. > X X > X X PI. XXX. ^'^H /n — J L_ 1 1 _; 1 75 -j-- -|- X. _^ .. -_ .. .--4- HYDROGRAPHS i^Vj .^' /7 --^ /^MVl^ ^'312;' ?^ ?i» =7 ?d T ^ i — - — — i — 1 — ' — f- F 7 Of ~7 I -LOOD OF 1883 1 L_^4— 14- £ 4 , ."<;>J7r-- "1 — ■ — i -|_- H-i H-H 1-!~ 'W- I5 /s JO .',' 2ta'Myji ,6?^2s-iev> '^^<^^'on^- - Kiij SO 40 2a /o - -^ -, 1 \ — i — ^. tT — l~n hr-rl — hK" 1 j_| j__L ^ J 1 1 1 1 — 1 1 ■— ' — ' ! 1 1 :::^£::::::T::i±q:-5 r 4/- 1-/4 1 \ --i — 1" \ — 2 '2_ - -- I - - \ ■;■; — — — z - ~ 1 — 4. „ - — - - "1" H-4-l-H-k-- L-t4--4-r~--i-4=h- ~Z. - - -J ._ - '\\- -r- - . _| 1 ■50 40 20 /a ^^■-4l4++T---4---=f+^-- — - -- - - — — - — ~ ~ - - ~ - ~ __ - - - - - — T- j_j__|. — - - — -- — i — •pr ■*=: r- j.^ == - - =^ ''k - r - - - -li,^ - -■- — — — - — ' j / ^ \ - ..4-. ■ T " \ ■ M ' — —[ ' " 1 " i ! / '' / k — 1 ) ^_ _i_ _i i_ -\-.- . . _j ._H^_. ^.-|U- ^ J \ i f 1 , \ '\ l_^ 1 ^ r"' / 1 \ I 4:11 i" 1 i 1 /- I - - -V — - - _ - - "" "- - L-S - - I- - -- >.,. — . J / |V , ^ t--'^: -t-I — f— 1 — 1 1 1 -, L-l 1 LI jl -_ -f~ - -^'^ v 3^- - = rz T. H - \ y - - -~ idqc^aSf -- - - — — _\ 1 „ 1^ " V/c/rs Ocjrg ^. + — Cairo ^ V"" 1 s ZA JX UZ_L^ S / 1— *" ^ /^ -V ■ ... A ■ - %-'•{ U- \ __ \ , > . \ r~r7 y' "\ t- _-rr.4^v^ ^ \ T -'^1 r~r7 ~' /' . .L. . \ " j / / \ \ I -A- ^ -H - \ ~t X 1 jj ^ / 1 V -J -t ,. -I — ^r L ' 1 ^ ■ , — \ — ' — -~ "• .— — -^ \ 1 I ..i .JZtr 4 L_ 1 _,' ,^' , 1 -N. \ i } i I 1 ■ -^ - -r-, ;^^ ^ \ *■ K^ , [ -1- I T-u \ _ ■'A ^ "" S^^:?^ .^ \ K^ 1 1 <-< "^ J \ ^--, !.'^" -i"- /' 1 '^ , / -^ \ f " _" vlt ^'Jz^'^if^ -^v L / ^ 1 \\ I -n ZlI 1-^^ ^ -f-L H~- ■■ ^- ._L_X- pl../-=4;4i l:-^ .„ / \ r-H— , - V \ £ ^^ll T'^y 7* ■ 1 / ^--i i / / ^- / V V- / ' /^ x^ .-^ . -..tiX4-y-4^^ ^ M l "■T/ .. L. .,__ A- 1 1 XJi^^j _4_ _/ 1737 "'±/ 14: ,. - .--* y L^t: / i" ~X "t t ^- -.1 / U- V- -Kk ,,, ; ^\^" " Pl1.-II- / ^ 1 X :t-/ 1-^ '- ~^~-~^'^^- 1 ^• — — - .,■'- tA — ^ .■^K, Z- Iu4z: r > / / / ,^ -H-^ "^M 1 ■ .'.. -." \ ,r'-K; ■ -N^.. ... .__ 1 / ..+"" r zn/ / y-" "' ^ ^ ..•• •• "s f/' M->i i 1 ^ /.. <--'^--i-4.. ,..^ — j — f.— J — _ ^ ., _ ^'■...Xj ^^7:=F =r=iH="P _ .^ _ _ i_ __ \ -.^ ' _ -N:^ :4^U^ i K ! ■■■-!■ '-•-te'""" ^ -f ^ ^a: k: ■ J./ r^/rn ^--|=l=a:q;: ■ ...=--^-1 y- 1/ 1 " 1 7~ ^'- ~ — - — - V — — — — -:rt5^f=i^-:tr;%b-^4-t_.: - — — — -- -- -■ — O^fnTtoafs SAreveporf- ... ^ V • > H— _ ^ £ _,-■ J 1 r";j _r--„-p--^i_ ■1- - . .y "~^~±'S:'~i"'""r "T^"" — - - — L_ - - - - ... - ~ - - - " V S^ - .._ "' - - - - ~ ^ _„ „JI^....-u„i=:=pt-3 -~ --ffl--T^'=r- ~- - - 4 =~ ~~~7L2^ /i4t^ Or/esns TiFSxIEi+r-t .;„ — — p - ■=: = = ■A ~ ~ " "— ■" ~~ - ... - - - _j_l.-| — M-|-j-— - i' - - -- -- AIernp/?/s ^— ' . ""--. / \ ^ "^ ■- - -J ■' ^-f ^^ _ __ , — — — _ _- — Vv- ..„ ■-. ^ — — _ ~ . ....,..-,., y.' J ■ S^ ■■| ,_ ■f , l.^e f?ocS vi'Z/c'^/i ^J^ , iZi^-..,^^. /i"v-j-^ 4 \ -'" 1 / — — — " — ■ ■ — — — — f- -- 37 7= — 4 V i — — — - -- ^t — J — f-'. > 1 ■■ -^'' " - ■1--. ~: 1 1 /,WM/r'or/^ -■■"-•-I ''"""-T ^ ' a^' .._,_J_ / ■ —t- 1- - ■ — "— - ■ 1—1— -^' ■ - ■" ■■ ^^-^^ \ ^— ^^ ~i-.- ^ '••.. ^ 1 . .-.-" r' "v _ ^'^ "^ ^.-'-"" -^ . ^':''^-~ ' r ■ /VetyOr/eans ^ — ■^■^-' ""' L^''ffi ^ 'o. CO CM > a: ■<. 3 cc CQ LU U. O >- < 3 2 g Cl. o o o £E U. LU tr < LU O PI. XXXVII. HYDROGRAPHS FOR FLOOD OF 1884. 37 to .'>o \v',.i./.. ~/o Cairo ^f) Jvhmonv'/lf •JO A^w Or//v/u to illillllllllllli!l|i«ll|i!flif!!!ll1lillllll|l!ll»fflllll!l^ o en CO >^ CC < DC to 111 U. £C uL •z. o H o CC i Fl. XLIV. HYDROGRAPHS FOR FLOOD OF 1890. ■ihtlfi Stsfion ,Y^,.^^ 7 8 3 fO /f f2 /3 /4 fS\f6\ rj\f^ f^ -^ vl^' 71 ■■''/ ?' V- •71 P\9 ]V rf TT /i ,7 S l9 W) 177 /■us / i!l\n •/nb/ El Wi w_ 7S ■'6 FtI 55 / Tl Jl g ■?] 3 T\ 3] 73\ // ly\ March 13 f4.\5\/0\n\/8\ f9 7l>'?/'^2\lS]^4ys\l/i\f7YSpW ^"FT E £- ff 7 s 9 Apr/7 17'b'VS W2i\a g 24-^5 w n\^B 13^ ■Station JO JO - 1 - - - - — — - - - — - — — - - - - - 60 60 40 30 20 /U a — - - — _ — ~ — — — — — — — - — - — — — — — - - - — - - - - - - -- - - - -- -- - - -- -- - — - - — - - A — — — — — ~ — ~~ — — ~ ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ._, _. ■' ~i— " ..- ~ "" " ■■" ._ — — — ~ — 1 ~' "*" ~" "~ " ~ ~ "" \ — ~ — — ~- -' ~ — — ~ — " ' ~ ' ~ ~ ~ ~ "~ ~ i ~ — "- — — ' — ' ' " ' ' ^x — ■■ ' _ ~ " ..J i '" ~ ~" ~ 1 1 b _ _j =: ^ _ _ \- _ \- _ _ _ _ __ 1 1% _ _ _ __ - — - - - -- - — - - ■~ - — - - - t "~ V- - - - P — — — — — — - - — — ■ r _U-i \ 1 , — — — - -— — - -- -- - - - - - - 1 _._ "" r^ ^ " y \ 4 ~' ~" ~ ~ " ~ ~ — ' — — — — ' — ■"■ r " ■ ■ \ ~i — — — — — ~ ~ \—i ~" h ■ "" . - 7 ^U 1 ~ ~ " ~ ~ ~ ~" 1 ' " V- 1 ~ 1 ^ ^ 4 ' 1 ' " " " 1 ' ~ ~ ■" ~ ~ — z ._ _ _ __ -H __ _ L — ^. „ __ - _ ^ _,J 7p -_i- =^ — _ — __ _ _ _ _ _ //c/fsiiurg _ — — — — — — — - -- j_ — — — — — — ~ ~ ■~ ■~ - ~ L- r — -- — 4 V* ,,■" =.- ^ ~ ^;i^~ - — - — «: — — — - — - — — _ _ _ _ — f ■■' — - — - - — -- -- -- - — 4— ^ - - = = = = — _ ^^ ( - - -y j^ - - - - _ - - - 1 1 -- _: A j -- - - - — V -- - - — - - - - - - - ^' "*;- — ^. ^ _ .^ . .., / _-^ '• -J ^ ^ .-- / \ / 1 / \ __L i — ' ■ "~ .._ ~ ~ ~ / / -■ \ '^ ^ X / \. \ ! \ to /N "TVh _± J ^ -t >' — — / — ^ y _ _ _ ^ ^^ — — ~t _ — — _ _ — _ _ — _ _ f" — — - - — __! _ _ 1 _ -^-M L_ " 2 ^ ^i 7 — — - — — 7 -^ 1 I 4- — — ~7 ^ V- — — — — 1 — \ i \ — 1 — -] -) ' — — — — „ — r — — — — — — -n — _\| — ~ — — -- - — - - — — Cairo Shre\/eport 1 / • ■' 1 '-' / ^ \ ' \ 1 I • "~ \ ,-\ ■• ■" ■■-. \ "ltd= ^ 1 / \ / I 1 \ >;' i 1 ^■' ^ N \ ■" ^A / ^ v /- i / \ / \ J ■'' I •\ ^ -Jl — — ■""■' — ■ — _--'- — "- V ■^ ^ s| 1.^- 1 z ^ / '\ N, 1 / / ^ „ / /' \ —1 1 •vP • \ ~^^ r / / / .... T-^ / s /I \ / / *-" Y" " 1 '^ 1 \ V s ■ - _. ,-- •- ^ ^ 7- ~X- - / _ -- ll, 1^ . 1 , 1 1 / / / / / V -r -1 s ■^1 .' i ■^ \ ■i1 / _ ^ _ / . \ ^ ^ ^ \ , y / 1 ■ K.I • ■\ -■.. \ _l_^ / z' / < 1 ^ ■s. i \ -' \ '* M A?ernph/s 0//7Ci/jr73h lift/p ffocH '^/' ^ I / y ^ /' 1 / f-j -^ .A, 1 1 \ _ -e^- _... • ' ^. ^. " "^ rr — C — I 7^ / ^ ^. 1 / ■ i ■-- ^ .,—':** N— ^ / t i ^^ /' / f \ i \ ■ V .-•■■•—'■ "•*• ! - ■ ^ s. S TTT / T^ ^- i_ _^ \ h- _j 4- X '■ -f ^ i -^ ^ ^ - 4-) \ "^ _ ^ } 1 i;^ ' 1 / 4^/ V / ) \ -...' \ • ■' 1 / / y A i ■■■ ^ \ . "1 (^ncm/ran — "^iv 1 / / } s ! . 1 i N *. ■- 1 i T'. 1 t-/..^--- ... A P d ^ ^ -_ _ _ -t — _ _ _ _ -V r — _ ~ _ _ _ — — _ _ — _ _ _ -_ _ _- - 1_ ™ V __ ;_ '\ 2 ] ~ Cs/ro V^ '^'^ /■■' ' --U ' — — - — ~ — -j — — ^ ^ "4- ^ T. — — vr — — c L~ — ~ - - •-/ — — — — — — — ' — — ~ — — — ~ — — _) — — — •*' "-•'. — - T — ^" — — — T-- -^ ~ \ H '7 ;r- - - 5a/nt^ouis A^eivOr/ea/7s KJo/rnsonv/'l/e 1 «: — , ~^ .! ■\ -. ^ j_ ■ ( ^ s ' 1 1 h; K= .^ 1^ -^1 - - — ^ — - — _ — — — — -^ - — — Al _ ^^ — _ — — _ _ _ \ t^ — — — in — — ~ =*■ ~~ — — — = = ■f ^ "^ - r- — - "~--i ^==.=„-.^ h ^ - ■^ -4= 2^ ^= ,^^ v^ -^ ;■ ,/ l';' : 1 j fr^ - '^ ~ — — — --^ ^/ ;^ ^ 4j =^~ — * — s ~ -^ — — .te= ^ ■" ■= L — — — — __ ~ — — — __ — -^- ^ — — - - 2"n j_ - — ■^ — "X — -; -- - — ~/ - \y. 5- ri z - \ ■d /^emp/r/s ■r+' "x If-Z .1 »t . •■ ^- ■ . r^ '-, ' / N ' -..— ■' '' ', ^ ■■- ' s . ^ |.-f- -" r 1 ■ ^ -' ""■. ■ \ / •, ; / ^-■ •i. _^ ^■•-1, i . > 1 - T-. / ^1 \ / 1 . — -•L, _ .^ k.. /■ : , / •••' ■•--J / " } ^r-^^ ^ 1 -4^ ^ ^ — "^' ^- -- -- ■ i. V. ^/ ' 1 ,^ -- X7 ^^ " / ; /I _J^ ---' *•. ' , ' -r- 1 1 — 1 s. ^\ -- 1 "" ' i' t I , ' ^^^ N ,» '" / " "■ X , ~a .'\s/rri-/ n/J/'< ^'".L^ '^->LJ_ ""z: z M- ^^ ~ //thrten/yi/,'//fi> -'■■ i "i.^.,^ ~ "" ~ - J— 1 J _Li J _1 -1 J_l —I — 1 □ D LJ — 1 J - — L — 1 1— L ^ I— L !— L 1— 1— L 1— L L- -L 1— L jj _ — - — _ — A i il - 7" ■"''?iiii •„/ «' 1 /, ^ 'li-j "1 ., » Siiniii! ilifl J. ■lii'i l^V ^ m OH CO uT —i tc o o DL o >• -I X ro 00 >• <: O DC Q- < O UJ O o a: ir < UJ Q CL PI. LI HYDROGRAPHS FOR FLOOD OF 1893. oo > tr