The Wilmington morning star. [volume], March 03, 1946, SECTION-A, Page 4-A, Image 4

About The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
I
This map, prepared by the U. S. Engineers office here
in 1935 when work was about to start on Lock and Dam
No. 1, pictures the section of Bladen county, Frenches
Creek township, which has never recovered from the dis
astrous effects of the September, 1945, freshet of the Cape
Fear river because 11 breaks in the two levees have not been
repaired and water still overflows onto the farmland there.
The broken lines in the center and upper left-hand corner
of the map shows the course of the two drainage canals—
the White Oak Canal and Lyon Swamp canal—used to drain
the lowlands of water not stopped by the levees or pro
duced by exceptionally heavy rainfall. The heavier, crossed
lines in the left-center portion of the map are of the two
levees. The levee paralleling the Cape Fear river is official
ly known as the White Oak levee, although Kelly natives
designate that portion of the White Oak levee from its
origin to its intersection with Lyon Swamp levee as the
“Lyon levee.” Perpendicular to the White Oak levee is the
shorter Lyon levee. The community of Kelly, upper left
center, has been one of the main sufferers of flood damage
since the levees broke. Slight rises in the Cape Fear now
spill through the un-repaired levee. The area along the
section of the river pictured here is particularly suseptible
to the rises because the banks of the river, except for an
occasional bluff, are low and swampy.
Engineers Chief Familiar
With Bladen Flood Section
By JAY JENKINS
Staff Writer
The 73rd Congress of the United
States in 1933 heard a report on
flood-control in the Frenches Creek
township of Bladen county which
contained a prophecy that the
White Oak levee “has no core
wall, is scanty in cross section,
and will undoubtedly be carried
away in the next extreme fresh
et.”
The prophecy was fulfilled in
September, 1945, when the levee
broke in 11 places and caused dam
ages of almost $500,000. It was
made by then-Major R. A. Wheeler,
district U. S. engineer in Wilming
ton, who today is a major general
and chief of U. S. Army engi
neers.
The report was filed by Major
Wheeler with the South Atlantic
Division engineer, who transmitted
it to the Secretary of War. He, in
turn, forwarded it to congress.
And in the report. Major Wheeler
declared:
“It is estimated that the cost
of 30 miles of adequate levee pro
tection for this community
(Frenches Creek township) would
be $750,000. This figure does not
include cost of pumping plants,
estimated at $250,000, which would
make a total of $1,000,000. Ap
proximately 50,000 acres of land
would be protected from freshets
which have overtopped the present
dike on an average of once in 10
years.”
Before September, 1945, the last
freshet of the river occurred in
1928 and 1929. In 1930, the North
Carolina State Highway commis
sion moved in and repaired the
damaged dike along its four-mile
length. Cost was estimated by the
SHC at $3,500 per mile.
Inadequate Protection
These earlier reports on the in
adequate protection from the high
[waters of the Cape Fear serve to
accentuate the present precarious
position of the 241 farmers in
Frenches Creek township. But the
dry statistics of the past do not
truly picture the plight of the town
ship’s farmers today, who, five
months after the most recent
freshet, still have quagmires
where green fields were once.
Major Wheeler’s report did not
confine itself, to the Frenches
Creek township in the discussion
of flood control, but indeed the
entire Cape Fear river area, from
its origin at the junction of the
Haw and Deep rivers in the north
ern part of the state to the At
lantic ocean. Concerned as it was
with establishment of flood-control
measures sound from an economic
standpoint, the report concentrated
upon the erection of Lilington,
Howards Mills and New Hope pow
er projects.
The report, too, was filed under
different circumstances from those
existing today. Major Wheeler’s
conclusion that Frenches Creek
township needed 30 miles of dikes
instead of the existing four miles
of dikes was made at a time when
those dikes were unbroken. Today
the breaches in the dikes are un
repaired, with the major breach,
at the Kelly community millpond,
holding water of the same level
as the Cape Fear.
19SS Pretests
When additional locks and dams
were being considered for the
Cape Fear, residents in the White
Oak Swamp and Lyon Swamp
drainage districts—actually, one
drainage district—protested in
1935. The residents claimed:
1. Prior to construction of the
lock, the White Oak canal—four
and one-fourth miles long—and the
Lyon Swamp canal—15 miles long
—were sufficient to drain the af
fected area, and the people were
healthy.
n r* - _ it. _ « it am r,-C ILa Li rfVt
£t, UlliV-C U1U wav**-, ---O
er pool level” through construc
tion of the locks, the water of the
Cape Fear backs against the
Frenches Creek flood-gate, inter
fering with discharge from that
area to the river, necessitating
drainage of the area into the two
canals. The two canals, with more
water than they can handle, spill
the water into the farmland.
3. That several small creeks,
which formerly drained lowlands
adjacent to the left bank of the
Cape Fear around Lock No. 1,
now act as by-pass channels, dis
charging waters into these low
lands, thence to Natmore creek,
backing water up that creek to the
flood-gate at its head, and Prevent
ing full discharge of the White
Oak canal. . .
4 Standing water m the drain
age area has resulted in an in
creased incidence of malaria
among tiiG citizens.
In 1935 also, the local residents
in Frenches Creek township asked
that the federal government con
nect the White Oak and Lyon
Swamp canals with proper chan
nels clean out the lower end el
£ Lyon canal, and thus free the
district of danger from flood wa
ters properly drain the land, and
rid the district of malaria.
Sue’ is the background of the
levees in Frenches Creek town
ship- The levees, when they were
not broken, afforded protection for
the farmers from the Cape Fear
waters as long as the river stage
in Fayetteville did not rise above
50 feet. Today, a rise to 20 feet
will flow through the breached
levees and inundate much of the
farmland in the vicinity of Kelly
The farmers, who have appealed
to Gov- R. Gregg Cherry and Reps
Graham A. Barden and J. Bayard
Clark for help, no longer care
about anything except repair of
the levees before more damage is
done. They are financially unable
to carry on the repair work them
selves, because they lost their 1945
crops. Unless some government
agencies get to work at once on
the broken levees, the farmers say,
sand dunes soon will cause the loss
of some irreplacable Bladen coun
ty farmland.
chairman, recently went to Laurin
burg to study methods of opera
tion of the Scotland County Library,
conferring with the librarian, Mrs.
Virginia Adams. The group has
also met twice in the office of the
Home Demonstration Agent, Mrs.
Anne G. Chandler.
APPROVES CURRICULUM
WASHINGTON, March 2—(>P)—
Secretary of War Patterson has ap
proved a new postwar curriculum
for the military academy at West
Point, which emphasizes basic
college subjects and drops air pilot
training, the War department ah
nounced today.
Pile Torture
Soothed in Few Minutes
Act now for quick relief from tor
ture of piles. Don’t wait another
day but apply Peterson’s Ointment
at once, the cooling, soothing, as
tringent formula that has brought
joyful relief to thousands for 40
years. Relieves itching promptly.
All druggists have Peterson’s Oint
ment. 35c box, or 60c in tube with
applicator. Money cheerfully re
funded if not delighted.
Library Is Planned
In Robeson County
LUMBERTON, March 1.—Civic
leaders of Robeson county have
been invited to a meeting to be
held in Lumberton on March 7 to
discuss plans for the establishment
of a Robeson County Memorial
Library. The meeting, at which
Miss Marjorie Beal, secretary of
the N. C. State Library Commis
sion, will speak, is being called by
members of the recently appointed
library committee of the Robeson
County Council of Home Demon
stration clubs.
This committee, of which Mrs.
D. A. McCormick of McDonald is
I round the way to amazing
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STATE WAR FUND
CROUP DISSOLVES
Wilmingtonians Attend
Raleigh Meeting As
Agency Closes Books
Offices of the State War fund
were closed Friday in Raleigh fol
following a final meeting of di
rectors and members of the ex
ecutive committee.
Present at the meeting were
George Steams, member of the
board of directors, and J. E. L.
Wade of the executive committee,
both of Wilmington.
Bryant Presides
Victor S. Bryant, Durham, pre
siding at the meeting in the Sir
Walter hotel, announced the or
ganization had raised $1,438,350.98
during 1945 of a goal of $1,824,663.
Wade presented the report of the
executive committee which recom
mended the closing of the office
and the dissolution of the organi
zation. The committee also recom
mended the appointment of a “dis
solution committee” to wind up
the affairs of the group.
Until June
'The appointed committee was
authorized to carry on the work of
the Community Planning division
until June when it will be absorbed
by the State Planning board.
The Planning board has been
providing the services of a com
munity council to smaller com
munities and in the rural areas.
Appointed to the committee for
dissolving the work were former
Governor J. Melville Brm,„vu
Raleigh; Robeit M. °n’
Thomas L. Carroll, WinstcYY
Major L. P. McLendon c-m:
boro; Dr. I. G. Green t>, ens'
ville and Gurney P. Hood T'
leigo. ’ ns"
ORDERED TO OT xy
CHERRY POINT, March 5
Col. Birney B. Truitt has been „ '
dered to duty here at -he Marin
air station from an assignmpnt .
Oakland, Cal. srnnent >;
Never wear shoes that gr, ,
large—it is as bad as shoes that
are too small. nat
IMMEDIATE DEUVtEY
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• T-2-J ROOM COTTAGES
• ROADSIDE STANDS • OARAen
•' BUNGALOWS • POULTRY HOUS
• TOURIST CABINS • GAS STATIONS
HOmES $595>p
COnAGES & OTHER BUILDINGS $249 up
Shipped in complete section). Oults
eosy erection. No skilled labor R«i
ins materiel, hardware furnished!
literature showing picfursi and plan of hon.., i.
lull all tent upon receipt of 2Jcin„i. *
Seaboard Ready-Built Homts, In,
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EASTER
COATS and SUITS
Soft 100% all wool fabrics to fashion into jj
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and many more for your selection in our
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v
1.98 TO 7-50
1 ' YARD
main floor
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