History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 15

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948

USA > Illinois > Union County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 15

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" The work of macadamizing the Ohio levee, and building the protecting wall at the base. has so far advanced. that about one thousand feet of the wall, extending from the lower side of Fourth street to the lower side of Eighth street. has been completed, and for about six hundred feet in length additional, the broken rock is placed for about one hundred and twenty-five feet from the top of the levee. The grading of the levee with earth, within the same limits, has also been prosecuted, as the waters in the rivers would permit. A few weeks of favorable weather and a favorable stage of water would enable us to complete the whole of the grading and macadamizing of the whole of the 1,000 feet above the passenger depot.

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HISTORY OF CAIRO.

" Most of this rock work was done pre- viously to January 1, 1858, when the com- munication with the quarries was interrupted by ice in the Mississippi; after this difficulty was removed, the water was so high as to cover the quarries. and has continued so un. til the last week, with a brief interval, dur- ing which we were enabled to get down two barge loads of stone. and last week the water had so far receded at the quarry as enabled us to make regular trips with the steamboat and barges. During the spring and summer, the water has been too high, most of the time, to admit of much work on the filling and grading of the Ohio levee, between the depots, according to our arrangements with the railroad company, to complete for them the unfinished work. But at intervals, we were enabled to do something, and worked moder. ately, as the weather and water would per- mit, until, within the last four weeks, when we have pushed the work vigorously.

" The bank building belonging to Gov. Matteson has been completed for several weeks, but there do not appear to be any in- dications of an early opening of the establish- ment, although I am told the note-plates have all been prepared, the officers engaged and all other arrangements completed months ago for the opening. This delay is to be re- gretted, especially as, if the ground had not been occupied by Gov. Matteson, or rather if his declared intention had not gone abroad through the whole country round about, a good bank would have been established here last, fall, by Mr. E. Norton, one of our old citizens, in connection with his brother, the Cashier of the Southern Bank of Kentucky, established at Russellville, Ky.

" In conclusion, it is very evident that had the Illinois Central Railroad constructed the levees, as they should be constructed, and not have substituted for them the common

railroad embankments, that this interruption to the onward progress of Cairo would not have taken place."

Some robust correspondence was inaugu- rated by the Cairo property owners of Springfield, Ill., after the overflow of June, 185S, and as they discuss some questions that have been mooted by our people at vari- ous times, we give extended extracts from both sides of the discussion.

On the 17th June. 1858, J. A. Matteson. Johnson & Bradford, R. F. Ruth, John E. Ousley, W. D. Chenery, H. Walker, T. S. Mather and fifteen others of the leading citizens of Springfield, addressed a joint-letter to S. Staats Taylor, " Resident Agent," from which letter we extract such sentences as these : "We are apprised most fully of the great calamity which has befallen Cairo. Had we supposed such ruin possible, we could never have been induced to expend the large amounts of money which we have, nor could we have used our influence as an in- ducement for others to do so.

" The large sum of $31S,000 has been ex- pended by ourselves, and others of Spring- field, in the purchase of property and its improvement at Cairo; and the people of Springfield themselves, under the strong as- surances made to them by the Cairo City Company, have invested, and induced others to invest, no less than from $150,000 to $200,000 in buildings alone.

" By this calamity, which might have been prevented if the company had thrown around the city such complete protection as they were bound by interest and by legal con- tract with purchasers, to do, this property has been rendered comparatively valueless. Nothing but prompt action and judicious plans, on your part, can save your city and your property alike. with that of others, from utter ruin, or at least from such a set-back

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as will require the work of years to regain. "Already is the sentiment fast gaining ground upon the public mind that Cairo is hopelessly ruined. This sentiment must be at once met, and contradicted at whatever cost.

" We feel that the company are both legal- ly and morally bound to fully restore those. who have sustained the damage to their former position before the flood. Independ- ent of their legal obligations, we deem it to be the highest interest of the company to institute the most prompt and vigorous measures, not only to restore to those who have suffered loss, but to so act as to satisfy the public mind at once that the company themselves are not disheartened, but that they are ready, promptly, to do justice to every one who has sustained damage by the overflow of

water. * * * In our judgment, the company should seek to inspire all those who had made Cairo their home, and who had made improvements there, however trivial in amount, that they will be immediately aided and fully restored to their property. This would establish confidence against which no tide could successfully flow. But this must be done promptly; must be done at once. The people who have settled there should not be suffered to scatter, if possible to prevent it. They should be aided and en- couraged at once with the idea that the storm is over, and the floods are past ; they shall be made good again, and their future secured beyond a contingency,

" Many of the subscribers to this letter own stock in the Cairo Hotel Company, and we think that, as soon as the waters subside, you ought to rebuild the fallen building, at least to a point to where the company had * * carried it before the levee gave way.

"Public sympathy might now be relied

upon to a large extent. Cairo, though worse afflicted, has been overtaken by a calamity which has befallen almost every city and town in the Mississippi Valley to a greater or less extent. This superior affliction may, by timely action, be made to bear rather favorably than otherwise; and the waters of public opinion, which now inundate the pros- pects of Cairo, may be made to subside as rapidly as those of the Mississippi will retire now that the storms are past."

The object of this carefully constructed letter, signed by so many of the leading men of Springfield, was to get money from the company to compensate them for damages sustained.

The company, however, in substance, an- swers as follows:

"1. There was no such contract ever made. Honest opinions and conscientious represent- ations were made, of which the parties pur- chasing were always able to judge, having the city of Cairo with all its defenses before them, and all the agreements with the Illinois Central Railroad Company lying open for their inspection.

"2. Ample confirmation is found here, as . to the. mischievous character of the news- paper reports complained of.

"3. All that is recommended and more will be done. See the resolutions adopted at the meeting of September 29, 1858.

" 4. The gentlemen whose names are af- fixed to this letter will find their leading views corroborated by the proceedings referred to above, though the facts relied upon, the points urged and the legal questions in- volved, are very differently understood by the Trustees and their Counsel.

"5. The population have not been suffered to scatter, as will be seen by the report of the General Agent, and the most. liberal course of action has been recommended by the

Jourstruly

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Executive Committee, and authorized by 34,000 votes."

Other, and. if possible, stronger letters, were written the company by N. W. Edwards and also by William Butler. President of the Cairo City Hotel Company. Then. July S, 1S5S. Mr. William Butler, President. and James C. Conklin. Secretary. addressed a joint-letter to S. S. Taylor. and in it they say: " We notice the stockholders of Cairo City are requested to meet at Philadelphia on the 15th inst. We presume one of their objects is to take into consideration the course of action to be adopted by them con- cerning the damages which resulted from the recent flood. In behalf of the Cairo Hotel Company. we desire they should not only consider the communication heretofore trans- mitted by us to you, which was, general in its character, and had reference, more partcular- ly. to what might be deemed politic on the part of the Cairo City Company, but we wish to propose now, more distinctly for their con- sideration. the position of the Cairo City Hotel Company.

" In the publications made by the Cairo City Company, under date of January 15, 1555, and in their pamphlet issued in 1556. various inducements were held out to capi- talists to invest at Cairo City : and the strong- est language was used in regard to the sta- bility and permanency of its levees. It was said that they would afford a complete pro- tection from overflow at any stage of water, however high: that the expense of the levees was provided for by the Trustees of the City Property; that it would entirely encompass the city, and was to be eighty feet wide on the top. and that an inundation was an impossibility. and that human ingenuity had successfully opposed a barrier, even to the chance of an overflow, and that gigantic works had marked the Rubicon which even

the mighty Father of Waters could not overstep.

"These works. it was represented, had been commenced, and progress had been made in their construction. 'for the interests of property holders." * *

These representations were published to the world, and extraordinary efforts were made to impress the minds of the community that Cairo was beyond the reach of any con- tingeney arising from floods, until the con- viction was well-established, and it was gen- erally believed that the Cairo City Company had effectually provided against any danger that might be apprehended from this source.

The events of the last few weeks, however, abundantly testify that said embankments were not secure, that the company had not fully pretected the interests of property hold- ers in said city. etc., etc. *

In consideration of the premises, the un- dersigned. in behalf of the hotel company. would respectfully represent to the stock- holders of Cairo City, that said stockholders ought to assume the responsibility of said loss and damage. that this is the just and reasonable view of the case, and that the claim of the hotel company is not only founded upon sound reason and good faith, but that. by the established rules of law. the Cairo City Company and their Trustees are bound to indemnify the hotel company for all the losses sustained by reason of the in- sufficiency of the levee to protect the city.

To this the Board of Directors and the Trustees answer substantially as follows. in addition to previous answers to similar com- munications from parties in Springfield :

1. All the promises were prospective. and founded upon a justifiable belief.

2. And this, their belief, was founded upon all past experience, upon careful sur- reys, many times repeated by eminent engi-

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neers, and upon the testimony of unimpeach- able witnesses. Their expectations were well-founded, and not unreasonable, as the adverse parties knew, and acknowledged by their acts, for they were able to judge for themselves, and asked for no other deed than that which had always been given. And what, after all, do the Trustees promise in the publication cited ? Only that certain things "would be done" thereafter; and that, when done, there would be no possible danger from overflow. And they say the same thing now. They expected the levee to be completed by the Illinios Central Rail- road, as promised and paid for; and they tried, in every way, to have it done, short of bringing them into a court of law, while under overwhelming embarrassment; and if they had fulfilled their undertaking, it is clear, beyond all question, as the foregoing documents prove, that Cairo would not have been flooded in June last, notwithstanding the unexampled rise of both rivers. *

4. Under all the circumstances, the fault being that of the Illinois Central Railroad, and not of the Cairo City Property or their Trustees, would this be a just or reasonable expectation ? etc., etc.

The shareholders of the Cairo City Prop- erty, as per call noticed above, met in Phila- delphia on the 15th of July, 1858, and, among other proceedings, passed the follow- ing resolution:

" Resolved, That the Executive Committee be requested to confer with the President and Directors of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, to ascertain if some arrangement cannot be made to repair the damage to Cairo, and if that cannot be accomplished, then to request the Trustees of Cairo City Property to authorize the agent, S. Staats Taylor, to cause the proper repairs to be made, and to institute legal proceedings

against the railroad company for the amount expended, and for all damages sustained by the overflow caused by the neglect of the said railroad company.

The shareholders had appointed an Execu- tive Committee, to consider matters in refer- ence to the inundation of Cairo. This com- mittee held a meeting in New York, and in their report they say: " Believing that they could not properly and thoroughly discharge their duty, under the resolutions referred to, without a personal examination of Cairo, and the General Agent, Mr. S. S. Taylor, being of opinion that a visit by the whole Execu- tive Committee, or by a sub-committee of this board, would greatly encourage the people of Cairo, tned to allay their apprehensions, and check, if it did not put a stop at once and forever, to the mischievous falsehoods and gross exaggerations which, under a show of authority, and as admissions made by par- ties deeply interested in the reputation and welfare of Cairo, were gradually taking pos- session of the public mind, both at home and abroad, your committee delegated Mr. Bald- win, of Syracuse, and Mr. Neal, of Maine, to visit Cairo, and make such personal inves- tigation upon the ground as would enable them to report understandingly upon the present condition and wants of the city.

* * * And to take such immediate meas- ures as might, in their judgment, be needed for the safety of the city, before the whole board could be brought together."

When this sub-committee arrived in Cairo, they looked carefully over the grounds, and on the 6th of August, 1858, a public meeting of the inhabitants of Cairo was called, with a view to a full understanding of all ques- tions at issue; and of this meeting the com- mittee said in their report:

" The meeting was large, for the popula- tion, and very quiet, and the addresses of

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your sub-committee, together with explana- tions and assurances, in behalf of the share- holders and proprietors, were well received. It was stated that shareholders, to the amount of nearly two millions and a half, at the par value of the stock, were assembled at Philadelphia, on the 15th of July, where they chose an Executive Committee of six, who afterward chose from their number two, as a sub-committee to visit Cairo in person, look into the condition of the city and the wants of the people, and report at the next yearly meeting, on the 29th of September.

" The people of Cairo were encouraged to believe that, if they were faithful to them- selves, the Trustees, and shareholders and proprietors were determined to pursue a liberal course of action, and they might con - sider the C. C. P. pledged to the full amount of all their interests in Cairo to carry out whatever they believed to be for the advan- tage of all parties; and the meeting ended at last with mutual congratulations and assur- ances that Cairo should not be left to the guardianship of treacherous friends or un- principled foes: but to the watchful care of those who had something at stake in her rep- utation and welfare."

The sharp bend in the Mississippi River, just below the north line of the city, throws the water almost straight across to the Illinois shore, and the abrasion of this shore threat ened to cut its way, eventually, entirely across to the Ohio River, unless in some way con . trolled. Between the years 1875 and 1880 the General Government expended on the protective works on the Mississippi, opposite this city. the sum of $113,351.43. This work extends along the face of the river bank, from a point below where the Mississippi River levee runs away from the river bank at least three- quarters of a mile, to a point up the river at least two miles above the upper limits of the

city. When the water is at a low stage in the Mississippi, the current thrown, as stated, against the Illinois shore, begins to under- mine the banks, which are nearly always perpendicular and composed mostly of de- posits made by the silt-bearing water of the river in flood times. This undermining proc- ess goes on at the surface of the water, un- til the superincumbent mass of the bank falls into the river, and is carried away by the stream. Then the undermining process commences again, and proceeds to precisely similar results. In this way, at this point, the river has heretofore undermined the banks of the Mississippi River, dropping them slowly into the stream, and finally digging under portions of the levees and carrying them away into the river. Here has been one of the severest problems in the mat- ter of protecting the city from the waters, this erosive'action in low water 'going on re- gardless of any possible heights of lovees placed upon the shores. This abrasion of the shore has necessitated the building of a new levee on the Mississippi side, about a mile in length, which is of an average of twelve feet high, measuring from the surface on which it is constructed; is twelve feet wide on the top, with a slope on its outside of one foot perpendicular to five feet horizontal, and on its inside of one foot to two and a half feet, making an average width of fifty feet; and its top is fifty-four feet above low water mark. The average height of the other portions of the levee, standing on the bank of the Mississippi River, from its junction with the new levee on the bank of the Ohio River, is one foot and three inches above the high water mark. This is measuring only to and not including the ties of the Cairo & St. Louis Railroad track. The Cairo & St. Louis Railroad has the right of way along its top, from the Ohio River to a

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HISTORY OF CAIRO.

point beyond and outside of where the new levee makes a junction with the levee owned by the Trustees. Where this right of way exists, the railroad company is obliged, by reservations and penalties in its deed, to maintain the levee at its original height, of fifty-three feet and three inches, and to its original width on top of sixteen feet.

There has been much work done, by the United States Government and by the Trust- ees of the city company, in protecting from the erosive action of the current the Missis- sippi River bank. The manner of doing this was to place large mattresses, made of wil- lows and tree branches; these were loaded with rock, and sunk to the bottom, at the bank where the current was cutting un- der the superstructure, and upon this mat- tress wàs then sunk another one, and another one on top of that, until a stone wall was formed for the waters to beat against, extend- ing from the bottom of the river to above the surface of the water. There were about two miles and a half of these stone-anchored mattress walls constructed, extending north from a point nearly opposite 'the lower end of the new levee. On the top of these mat- tress-walls, medium sized stone were placed against the bank, to nearly the top thereof, thus facing the river bank with a stone re- vetment. Previous to this work being done by the Government, the city company had some years ago revetted nearly three-quarters of a mile in length. So there is now standing, against the face of the bank of the Missis- sippi, and extending from a point below where the levee runs away from the river, up the river about three and a half miles, to a point about two miles above the upper limits of the city, the revetments extending from the bottom of the river, and up along the face of the shore from fifty to sixty feet. There has been here expended $196,806.49,

of which $113,351.43 was by the General Government.

July 18, 1872, after the Trustees had spent large amounts of money in widening, raising and strengthening the levees, and had brought suit for $250,000 against the Central road for money thus expended, which suit was eventually compromised and 397 acres of the 497 acres were re-conveyed by the rail- road to the city company, and the payınent of $80,000 in money, and the release to the Cairo City Property all its original rights to the collection of wharfage, etc. And the railroad was released from all obligations in reference to maintaining and repairing the levees, except that portion actually occupied and used by them.

In 1878, in consideration of the vacation of Levee street, above Eighteenth, by the city, and the granting of privileges upon the same to the Illinois Central road, the road deeded the 100-foot strip, running from Thirty-fourth street to the point, and parallel with the Ohio levee to the city.

The City Council recently ordered the Ohio levee to be raised, commencing with a raise of two feet at or near the stone depot, grading to the present height at Second street, and with this increase of the height of this levee, the entire levees of the city will be above the highest water mark ever known. The Hon. D. T. Linegar, the present mem- ber of the Illinois Legislature, has secured the passage of two bills, that are now attract- ing the attention of the people of Cairo. The titles of the bills indicate largely the purpose of the same-the Levee Bill and the High Grade Bill. The fundamental idea of the two evidently is to enable the city toraise the levees and the lots within the city limits to any height or grade they may wish. We are informed that the levee bill authorizes the city authorities, whenever they shall

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deem it necessary for the protection of the city, to order the owners of any part of the levee to raise and strengthen the same, in such manner as the city may think best, and upon a failure to comply with this order, the city may proceed and do the work, and sell the property and pay its bill, and nearly a similar authority is given as to all lots, whether they belong to public institutions or are private property.

The remarkably high waters of 1SS2 and 1883 go to show that probably from one foot to eighteen inches should be added to the levees around the city, and, as soon as possi- ble, revetments extending entirely around and against the embankments of both rivers, and thus made strong and permanent, and Cairo need never fear or dread any high water that can ever come against its bulwarks.

The city has triumphantly passed through the flood crisis of the two years of 1882-83, that poured out the greatest floods of water ever witnessed in the rivers at this point; and it is now a remarkable historical fact that the only town from the source of the Ohio River to the mouth of the Mississippi River, that passed unscathed and unharmed by the floods, was Cairo. The rivers, north and south of here, bore devastation upon their raging bosoms. Pittsburgh, Cincin- nati, Louisville, New Albany, Lawrenceburg, Shawneetown and many other places have suffered immeasurably from the high waters of the past two years. Often, the floods in the Mississippi have so crippled and confined the business of St. Louis, that at intervals it was prostrated. But Cairo, so widely be- lieved by many to be the worst water-afflicted city in the United States, has experienced none of the troubles of the other river towns. The past two years, the early spring freshets have driven thousands from their homes in

Cincinnati, Louisville, Shawneetown and other places; business houses were flooded and washed away; and manufacturing estab- lishments were compelled to "shut down;" railroad communication with them was de- stroyed, and "the widespread distress filled the land with its wail, and the charity of the nation was appealed to for aid for the flood sufferers. With a flood-line marking a height never before attained by any of the floods of the past, the citizens of Cairo, while taking all precautions to keep the great levees which surround her intact, have transacted their business, but little disturbed by the threaten- ing waters. Not a mill nor a manufacturing establishment of any kind has been "shut down" for a moment on account of the foods, and the Illinois Central Railroad, which makes connection here with its south- ern division by a " transfer steamboat " for New Orleans, has never missed a train, or been compelled to abandon any of its track for a single hour. No cry of distress has ever gone out to the country from the people of Cairo, but when the last waters were high- est, and the croakers against Cairo were loudest, a public meeting of the people re- sponded to the cry for help from their neigh- bors at Shawneetown by a cash subscription of $1,000. The truth is -- established by the severest test ever known-that Cairo, the much maligned and slandered Cairo, is, in any flood that may or can come down the rivers, the city of refuge-the place of safety, and the only reliable one, from St. Louis or Pittsburgh to New Orleans.

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History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 15

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 948

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948