cc.floodtide-第102章
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the most important port on the Gulf of Mexico。〃
It would be an overstatement to say that the men and one woman seated in the wardroom all accepted Pitt's fanciful scenario…all； that is； except General Montaigne。 He nodded his head like a professor who threw a trick question at a student and received the correct answer。 〃It may surprise you to learn； Mr。 Pitt； that I've had the same notion bouncing around inside my own head for the past six months。〃
〃Divert the Mississippi；〃 Captain Lewis said in a careful sort of voice。 〃There are many； myself included； who would say that's unthinkable。〃
〃Unthinkable； perhaps； but not unimaginable to a man with Qin Shang's diabolic mind；〃 Giordino said evenly。
Sandecker looked thoughtfully into the distance。 〃You've hit upon a rationale that should have been obvious from the first day of Sungari's construction。〃
Every eye was drawn to General Montaigne when Harper asked the obvious question。 〃Is it possible； General？〃
〃The Army Corps has been fighting Nature for over a hundred and fifty years to keep her from acplishing the same cataclysm；〃 answered Montaigne。 〃We all live with the nightmare of a great flood； greater than ever recorded since the first explorers saw the river。 When that happens； the Atchafalaya River will bee the main stream of the Mississippi。 And that section of 'Old Man River' that presently runs from the northern border of Louisiana to the Gulf will bee a silted…in tidal estuary。 It's happened in the ancient past and it will happen again。 If the Mississippi wants to head west； we can't stop her。 The event is only a matter of time。〃
〃Are you telling us that the Mississippi changes course on a set schedule？〃 asked Stewart。
Montaigne rested his chin on the head of his cane。 〃Not predictable by the hour or year； but it has wandered back and forth across Louisiana seven times in the past six thousand years。 Had it not been for man； and especially the Army Corps of Engineers； the Mississippi would probably be flowing down the Atchafalaya Valley； over the sunken ruins of Morgan City and into the Gulf as we speak。〃
〃Let us suppose Qin Shang destroys the levee and opens a vast spillway from the Mississippi into the canal he's had dredged into the Atchafalaya；〃 Pitt speculated。 〃What would be the result？〃
〃In one word； catastrophic；〃 answered Montaigne。 〃Pushed by a spring runoff current of seven miles an hour； a turbulent flood tide twenty； maybe thirty feet high would explode down the Mystic Canal and rage across the valley。 The lives of two hundred thousand residents living on three million acres will be endangered。 Most of the marshlands will bee permanently inundated。 The wall of water will sweep away whole towns； causing a tremendous death toll。 Hundreds of thousands of animals； cows； horses； deer； rabbits； family dogs and cats swept away as though they'd never been born。 Oyster beds； shrimp nurseries and catfish farms will be destroyed by the sudden decrease in salinity due to the overpowering flow of fresh water。 Most of the alligator population and water life will vanish。〃
〃You paint a grim picture； General；〃 said Sandecker。
〃That's only the pitiful part of the forecast；〃 said Montaigne。 〃On the economic side； the surge would collapse the highway and railroad bridges that cross the valley； closing down all transportation from east to west。 Generating plants and high…voltage lines will likely be undermined and destroyed； disrupting electrical service for thousands of square miles。 The fate of Morgan City would be sealed。 It will cease to exist。 Interstate gas pipelines will rupture； cutting off major portions of natural gas to every state from Rhode Island and Connecticut to the Carolinas and Florida。
〃And then we have the unrepairable damage to what's left of the Mississippi；〃 he continued。 〃Baton Rouge would bee a ghost town。 All barge and water traffic would cease。 The Great American Ruhr Valley； with its industrial magnitude of oil refineries； petrochemical plants and grain elevators； could no longer operate efficiently beside a polluted creek。 Without fresh water； without the river's ability to scour a channel； it would soon build a wasteland of silt。 Isolated from interstate merce； New Orleans would go the way of Babylon； Angkor Wat and Pueblo Bonito。 And like it or not； all oceangoing shipping would be diverted from New Orleans to Sungari。 The terrible loss to the economy alone would be measured in the tens of billions of dollars。〃
〃There's a thought that brings on a migraine；〃 muttered Giordino。
〃Speaking of relief。〃 Montaigne looked at Captain Lewis。 〃I don't suppose you have a bottle of whiskey on board？〃
〃Sorry； sir；〃 replied Lewis with a slight shake of the head。 〃No alcohol allowed on a Coast Guard ship。〃
〃It never hurts to ask。〃
〃How would the new river pare to the old？〃 Pitt asked the general。
〃At the present time we control the flow of the Mississippi at the Old River Control Structure located about forty…five miles upriver from Baton Rouge。 Our purpose is to maintain a distribution of thirty percent into the Atchafalaya and seventy percent into the Mississippi。 When the two rivers merge with their full potential of a hundred…percent flow along a straighter path at half the distance to the Gulf pared to the channel through New Orleans； you're going to have one hell of a big river with current flowing at a great rate of speed。〃
〃Is there no way to plug the gap should it occur？〃 asked Stewart。
Montaigne thought for a moment。 〃With the right preparation； there are any number of responses the Corps can make； but the longer it takes to get our equipment in place； the more time the flood widens the hole in the levee。 Our only salvation is that the dominant current of the Mississippi would continue in the channel until the levee erodes far enough to accept the entire flow。〃
〃How long do you think that would take？〃
〃Difficult to project。 Perhaps two hours； perhaps two days。〃
〃Would the process be speeded up if Qin Shang sank barges diagonally across the Mississippi to divert the main flow？〃 queried Giordino。
Montaigne thought a moment； then said； 〃Even if a tow unit consisting of enough barges to block the entire width of the river could be pushed into the correct position and sunk…not an easy maneuver even by the best towboat pilots…the river's main current would still flow over the barges due to their low profile。 Sitting on the riverbed； their upper cargo roofs would still have a good thirty to thirty…five feet of water flowing over them。 As a diversionary dam； the concept would not prove practical。〃
〃Is it possible for you to begin preparations for an all…out effort？〃 asked Captain Lewis。 〃And have your men and equipment in position ready to go if and when Qin Shang destroys the levee？〃
〃Yes； it's possible；〃 answered Montaigne。 〃It won't e cheap to the taxpayers。 The problem I face in issuing the order is that it's based simply on conjecture。 We may suspect Qin Shang's motives； but without absolute proof of his intentions； my hands are tied。〃
Pitt said； 〃I do believe； ladies and gentlemen； we've fallen into the 'close the barn door after the horse has escaped' syndrome。〃
〃Dirk is right；〃 Sandecker said solidly。 〃We'd be far better off to stop Qin Shang's operation before it takes place。〃
〃I'll contact the St。 Mary Parish sheriff's department and explain the situation；〃 volunteered Harper。 〃I'm sure they will cooperate and send deputies to guard the levee。〃
〃A sound proposition；〃 agreed Montaigne。 〃I'll go one step further。 My West Point classmate； General Oskar Olson； mands the National Guard in Louisiana。 He'll be glad to send a contingent of troops to back up the sheriff's deputies if I make it a personal request。〃
〃The first men on the scene should search out and disarm the explosives；〃 said Pitt。
〃They'll need equipment to torch open the iron door to a tunnel that Dirk and I discovered that runs under the highway and levee；〃 suggested Giordino。 〃Inside the tunnel is where the explosives are likely stored。〃
〃If Qin Shang wants to cut a wide breach；〃 said Montaigne； 〃he'd have to pack additional explosives into side tunnels that branch out for at least a hundred yar
