The Arkansas advocate., 1836-05-13

the supposilion that the levee will follow the neanderings of the river, but ihis Will not always be the case. 1t should be con- structed, as well as circumstances will per nit on straight line, from one to two hun- Jred yards from the bank of the nver
 The estimate of the cost of leyee from 1 Helena to the mouth of tue Arkansas should be considerably increased, as White river disembogues itself into the Misslssip- pi about twelve miles above tue disem- boguemcnt of the Arkansas. This will ne
 cessariiy have 10 be embanked some dis lnnce above iis mouth, as the back water from the Mississippi, independently of the overfowing of its own waters, causes the surrounding country to be overhowed to considerable extent. To construct the re- auisite levee on this river, and the Missis- sippi, from Helena 10 the mouth of the Arr kansas, may be fairly estimated 10 cost $30o,0C0, which will reclaim about ,92o,- 900 acres.
 From ihe Pine Bluffs on the Arkansas river, following ihe course of that stream to it's mouth, to the northern boundary line of the State of Louisiana, may be estimated at 300 miles. leveo OH the Arkansas river, 1t is thought, will cost more than enc on the
 Mississippi, as it will be necessary to make l 1t higher. One from five to six feet, on the average, will be required on this stream. 1 The base should be Ill all cases four times { the height of the embaukment. The coun- 1 try between the Mississippi and the Pine l 1i cG .,11n c,vf,, inundated or marshy, caused in great measure by inundations. 4 levee on the Arkansas and the Mississippi will, without doubt, reclaim this country, to very great
 extent, and the average cost may be fairly ] calculated at sss5 per rod te the aoaisIana
 line. An immense body of land, now eith- CT a swamp or inundated, wholly useless, and of no value in it's present condition, might be reclaimed by the construction of such work, the cost of which the whole l distance mentioned, at S55 per rod would be ] $48o,00o, but which may be set down at ] S600,000. The quantity of firundaied land ] lying south of the Arkansas river, and north 1 of the Louisiana line, has been yariously es- l timated. 1.-the average width be fifty miles, as Is said 10 be the fact by many who are acquainted with the country, we shall have 1 the enormous amount of 9,600,000 acres of l land subject to be overfiowed and covered
 with swamps. Although we may reasona- bly doubt whether this quantity Is actually
 subject to inundaIon and covered with
 lakes and swamps, yet it can hardly be con-
 sdered an exaggeration, if we take into ac- count the adjacent lands rendered unfit for
 the habitation of man. on account of the
 poisonous exhalations which arise from
 stagnant waters.
 From the northern line of Louisiana 10 the mouth of Red river IS about 300 miles.
 \ levee from one point to the other will re- claim large quantity of land.
 The extent of the inundated lands, and ] of the swamps, increasing as we descend
 the Mississippi, if is impossible 10 approach
 to any thing like exactness, in the total
 amount subject to be overhowed. But the
 calculation. il is presumed, will scarcely be
 said to be too large. to estimate the oVer-
 flowed country, between the points men,
 tioned, at 3,50O,0 acres; and tue cost of
 a levee al $l,00o,000.
 From the mouth of Red river, it is about thirty miles on straight line to the point
 where we meet with levees already con strtrted by individuals at their own ex-
 pense. Levees below the mouth of this river will cost good deal more than those above. The average height of one between l the points just mentioned may be estimated at eight feet, and the cost, including all con ] tingsncIes, may be set down at $S5, ,O00. 1 But 10 this should be added the cost of a leyee on the Atchafalaya of about 75 miles III length, as the country between this ri~ yer and the Mississippi cannot be reclaim ed without it. The sum of $l25,0004i 1t IS i thought, wilt he sufficient for this purpose.
 There arc 675,0G0 acres of land said to be
 in the district of country lying between the
 Atchafalaya and Mississippi, two thirds of
 which. at leasf, belong fo inc General Gov ernmont, and which can be reclaimed and
 made fit for cultivation by the means propo-
 sed. This, however, is but small portion
 of the inundated lands lying between the northern boundary line of the State of Lou isana and the Gulf of Mexico. In inc re- port made by MT. Graham, and submitted 10 the House of Representatives m Janua- ", 1929. he estimated the superficial area of tho inundated iands 10 be 5,429,26O acres; 500, ,000 of which had been reclaim ed by entertainments constructed at private
 expense. Although that gentleman is against the opinion that leyee on the Red river and Mississippi will be sufficient to reclaim the country lying between the Red river and the Gulf of Mexico, and for this nt.fn0sa supnesfs the naeaee;tv a,tI nra.,;