The Arkansas advocate., 1836-05-13


 passing water. There arc no data upon which an estimate for the construction of this work can be founded, bat il is suppos- ed that the cost will not exceed $l00,000.
 As the St. Francois river runs through this swamp, parallel with the Mississippi, and it's waters, from the obslrnct.nns in ii, overflow is banks, aud contribute fo the formation of the swamp, tits proper that we should take view of what Is necessary to confine is waters within it's banks, and make ii fit for navigation. The .St. Fran rois is Il large stream; at present HlaaYiggahle from 100 to l50 miles above it's mouth, and would be navigable 500 miles for steam boats, but for the Instructions which pre- vent ii. The first obstruction Is what is called the "sunken lands," about l50 miles fiom its disembeguenent into the Missis
 sippi. This strange name Is derived from ihe circumstance that, in 1911 and 'l2, the land sank about loo feet perpendieniafly for 50 miles in length and 30 in breadth, caused by those terrible and well known earthquakes which produced so much alarm lin that portion of the State of Missouri, and changed so completely the face and charac- ter of the country. This singular occur renee multiplied the channels Of the river, so as to render 1t dangerous to navigation; ihe true channel not having been discover
 ed since this circumstance took place. The estimate cost for restoring the waters to theif
 main channel, made by these who have seen and are acquainted with this obstruction, Is $50,g0O. The other Instructions in this stream are three ratts, the principal one of which is about mile long. These, like
 the rafts in the Red river, cause the waters
 10 overflow inc banks Of iiie. river, and to
 inundate the adjacent country. Those ac- quainted with this stream and it's obslruc- tions, calculate that $l5,0e0 will be suifi- cient to remove all the rats in it.
 Were these ralts removed, the water which now overspreads the country would be collected and confined within the chan mel, and the volume of water which would thus pass down the stream. being so much larger, would gradually deeoen the channel; and the points between the existing lakes, bayous and the river, would be gradually deepened by the continual flow of water, and thus reclaim very large quantity Of
 the finest and most fertile lands.
 When the Mississippi is high, its back
 waters extend up the St. Francois conSi- derabie distance, and overflow the lands ly- l ing between the two rivers. To secure the lands from these inundations leyee should be constructed on the eastern bank of the
 St. Francois for a hundred miles up the r- yer. The levee should be about feet high and 20 feet at the base. Itis supposed that this would not exceed ihe mean estimate for the construction of fevees on the Mssissip- pi, which Is $4 per rod. This estimate would mako the cost Of leyee on tho St.
 Francois, as above mentioned, amount to St28,00o. According 10 the calculations of your committee, the aggregate cost of the works deemed by them necessary to re- claim this extensive swamp, would amount te $2sl.ooo; but supposing ;; necessary to ie,ee il,e banks Of tho Mississippi, at ceg- rain points or q range with the swamp, and that teo low an estimate has been made for ihe works here contemplated. your commit tee would fix the cost at the round sum of 1 5 100000. For this amount, very nearly 1 100000 acres of land would be reclaim ed, and would command ready market.
 The distance from Cape Girardeau, in Missouri, to Helena, in Arkansas Territo- ry, Is computed to be $50 miles, and the inundated lands lrcm one point to another, it is supposed, will average 30 miles in breadth, he breadth gradually increasing as yon descend the river This calculation will make the inundated lands in ihs dis tance amount 10 6,72e,000 But as we have already had under consideration the quantity included in the Big Swamp and given an estimate for the construction of the works necessary to reclaim it, it will be proper 10 deduct thls quantity from he cal cnlation. As the amount of land covered by the swamp Is estimated, in round num- bers, at 100000 acres, and its length at ls5 miles, the remaining quantity will be 4,720,000 acres, and the distance 2l5 miles, upon which t may be necessary 10 construct levees.
 Ia considering the cost of constructing levees, we approach something like known 1 data, by which we may Dc governed in our calculations. Such works being common as you descend the Mississippi to its mouth, 1t Is not difficult 10 ascertain the usuaI cost of their construction. To reclaim the vast quantity of land which is covered. from the lower extremity of the swamp, to the town of Helena, it may be necessary io raise Il levee the whole distance. Upon this sup position. levee averaging from I to feet high, aud from Is to 20 feet at the base, at tho estimate of sS4 per rod. will cost $275,- 900. But allowing in this, as we have in the other case, that too tow an estin1ate has been made. which may he so. .s therc ma v