New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-23

merly passed down -,--...,,..., III.
We vii nov eve you, proceed the COMMITTEE .u7
ouanrfy of -oIi matter nth which the ""i-rs ~ Ns
..ipui are annually charged together Win ls a.
iects 10 the formation 90 lands OF nlins up % osP
cns ia order T. arrive A. these required iac'7' 20. ~,
loving me hi 1- were adopted rf-i -'Il'' 20 -
vessels % cv lindrcel form procured ID enc ~
oi which attached TN tube 90 ne same = 49,.
cal sIne'er ~ that oi The sias- vessel 20 "u'. -
attached in ihe IL tube Immediately shove - .-L
non with The -4-s cylinder there Wa lnsrrltn 'H-
bras cock ty which the tube could Do con1eurl-y
discharged ai De contents ~ pleasure without
any disturbance Oh the contents Of the glass 1t-e 4.
loW-thIs IN tube Vas iu length J. incnr- I'D, '1,
WAS charged with water from the Ml-slr-iFp Ni''l
sud this water allowed time ~ deposit II eoD'.i..7
the glass vessel below that being accom- ~;
the water drawn ~. and TIE tl1e Ieo"Hi 80
bv water from the river each particular charge
fring noted This wa slcces-iVtly Itptat'N i'.i-
the different conditions and stages or tAe W.
hight and velocity which very m+erla4iy e"e.'' .'I.
Quantity u suspension. this. by succession VI 80"
ch-nril-. and d.schar-ing. Of the I'm tube amounting
in al o. 4-i times. or 10 the aggregate u 'o'-l. ~
vsferDf e.ffect from y hrh column % water mere
was deposited column 81 sediment lhelos1u ~ u.
uhf- % % inches Assuming that tneItloie' !" pr .i
true quantity and tie True product OF col-Ah oi
wstcr - - inches. % necessarily iooNs Aa. = %
is o. .I sl2 j. the quantity % sedimcnitly mfN.l
contained iu the water On the volume 90 tne iFei "N
other flrcs and word- the mean proporlona- q-Ahhy
of sediment o. the uver i r. . ~.
We have already asceriained The quantity OF Nel.I
annually schargri 1y the n ssissppl RIVER y De- 49,
from THAT quantity Of wsfsg, --l-- ''5-f- 10 euo''
feet of solid matter ,
There can be- no question 1ut that much matter IN tAc
character of coarse sand and gravel d trans ica y
the river current of the quantity OF IT, your commit
g. could have DO possible opportunity Oh es--i'''''-
tle value. ,.,
computed With some approximation % certainty me
81 rfs 90 tie Mssppi deposits IN the iormauon oi an1
or in filing up the Gull into which j. empued' We
Wi avail ourselves of such data, aud endeaFof 20 pre-
sent tb. Quantities dcducl1le thcreirom 100 estimating
the Delta oi the Mississippi We have adopted for 10 the
zsrerhces assumed by Dr. Ly- ia his Investigation OF
thi- subject and vii say with that gentleman that the
Delta the Mississippi River comprchends AZ mat great
auri.l plain which les below % the south Of what
until was the nr-t branching 0r 90 highest arm
of the river called the Achaalaya Ihis Della j. CON.
putcd 90 contain superficial area Of 1900 square
In deciding on the depth Of this quantity, we win
adopt that which assumed by Prof Rddei on this
subject and Say that % is Of the average depth Of one
MIN of mile or 0-o feet. inferred from that being
toe average depth % toe Hui Oh MrAco loiu lAe Da
lie % the po.ni Of florida
Ne lut By computation, agreeable 70 me above d-'a'
that 10 would require quantity NOT Ices thAh t-'y,-
41 iN 900 cubic ector2 -J cubic miles ~ SOMA matter
T. constitute Delta having sscertsned the quantity
of solid matter annually brought down ~ me Ms7is
-pui river to Doe r. -- ~ cubic ieet Nnl'h Woua
H. equal % one square mile of the depth OF 1000 ieut 900
g-l DAYS or one cubic mile in years and ID days
ir therefore follows that % would require series Of
1926 years for the river To effect the nna lorna
OF the present delta.
plain stretching with the river from the above de
sen.t.d Ulltr as fsr up BE- Cape Grfrf'oH n Mssohf
as any other part % the delta proper nor can Il ever
have been any continuation Of me Gun Oh MeAIco Inc
evidences are vastly against amy such conclusions, mas
much as the dal4via which constitutes the high
lands bordering each side OF this alu'lai PLAIN
by its general distribution. would have been equally
drrosfed n such guis or Of the sea which IN re-
atty could have been the case, for the rver has
excavattd through this duvii and exposed II ia many
places resting ou What y evidently Of another lorna
Ton and such lot only found 10 be the case al the
b,so al the diiuga hills but the same formation IL
found also 10 constitute the bed of the rver Al many
ether points detached for very considerable distances
from any high lands. "
The diagram will show the true position Of this for
nation TINS bed Jf the river u substance oi entire
Dis different character from the composition ot any part
oi the duva blts and possesses all the characters
tics of well formed rock, which requires PICK 10
efect s reduction. The superficial area Of tue valley
has been found ~ be about 10000 square miles bound
"a by I'd lands either side, ranging from 81 10 20
feet high above the level OF the plain should this
space therefore have been reduced eHcayated by the
river ~ We assumed il must have transported the dilu
vial matter and caused u u form part OF is deItd
Noy assuming the average hight OF The highlands above
the rlsas u he $50 feet We would therefore OBTAIN
asa cubic miles or as oCs 10000 900 cubic feet Of
matter - Us propor0uabie contribution IN the lorna
ton Of the Delta the balAuca required being 955itU
goa 10000 cubic feet 70 be derived from the reduction
al other lands the two sources being Ia eacn other AZ
10 Sos or bv giving another expression 10 the same
Quantities there IN the Delta 2l2O cubic mies OF
matter asa of which would be derived from the dilu
Wan n the excavation Of this valley the other portion
would con.isf %. .DJi cubic miles 20 be- derived from
other sourc.s " the reduction OF other lands.
We have nowtraccd this great rver through period
of II 1Ol years but how u was occupied before that
time or what was the condition OF the country over
which its waters passed, IS more than we can safely
venture 10 ssy-but on parilculr examination OF tne
bluffs, which bound ne present PLAIN II VIII De- very on
fcult o. resist the conviction that the rver has great
agency 10 depositing the upper and lOamy stratum
which varies from a few feet 20 upwards OF hiy in
thickness IN a Of which stratum there s abundance
of land and purate shells such As those now found IN
the present a. post from the river
WI. have found the aye Of that deposit 10 be not less
than u poi years through all OF which time the waters
lave been actively engaged IN changing the face OF the
country and Transporting 20 cubic miles OF It's matter
10 a lar distant location. The above may be said 10
comprehend All the required particulars with respect
20 the waters OF the Mississippi River or Us deposits
which your Committee are az this time prepared 70
submit
some other business was done, of little impor
lance which VIII give hereafter. This paper on the
Mississippi thought OF very great Importance pariicu
larry all IN any way interested In that region ana 50
have given all its main ieaiure.
SECTION OBJ GENERAL FmsICs.-
This body organized az o'clock, with PROT W.
B. RocEns for Chairman Prot siLLiNAN and r. L.
EOGEAs Secretaries
After organization some discussion ensued on
the paper OF Prof SHEPAED Mfe0rtes read yester-
I
Phenomena are of Atmospheric Terrestrial origin -
Prof AGAssIz would attempt explanation, but he
considered that 81 mete0rtes contain earthly substances
tits 40 least evidence that they are OF terrestrial
origin lie went GA 20 Illustrate.
Prof ALEXANDER, OF Princeton. made extended
observations on the Fundamental Principle of M1'he
nafs His demonstrations were pcntiiuly Illustrated
by black board diagrams they evlnced great powers OF
logical dsquison and excited the greatest attention
of the audience,
The next communication was one by Prof. CUB
r,np on the Z0liacs ofhf dfer0its To slsO was Illus
trsi,d and although brief n detail seemed source Of
considerable .ssfsction. The object OF Prof II a. in
dcated By the title was u show Tie zodiac OF the on
ferent Asteroids lie did not attempt % dcfne theae
distances defuitiveiy but judged OF them BY ageorac
operations.
Some other papers were presented one by
Prof PIERCE On the Theory OF the Mineral Action n
two Planets. and one ~ the Professors ROGERS detail
ing f. numbur OF Chemical experimentation although
interesting and valuable % the scientific reader the vast
number Of geomctrca a-ehraic and chemical ilustra
lions render tho detail undressing Tor general pcrusl