The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-04-15

4
Io tAe Editors ef the Jvep Orleans Creseert
man not been, gentlemen, for the mighty provision made
by The snTFene Ruler Of tie Universe The Dyios Architect
o. Natnse. IN odarny tzs the Mississippi should perform
ihe functions Of great Arers for he onseyauee Of The
npenGous volume Of wa. discharged by ugs ads Of 1850
hbures, into the chann of this Riserho-e length from
is sonse 20 u Point Of denboeueeu beyond 300 miles
the Whole valley wond have been one vat inland ocaa
What eztsnded sDstem Of drarsze? what eansi? what rail
road2 wEat pryns imitation Of mans Invention (aposser
fn fongs he be in intellect straaeef 10 assist nnt,
could supply the place Of the Mississippi, essd perform i,s
functions? N0hnman ingenuity could avail supply asab-
s,ituis Where wonld tie ces Of NewOes, Of Eaiehez
Of Pittsburgh. Of Louisville, Of Cincinnati. Of Il Louis
I'd genus oinHe, have been? Where their comBeFee?
where their wealth? where their inhabitants and those OF the
adjacent countries "a ef the bone and snew Of the
Commonwealth. had the Mississippi been molly Baci-
gable it h2 Echo woud answer, Where? Their sites
would be the villages Of the indians their gardens the auns
OF the deer. the wild ca the pigeon etc.; and their wharves
ard eyees the resting places of the alligator Again. what
win be he condition OF these cities, should the navigation of
the bip r impaired 1npedea, By the proposed Qnasf
improvement of lateral onlcts7 sbo6d the water upon tho
bars b canag Borion be discharged By arts,iaG lax
rat outlets and tu by redueng the rekoepof s erTtat
(as shah be prosen Ieae. quicker precipitation
OF ihe smentafy races, carried ia solution, beslalowed
and the law Of Mature perverted b. preydI9fa eax con-
70 the oJEinal2 They s.F be TgTe and sion aud
oiber cities Of odplacrs fo sifmer dry their upon
graves will spring up her he silence OF feoa
tion shall supply e PLACE o the hum. the admission Of com
merce; shall the Leyees be crowded wh artces
Of produce, OF manufacture; shall the streets be
tcnged b. laden draws Thiuk that saea Hpgosuons
ehirfras, unlikely TO They unfortunately
daos certain 70 result from injudicious ampene with
your Riyer Have instances 10 all ages Of The world
where rivers have aeFed THEN courses dezered their c.n
ne and le popuous .eapors nothing bat inarJ towns2
Such has been the case IN France in Germany aud the
Mississippi shows clearly in many places, 10 the casual
observer, certain unmakabe, inconiroYerie indications
of having been repeatedly changed Once assiu
let consider the mealculabe benaGdaiy beinP
maturedwhich will be derived By pcsterity from le vast
slfeIds which hene progressively formed in the Valley
Of the Mississippi; EemeIaber tie bouneoas provision the
exausibe stores Of fuel that there eing stored, for
the Of ages in embryo to BE- avasbe when the mighty
forests of this country shall have been laid low by tie are
they shall be spoken Of things that have been when
their places shall have been known True. there
another great hefefactinn, the gift Of the Mississippi The
consequences of M depository naturs tSee Dr. Bueklands
opinion Of the Valley Of te Missispp1 Such are few Of
the bountes bestowed By the Mississippi Beware, then
how such bolAes interred with; beware that in
attempt let o portion IF its wdteTs, does (agng
got onee) find shorter route the Gulf of Mexico
thar hy that Of passing New Orleans
The peculisrities of The Mississippi Hydraulcal, Topo-
graphical aAd Geological order for consideration
First Yet investigate the subject of its tdes, currents.
its Aees sfavisTcomparatve and indivdua-its bends
and u sr effect upon the currents, and the properties and
caiou Of the fnegu Is carries in solution. Tides
the Mississippi an but impercepble affecting its
rise fall nssp tide than three and half inches and
at spring tide four and half five inches and this
effect Of tide does exert dicoverabe influence upon
the considerable distance from its mouth. Al $50
minimHm season Of lew tide in the Another
singular hut well aested fact regarding this wonderful rveF
is that the when the foods pouring
down its chaHre vessels likely strike upon the
bar and ve When the is lowest up the uoast
vessels drawing the draugh of water readily
shall proceed to explain the reasons whence arise
this seeming anomaly and for this purpose must
vestgste the properties Of salt and fresh
comparatively discover the proportion the one bears
to the other with regard specific gravity and density elias
hciiy and comprexbity The ran gravtyissait water
1890 and fresh water 1000; fresh water weighs drachm
twelve grain Troy weight eas per cuc inch than salt
In elasticity and conpresibiiy the proportion
40 0sto 45, which proves that fresh capable of
preston 40 parts while salt water be compressed only
to 46 pars[See Parkhson's Lecture HAtnral PhOso
pl Rivers. the author. take their rise ID
mountains elevated countries and descend, BY te specific
gravity of their particles the lowest level When the gfa
dent of the bed of river Is nearly HORIZONTAL cnTrenl
maintained by the velocity acquired in its descent
BY ihe specific gravity and cohesion of the particles
elnent huid and the pressure Of the vertical lSmnu
flowing from the summit accommodating force in th
descent and thus bearing before and communicating It's
ton to the inert volume contained nearly horizon
tai channel To this principle then is be the ia
of there being probability Of vessels striking the
the mouth of the Mississippi river in food time than
sons OF low water in the ver because the accumulation
river in food time and the increased velocity of d
flowing power current. eeercomes the greater spec
gravity and inertia OF the salt the mouth,
drives before the column of fresh corresponding
in cubca content of salr yet the depth Of
upon the baF iden 'i but the elasticity and compressibi
is greater than salt q &c; therefore, the depth
river fresh has the like suspensory power
port floating foreign bodies salt and ie force of The ot
has driven the salt column farther saward in
the Gulf the effect is apparent At low water, the force
the rivers being diminished the volume of
decreases and tue power O motion from adhesion and grav
is esenej, Uor sunRer, at ov water the specific grayi
Of the Msppi is considerably decreased in consequence
its carrying ut that much less foreign matter in sol
the specific gravity of the salt induces rezun
M original position amalgamates and incorporates with
bar. and deDseF
less compresibe attributes sustans floating bodies that III
| column Of fresh water could not.
would REMARK for the readily understanding OF III
matter that fresh water. scarcely impregnated with sar
particle has been, in heavy floods, frequently taken mp
raj ine the eastward of the Balize The simple expef
neu of the power of water to support whila
would sink in fresh water, also exemphies my assertion
The Currents c lhe MssssGgi shall iorm me subject q
| next letter. Yours. ETC.. THOs LAFARELLE, M. %. K.
g .Ntu Orleans. 7pri 10. 1880.