Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-10-12

ba arrived AT bv making the tnaiiise calculations
The velocity If lafse bedies u water Is defer
iiined by The stffa6h II The itansYhtsal section
Nv The PRINTER Of his se,leh and by The extent
of fall otet 4 given distance. The following
Gftiala establishes the relative quantities
v=seV Is ! =
PsB ~.
4 represents he velocity, s the suffsre of the
tfahsvafaat section + he ttritnptet; II the az
iebt t,f fall fpt distance y The nutnbes aG is A
eo.eiTieet', The correctness If wlith has been
,lelhr,ninaf by t,tiftefSis experiments t,t The
currents Of he largest fitefs by adaptina setvnd
fyt bhit If l.ne ,....,.z..
In bfdeF III apply tiis fttht's 10 tlfe pfojheted
body IF water ~ Bonnat fatra, in whie, sol
lst NJ svatet $3.50 feet vidu wbuld have fall
Of II Ieet IN niles af 7f Am feei We must put
the following riitfieteals to the quantities which
il contains s==idss1; B=-1gs7 H~l1. b.
$4,000; the result will then he y-G,7e
The application uf The same fptnala to The
current bf the Mississippi below Euti,iet ratte
whefe ths tfahsvefsa seetidi is fedifttd ty HE
baf u ltDdhp sat,afs fpet. is rendered ~ The
substitution " the following numbers 10
400; P=RG 30, H-t7; h=7Bp2e6 which
gives v==9.us.
thus tltn water yga4ii ntev into Lake t6tt-
tliafttain with yoletity II G,7a feet per second
whilst the river in its descent tr Natv Orleans.
would only show velocity Of 4 90 feel per seeond
The Mississippi, il ilus divided into tive branches
would convey into Lake Pbhlflisfitaih 11b,Gst
ciit,ie feet pet seferd whilst Haa III frat #atid
flow tetT ards the l,alse IN lp saHte given tinse
This proportion in The division IF The waters would
not, however, last ltj'ig IN Consequences If The
great diatente in the veloeiy ef the lsTo brsmhes
nasH,ieh as The eiiftant bf The bie Hbwiig into tFe
Lake. would have Sufficient fefee ~ ieepen The
b,tfoir, this btahtih would assfb continually
increasing volume ef water, whilst The contrary
would take place IN the sthst atm where the bed
wenld constantly rise. ff6h The simple eause tfst
The futee Of Tie current would he Insufficient TO
prevent ihe water ftptn aeposithE large quantity
tf ifs sediment. The Mississippi wohli thus be
actively employed III closing up ts yld channel
bsiow ihe p,int If lifafeatien md W. should NOD
haya u t~ait very long titfe for the aevslspai
ttient ef this result. - f.
IN an article published in The August fiiiHbef
st Dat3aw's Commercial HaViav. Major BafnatJ
opposes The system Of lateral OUTLETS, with fespee,
10 ihe ptejee VI Mt, iutriensa dehe in The Eonnei
Care batH far ff6tn experimenting that il wgud
eHitty itself there, he thinks it very doubtful
whether II could he kept opfn When the fiver
begins Ia fall says this engineer, I" the velocity
Of the wHtet In this outlet would be diminished,
aud deposit would be made During The summer
weuld ol,sttue the How Of wataf ST that III a
fp " years no 8lief result wotld aeertie from The
enormous EXPENSE 6f The opening 6f this 6tftlet
than The production If high riAEF, extending
from he river IL the lake, -
Facts do nrt Justify this conclusion, The VA
taf rushed into The Bonnet fafra ftavssse with
much less veloeify than it would possess III The
proposed ottlet Nevertheless, deposits we're only
made in those places where obstacles wefe sn4
a Ii. 1.f
Hayon fladnetnina presents another example,
pstt sf II being dry when ,ha fivefis low, and tie
bottom never fisihg. The small quantity of d.
t,sit left HI its entrance is carried off IN the cbfse
ef the succeeding fise.
maintain, therefore, that if The proposed out
lot were opened il F!onnat Care, in which n more
tapid current would exist than III Bayou Plaques
rnhe; the entire river would empty itself thers
and trust that my calculations may be verified
before deciding ineonsideratsly Upon throwing The
Mississippi into Lake Pofiehaftfaih and destroy.
ing that lake, which, in sixty years, weuld cease
to exist. The topic Is sufficiently important to
merit such veffeatien. IT, after all. The scheme
is insisted upon, The consequence must he the fHn
Of New Orleans, without any relief ~ the intefiSf
II Is perceived that ott greatest danger does moi
proceed from natural causes inasuilr as the res
uiedy=Atle selection Of which depends upon the
legislative authority ef the staea4fnight he inf.
nttely worse than ths evil With the best possi-
BILE Intentions. our Legislators have not always
been fortunate IN their solutions of scientific pro-
blems, aud their previous experiments in this line,
are not calculated to inspire us with very strong
sense Of security. Was it moi tbs General As
setably which, hi opposition to the sagaeieus
ret,tssts 1f Mr.. r. o. Hebsft, then tlis State In.
snsef, authorized work which, tof ths last two
years, has been The seetrge Of The population re-
siding below this pretended Improvement II a.
ude to the Raeeon,ri shall return to this subs
eet, and shall examine the influence Of eht4ofs
~ the course Of The river, nrd the dangers with
which they threaten Louisiana.
The project ef Wastf ,eer at Bonpei Care moi
being practicable and the Atehafalaya not being
suitable for very large ouilst, we mist adhere
10 the system Of small lateral issues and this
eads 10 the consideration Of the plan proposed
by MIR, John MeDonohght In communication ad-
lressed by him TO the State Legislature. " re-
says Mr.. McDonough, "to The Je.
gislatufs, now In session, 10 pass law 10 cotnpel
he planters on the banks of the Mississippi, from
Red River on the western bank, to the Baiize, 6r
1t least to Fort Jackson, below which there are
no plantations, ard fron Baton Rouge, on the
EASTERN side, To the mouth Of The river, TO open at
intervals Of every two acres, or 400 feet, ditch
onr feet wide by three in depth, as far back as
sight OF ten arpenfs below the cultivated lands
fhe terminus of these bitches, which shall he
placed at the levee, to be closed by rneans of q
lam. with Aood4gafes, etc. This work, when
inished, would furnish, perhaps, ten thousand
Iiontbs or appeftnres vomiting forth, day and
hight, sufficient quantity If water 10 keep the
eveI Of the river from two TO three feet, as ]
.aculats, below the point which II has }}eyionsy
'eached. This would relieve the leyees from |
immense pressure, and would give complete |
aecurity To lower Louisiana. The execution Of
his project would require from the sugar planters
Along the river but little more labor than they now
perform on their lands, where tfeya fready have
arge trenches at intervals Of two acres, Ii few
If the plantations In the interior should be inun-
lated they could protect Themselves by leyees, |
md could resort to the draining machine TO free
themselves :Som pluvial water.o
cannot now cite all the details Of Mr. Nc |
Donough's plain which must be read in the |
pamphlets published by the Committee Of the |
Senate in relation 10 Ieyees.
The project, which IL equally feasible and eff
,acious, might be still further simpifed The |
aw instead Of obliging the planters along the |
1ver's banks 10 open trenches at intervals Of two
aeres, might be confined 10 merely requiring to |
,ut two feet Of levee per arpent, 10 az IT, |
permit the high waters Of the river TO flow of |
,etween two parallel dikes, as far AZ the unin- |
1abitable iands in the rear Of their property |
The owner Of land measuring twenty arpents |
foDi. "ouio tnss be Tequlfeat 70 pierce the fcSee
o the extent Of forty feet; but instead Of open |
ng ten canals, each four feet wide, he could make
,uttwo, each twenty feet wide, situated at the |
limits of his plantation. II his neighbcrs did I
he same thing, they could do the work in com.
non and ut less expense.
1t would even be unnecessary 10 elose the
mouths Of these outlets by food gates, since they
would remain continually open. 1t would be |
sufficient to fortify the entrance by casing Of
imber
II this system should be carried out, all the |
.ultiyatabie lands woud be enclosed within a |
:ircle of levees, and should, therefore, be proyi-