The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-08-05


RequitiDg with the folness Of thy gain.
Lo! on the quiet grave thy life borne cross,
Dropped only at its side, me links doth shine,
of! thy bsaiitude the radiant sign!
No sob OF grief no wild lament be there.
To break the Sabbath of the holy air.
but in their stead, the silent. breathing prayer
~ hearts still waiting for q rest like thine
Oh, spirit redeemed forgive US, IL hencefofth,
With sweet and pure smiltudes Of earth
We keep thy pleasant memory freshly green,
VI loves inheritance priceless part,
= Which Fancy's self, in reverent awe is seen
TO paint, fergetful Of the tricks of art
WIN pencil dipped alone in colors Of the heart!
-~>s-% = T. W.
Survey ef the Delt. sf the l1ississsppa.
CARRoLLToS. La. August 3, III :
Ed Crescent = Your mole of the 3Osh Jnivs
making inquiries as TO the "plan and progress Y
rthe Delta Survey, was duly received. And
after considering attsnvely the regulations of the
! Typographical Bureau, - 10 the source whence
information of is opstations must come, the posi-.
tive injunction laid upon all subordlnates and en-.
poyees to furnish no results of their operations,
except when and a. diEecicd by the Chief Of the
Bureau, believe il TO be my duty TO decline an.
s sswering your questions.
With you, that the public are, very
naturally and properly, interested in the progress
of survey, designed to solve, by the application
of science, the many phenomena Of The river,
hitherto only guessed, and to determine if posi-
BILE, what plan would be best adapted to the pro-
lection of the inhabitants of the rich aliuvion 81
the Mississippi, from the disasters of inundation;
it would give me pleasure, if compatible with my
duties as an employees of the Commission, to rem
der any information, derived from the survey,
which might serve to alIay public anxiety.
There are, however, many things relating to the
survey, which, in their nature, cannot be kept from
public obseryation. Such, for instance as the per.
sons employed 20 execute the work the duties
they are Performing; the extent Of their operations
upon The ield These are in the face of the public
residing over the district Of operations, and subjects
of continual observation and interest. The cues.
ton is asked. daily and hourly, "What are you
doing, and what survey is this, and under whose
authority, and at whose COST" No engineer can
deny his name or occupation, and civiIity requres
a true answer to such questions, when coureo,isly
addressed. II
y Nor is the plan Of The Delta Survey a secret. II
was submitted 70 the Department by Col. Long and
Capt Humphreys, after making their original re.
cognzances. Il was approved entire, ana was
communicated to Congress and published as a pab.
lie document, mo. l3,) in January last. would
refer you to this report and suggest that you could
not do better service TO the cause you would sub.
serve, than by the publication Of all that portion
relating to the object of the survey, and the plan
aud adopted.
The entire survey Is under the direction Of Can't.
A. A. Humphreys, U. S. Typographical Engineer.
The Hydrographc operations, contemplated in
sections 2, 3, 10 and 10 of the PLAN are conducted
by G. Castor Smith, Hydrographic Engineer, as
chief of the party. with two assistant engineers.
The Topographic operations, described in sec.
lions to inclusive, are under the conduct Of
James X. Ford, Civil Engineer, with four assis.
tanis.
The Hydromeiric and Hydrodynamic operations
contemplated in sections 10, IL, l2. ETC., are CON
| Quoted by Caleb G. Forshey, Civil Engineer, with
TWO assistants. The transverse section, for dynamic
and sedimentary investigations, as described ir
'ection 10, has been taken in front Of Canolltpn.
y 1t is not difficult 10 perceive that the stupendoul
plan OF operations. reported by the ard, must re-
quie timeaed mach lsbor Ia its execution, and tina
the short period which has elapsed since the or
eanlzation of the Corps could not be productive o
final results, in any Of these great opeFations.
we were at liberty, or it were good policy to pub
lIh results, coming in fragments from subordinates
without the revision and seal of the heads Of III,
Department, it is very doubtful if much that woul,
be interesting on useful to the public could be fur
nIshed at present. The parties have very lit,
knowledge Of each others operations-none excep
where their labors form bases foreach other.
I Nothing except the observations of the mere ris
and jail dFfhe river has been done above the mout
U f Red kiver-that point forming q very natura
boundary between the fields Of labor, above an
below it.
The work has been conducted thus far bv CAM
Humphreys. under all the difficulties and embarass
men's of crevasses and inundatons, with industry
vlgor, and much ability. Our party, at least, hav
seen no single day of rest, except the Sabba,f
since the first of February; nor do we seek or 9,
Pect any till the end of the year. Such is the ma
lure OF the duties contemplated in section No. l
Of The plan.
|.0hAs citizen of Louisiana, cannot withhold a
expression Of my qualification that the vast entel
pre- has at last been commenced by the prope
authorities. The river Mississippi belongs NOT
louisiana alone, but to sixteen States and sever
Territories, which discharge their annual produc,
IN Whole or in part, through its channel No s
g'e barrel OF flour, or bale of cotton, passes dow
The river, that does not send its correspondir
wave to eat away our shores, and lash down
ieVees. This was not q natural servtude al
those whose commerce produces this continual tre
pass and devastation, should contribute to our Or
'ec.lon' This has been felt and appreciated in q
national legislature, and the national treasure h
Aoeen made TO contribute literally to the commenc
mem OF survey. This will doubtless be follow
ny lu'nre and larger sums, devoted to the exec
tloh OF some enlightened scheme of protectio
paed upon these SURVEYS
,,ns' "e survey was absolutely necessary on the
.. .1"'Ne scale projected. Such is the mapnitude
% .ns interests involved in its resul,s, that no ha
tusieea, tsc'on nal. data for scheme of D,
iaree riv.. s s.1 ~ % received and acted upon.
,a.st M r'ser had ever been elsborately surveyed.
hs2 Its forces or habitudes investigated N.Y., N.Y. ~,
= %udy Of this river had long since conv;ncsd :, ,
una. The laws of movement, as derived f,nu, 49,,
SslonS Of the small rivers of Europe. ws,a ma ms
oi !nem' untrue of the Mississippi Thi. wss ,ss
Inese' the common consent Of men Of .csna
VINO mad given the suhipct their attention. NJ
wS, 'nen' must be elaborated from our .u,vs
NO Iuture treatments of tha v;v,n1uc vus1A !. -:'