The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-05-26

II is not ule singular thai The aesun Of The peopl,
| OF New 0heans Mobile, savannah, and Charleston
should have been simultaneously attracted 10 the changes
which are occurring in the condition OF the rivers upon
which they respectively situated The people OF no
bile complain that the river opposite the city Is actually
| filling up, while those al New Orleans are alarmed al
the rapid increase OF the bar the mouth Of the Mssis
spp Our neghboTs in Charleston have quietly gone to
work. wisely preelng deeds 10 words, and trust the
people OF Savannah viii follow their example in this il
| in no other respect
ANY one who has travelled through the agricultural
districts oil the southern States have failed TO OBJ
that there is actually less the rivers and
creeks now than there was some years ago The telling
forests and the opening OF the country has exposed the
land TO the injurious effects oil washing rains The soil
and land thus carried down tend 10 fill up the water
courses by creating sand flats and bars. In the hill
country the sand washed into the rivers takes up and
absorbs much OF The wafer, and IN this way actually
dminshes the quantity OF water Hence the navigation
oil our MYERS less certain Than II Was 10 fifteen years
since.
The Mississippi river presents Of the most difficult
problems OF modern times II ID received theory thai
the aluvial formation of the Mississippi valley com
mences where first meet rock IN stu. ascending the
course OF the river. which is few miles above the mouth
oil The Ohio. and that the Gulf OF Mexico. in ages past
layed high up as that point This plane or delta made
up oil the material brought drown from the upands by
iyer and It's tributaries. is estimated to contain 100000
square miles The Mississippi has, therefore, raised from
the sea the soil which constitutes its own bed, and il
flows down this plane OF its CREATION in serpen-
tine course at an average descent OF 81 inches per mile
Whatever may be thought OF this theory, there be
doubt OF thng-that since the opening of the Mssis
slppl valley and The immense region OF country drained
by ITS tributaries, remarkable changes have taken place
IN the depth and general condition OF the river.
The principal characteristic OF the Mississippi river
(as remarked by The New Orleans Bnlletin) and which
concerns in treating Of the Savannah river the i'm
mense amount OF sedImenary matter which is held in
suspension and carried by the force of the to its
outlet IL has been asccrlaned by careful and repeated
experiments, that the main bulk OF this sedimentary mat
or IS about 5000 part oil the volume OF the water
hch il is suspended that, could il be possible to
certain the total annual discharge OF the Mississippi we
might compute, at least approximately, the of the
annual deposies brought down by the current This au
von silt, as is technically called, is swept down by
the current, which, running at average of four miles
per hour, gives bat very little opportunity of subsdine
during its swift onward passage As the river proceeds
to It's mouths, the current becomes weakened by the diff
fusion OF the water into numerous bayous, and by ex
pansion at the Outlet that even before it reaches its
mouth the velocity Of the is very materially
tarded, and experiences still further check when
comes in contact with the waters of the Gulf The con
sequence of this diminished momentum is a subsistence
OF the earthly matter, and the creation OF bars and flats
which are the great impedments 10 navigation. !,
The process is natural enough. and the simple state
ment OF IL will account to readers for the changes
which have taken place in Savannah river From the
city 10 the bar have capacous reservoir which j
is policy 10 retain Ii is through its securing
agency at the ebb tides that the bar is be kept il,
present depth. Our main object therefore is TO proven
the displacement o. any OF the water in this BY
the creation OF bars and banks and 10 do this
have to science and to of science With
these helps, and money and energy accomplish
all that is necessafy-Sa vanndh Republican.