The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-06
NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION.
American Association for the
Advancement Of Science.
Special report OF tho New York Herald.

A0v 0ACGnMCMs VI 0CAOACCs
Special report OF the New York Herald.
The papers whose tit give above is the con
tinuation OF report made by Mr.. Brown to the As
ISOLATION at its first meeting, in Philadelphia, IL
ls4S. TIE report then made was very able, and thu
committee were instructed to continue the investga
tous, and report fully and at leisure. consequent
~ give you below the continuation Of the report.
Before giving the continued report, will present
. few numbers which were appended to the former
report in the form of Table of Calculations used in
the foregoing report -
l. Quantity Of wafer discharged by the ,hssssipp'
river, uAlly, IA $50 $50, $50 $50 cubic fset.
Quantity Of s.dDsnt disc ey the h'ssss'ppi
river. a.n uAlly. 20 1853 oss ss2 su BIC feet.
kfea Of the Delta Of the mississippi sccofuns W M
benth Of The Delta, according to Professor Rddsl,
me Delta therefore according to and a. abovs,
aoat.ns 400 s7s AGO a4o 900 cubic feet 272s cubic
ABSORBING TO it would require for tina formation Of
enc mile Of Delta eve years and eighty one days
mi Csc feet, ore year sixteen and oss- attn days
s. the nation Of the Delta, according to 2, 8
Tss valley Of the Misssssipp frsu Cape Girardeau
to the Delta estimated to contain Is oos square miles
i50 feet depth tth.rsfore contains &C. 900 600
subic feet or 4s41l cubic miles.
All such as may wish to make investigations on this
subject The figures are reliable, and have cost
great labor.
on held at Philadelphia, September 1s4s, your Com
s.s u the waters and sediment Of that great stream
vsre BIZ resolution directed to ooatinus their obser-
vaors with view Of asoertaining tho probable Of
teot vhich the reclamation of annually Inundated
lands would have upon the improve meat Of it, navgs
o a.d the general health Of the couatry Or any other
thsrfcre now avail themselves Of this opportunity
speotfully submit ths following, - coaiauston OF
their sbssrvatons with tho terms of the
Above resolution That the reclamation Of the river
kottoO, Or swamp lads which has bsea more
iess in successful progress for great number Of yesrs
and prosecuted Of late very generally aal rapidly By
means Of system OF ideal smosnknents, ~ which it
atsndsd to restrict ala.tsy ths whole waters Of the
river to their leg channel which, in . very
siderable degree already besa effected. An improve
meat Il tbs general health Of the country is found to
have been than the simple ratio OF this reclAna
Nor of lands and decided 10 the character
q this salutary change, that 1t il evident alike 70 the
q eides in their vicinity From long oentnu-
Cd ebRrvatisn supported BY concurrent testimony your
committee entertain not the least doub but that for the
occupants Of these low wet ands to secure more
Or loss . perfect immunity from their miasmAtic
sfscts they have but 70 clear them of their
feesst and cultivate them for their corps when their
exposure the action Of the aaA the free crcula
tioa 4 the stmosp win render them both hsathfu
to their esnribute in small measure
10 tho gsaerA sAupry II the whole region Of country
AL experience has owed that there nothing unhealth
ful IN these lands, when thus exposed 70 dissipation Of
1ual 1undAtion Of the river, health and plenty
thereby becomes the reward Of this reclamation
with pect TO the effect Of restricting its proper
chaansi the vast body OF water that periodically
ss~, many square miles o. sotsc. s.ds
As.s x.tsr. a. they received their Tributary
have kesn sited . preef that enbankuents when
thrown up to restrict the waters Of the river to their
charmed, will in the same ratio, elevate their own
ID, and hence that any general system Of evseiag
As waters Of the river within the His Of their chanae
vssA Do both nIrastieAbs and nexpsdsat a. tending
ths present incoLsdsr ase that protect
&s. New however formidable ths forcs Of these argu
havs but little practical application in fact and what
experience there would .. least seem to confirm their
The vhole extent Of country from which these surplus
waters aos Is rapidly undergoing great physical change
~ it, setslsmeat aad cultivation 1t may certainly be
ined that such must In sonc measure have its effect
waters IS Gs aissnargisg from these lsads aad
should that be found equivalent to the progressive
aement II the river within its banks there viii certainly
- ss to fear from any undue accumulation CAUSED BY
sush confinement In leporasg formerly, from the best
preeuYabe data this subject your committee deuced
the Asaual quantity Of wSt4~ dcharged by the Missis
npl river TO be only s9l parts Of the rain water ling
in the whole valley orsequently disposition Of 1891
YsrA nust be made by ifs evaporation aud absorption
That report suggested ths progressive increase of the
daton Of the lands Of thor primeva forests ana their
exposure to the set.n If she and WINDS, which
sbviously well calculated 70 very considerable
increase Of the evaporation OF the falling waters By
. dissipation Of the aqueous matter in tas stmos
IN the a process Ac S o
certain extent leave the river less sad less to do in
the Ascbarge Of its waters Such obvious differences
several Of the years that have intsvesed between tn
Time Il submitting he lass report and the present fol
ths asnaa swelling Of tie eaters durag several Of tbes,
years would seem to imply bat little ominuton in ths
quantity OF water ed 10 the AID but little
reliance the facts ssd differences detailed in taa
report But ssosquest observations have bsea di
oted to the facts asd phases Of another very
element In ibis same sonsscaOn and which vas In that
report In great eversoked leas failed to
have that considers loo which its
having and ,n eoHt,nusg to have inoonsdsra BILE
elect In beth their ply ca and commercial relations
oectiBg navigation and therefore requiring special
nsdee. This feature in this connection consists in the very
sedineaAry matter with which the waters Of the
are charged, their dsscest to the When the
valley Of the Mssissppi ~ss an uncuisvsted waste and
its lands clothed in thsr prime forests With the
n the river arnusy overhowiog all its low lands thess
waters would had the pro poronsl guam
ty Of secinentary matter In suspsnsion during floods,
that they have because this dense aud ue
vegetation must have beea great protection against the
egsdirg effects OF tho fhsg and raining waters that
mach have been washed into than there
Ii ct the present time AID the most Of that which
must time Of high been deposited on the banks
ard in the woods into ~hich the waters were aterua
runnif and their way 10 the oossn which thsy
mus. have reached much Invested of this
tier Thus tbs # the river in periods of nundAt
from M aud The letting fall OF saad
and ssdsmenary mst,er all along In the bottoms and
the banks, would Aeessssrfy have that much less to
pzgs into the that the bar at the rivers mouth
during high vatsr vsuid not be subject under such cc
cumsfaaces inte pose obstruction ssvg stiea But
this OF things during sts years has bsen under
going rapid change inasmuch the face Of the country
Z becoming extensively cleared and cultivated which
the heavy rains ana running waters set with full
force and effect to dtpsss vast quantities Of the soil
and other solid matter, and 10 the into
the river, which being restricted and
to It's csaDss, by the leveepg process, the
waters will have less aad less opportunity Of depostrg
any of this solid matter, either upon ths banks ia the
woods the equesos II which Is that IL is forced to
all " this dstritsl matter to the ocean, per-
nit It's channel % BE- Oiled up Of which there be
II fear while its descending velocity Is Of sufficient
fierce 70 agitats and urge forward all such matter OBJ
tlan that with which The waters of this river are
oharged The effect however, Of this vat and ncreas
Ing quantity OF mater 10 much more poadersble than
the water BY which is transported, having 10 be ali