Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-11-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Outlets Of the Mississip oi We learn that

! contract with MessIs W =. Craig and W m
Z. RICHTER of Newport, + entucky, for opening
md keeping open for To- IT and half years to
. depth Of 20 feet and width of 300 feet the
Southwest Pass and P as L'Outre of the Mis-
,issippi river for tho ',um Of 1922, 900.
Con,idering that tae waters of tho Missis-
,ippi, including tn Q Missouri river, wash a
,reater number Of miles Of territory than any
,ther river in the world, and that the delta of
n, Mississippi is without rival in it's natural
RESOURCES, in all the elements Of wealth, of
greatness and Of power, the removal of impedi-
ments to the free passage of the waters of the
mighty river into the Gulf, is not merely a
work Of m Agnitude and Importance in a com.
mercisI poi mt Of view, not merely of direct and
immediass interest to the people of the South
and West, bat, if successful, must materially
affect the commerce of the world.
All the appropriations heretofore made by
the Government, all The public and private
efforts employed, ard every means heretofore
devised have proved Intellectual to remove
from the mouth of the Mississippi the bars
which have b cen created by the constant &C.
cumulat ion OF the sediment carried along withs
the current of the river. Although for the last
century these distractions have gradually re-
coded towards the Gulf, and the mouth of the
river has been extended, yet they have COZ.
tinued to rema in serious imrediment to the
commerce Of the river, and their removal will
open up a new era in the history of the Mis-
sissippi valley.
Most obviously, the formation Of these bars
is primarily attributable to tho divergence of
the river, at point short distance above
them, into great number Of outlets and minor
passes, the channel Of the river, at the point
of such divergence, losing its volume, current
and velocity, and consequently its capacity to
carry forward into tho Gulf the sediment
which has gathered with its flow from the
vast region of country above. And it would
seem quite as obvious upon the plainest prin-
ciples of national philosophy that sufficient
increase of the volume and velocity Of the
water through these passes must carry eff the
deposite of which these bars are formed, and
during its continuance must prevent their re-
accumulation. 1t is the volume and velocity
of water that washes out and creates the bed
of the river itself, and a like cause must pro-
duce like effects, so if this object can be at
tanned, we may expect to see these outlets as
free from distractions as the main channel Of
the river.
Turning to an early number Of De Bows
Review, we find this view very fully sus-
ttined in a truly learned and elaborate discus
sion of this subject, from which we make the
following quotation:
/" Indeed, such is the effect produced upon
the channel Of the main river by means Of
outlets, that, in the passes, where they are
numerous, tho depth Of the channel decreases
regularly from their upper entrance to their
mouths. The reason IL obvious The volume
of water which enters the passes from above
is diminished, ard the breadth Of the bed be-
ing extended towards the sea, the velocity il
likewise diminished and the current, no Ion
ger able to sweep into the gulf the sedimentary
matter which it holds III suspension, or which
1t carries alcLg at the bottom of the bed
nearly chOkes up the mouths Of the passes
with 1t Thus 1t Is that while there is depth
Of over hundred feet at New Orleans, there
Is OILY twelve at the mouths Of the passes; and
thus II Is that, the free discharge of the wa
ter through the mouths OF these passes being
impeded, the surface IT the river higher up is
made to reach greater elevation in time Of
flood than II would if the mouths Of the
passes were deep enough to admit of a free
discharge Of water into the gulf 1t requires
certain centralized volume Of water to keep
open the channel Of river, as ii acquires a
different cross section after the vOlame is di-
minished, because the river will fashion the
size of Its bed &c the volume Of water that ro-
mains -
q Before proceeding to state the remedy for
the present evils and threatened dangers, it
may be well to lay down IL few simple general
principles in carbohydrates The velocity
OF running water depends upon volume, fall
and resistance When tLese are uniform, the
velocity is always the sang; but in proportion
as the volume and fall are lessened and the
resistance increased, 50 is the velocity dimin-
lShed, and Utce uersG. From this arises the
fact, that in q straight reach of equal cross
sections, where the volume, fall and resistance
are uniform, the velocity remains the same
while IN slnuOus course Of unequal cross
sections, where me fall is diminished, the re-
slstarce Increased and 10th constantly vary
ing, though tho volume may remain tho same,
TIE velocity IS not only lessened, but it be-
GENES varied In different parts Of the channel
eIocIty also varies where uniformity is want.
ing III the bTe Gdth Of the bed being greater
where the bed is barrow and deep than where
II IS wide and shallow. Water in state II
n-OtlOi1 - 10 lake up anu carry with
II the sediments from the bottom Of the bed
along which 1t flows while still water depos-
Its there whatsoever body heavier than itself
cay Tell into, or be contained lit. The quan
tity and character Of the sediment thus taken
up, depends upon the degree of velocity with |
which the wafer rams. 1t requires less to take |
Up alluvial sediment than sand, sand than |
gIaVe!, and gravel than stones or bouIders
Thus the velocity OF the current regulates the |
depth Of its ted. Where it is great, the chan
mel Is deep, for the current is able to taks I'D |
the sediment or sand, snd carry il along; and |
where 1t Is lapguid, the channel is shallow, |
because the current IL not only unable to scour |
out Its bed and keep it deep, but even to car |
ry the sediment brought from those parts OF |
the channel where the velocity is greater, hut |
deposits along the bed, thus eIevating the bot !
tom and making the river mere shallow"
These contractors are the patcntees Of new !
and improved dam and breGkwater, by which !
they propose to increaso tho volume and velo |
a. int ha fno -