Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-01-29
Singular Theory Of the mississippi River.

1he MISSISSIPPI river Is the greatest stream
in the world. The total length is 1000 miles.
On looking over volume recently issued, en-
titled Lioyd'S Steamboats, and Railroad Di-
rectory," We find the following instructive ar
tcle on the waste of the waters Of the Mssis-
sipp 1t says =
No experience will enable person TO anti
cipate, with any degree OF certainty, the eleva-
ton of the food in any given year. In some
seasons, the waters do not rise above their
channels ; in Others, the entire lower valley of
the Mississippi is submerged. Embankments
called leaves have been raised from FIVE TO ten
feet high, on both sides of the stream extend
! ing many miles above and below New Orl ans
! BY this means the river is restrained within its
! proper limits, except at the greatest freshets,
when the waters sometimes break over every
! thing, causing great destruction to property,
and sometimes loss of life The average height
/ of the food from the Delta to the junction OF
| the Missouri is obove Is feet At the mouth
/ of the latter river it is twenty-five feet Below
the entrance Of the Ohio river the rise is often
/ fifty five feet
At Natchez, it seldom exceeds thirty feet
and at New Orleans about twelve feet What
goes with the water? 1t is known that the
difference between high and low water mark,
as high up as White river, is about thirty-siX
! feet, and the curreut at high water mark runs
nearly seven miles per hour, and opposite to
/ New Orleans the difference between high and
+ low water mark is only twelve feet, and the
/ current little over three miles to the hour
/ The width and depth of the river being the
same, from which Ne calculate that nearly s:X
/ times as much water passes by the mouth Of
! White river as by New Orleans What goes
with the excess The only solution ever Of
/ fered, is that it escapes by the bayogs " Pla-
/ quemiue," Lafourche," aud Iberyille,' but
when We calculate the width depth and cur
rent Of these bayouS, they fall vastly short of
afording sufficient eScapement. the true ex-
| plauation can, We think be given.
/ vt low water, throughout the whole extent,
We see land structure exposed, underlying
/ the bank, or that the alluyial structure on
which the plantations are, Is a structure OF de-
! post made hy the river above its low water
( mark, which, opposite 10 the mouth of White
| river, is thirty feet thick. As YOU descend
! the river d.IniuIsheS in volume as the difference
/ between high and low water mark diminishes
| and nearly corresponds TO it, and wherever the
/ bottom Is exposed. il shows throughout the
/ whole extent. that the bottom is pure coarsc
| sIRd exhibiting at many places the CceqH
! SFlRg'e through the Superimposed aIuvia
/ structure mixed with fine sand The water
percolates with such facility and rapiilitv that
| the water in well dug AT a considerable dis
! tance from the river bank rises and falls with
/ the rise and fall Of the river not varying an
/ inch, and through the coarse sand and shingles
Of the bottom. 1t passes as rapidly Is through
I a common sieve
/ BY the accurate surveys OF several sceHti-
| Tic engineers, II is a>certaned that the fall Of
/ the Mississippi river is four inches to the mile.
/ The distance from Natchez TO New Orleans Of
/ three hundred miles will give twelve hundred
inches. or one hundred feet The depth of the
river is less than fifty feet at high water mark
/ The river debouches into the ocean from pro
| noutory made by itself The surface Of the
ocean. by measurement. below the bottom Of
the river above New Orleans, corresponds with
the low water mark below New Orleans. there
fore the VI sSiS,ipp. rye- is poITiu- through It's
Own bottom into the ocean, the :upe-impoSed
weight giving lateral pressure to hurry the
/ SUbte-rdnean current II the reader has ever
stood upon Mississippi Sand-bar, in q hard
rain, or seen water poured from a bucket on
the saad bar. he has seen that LeiIler can be
done In sufficient quantity 10 produce any eur
Yer Is, therefore. from the time IT comes below
the limestone scrataS of Missouri and Ken
tucky. wasting itself through its own bottom
Ii the Mississippi river had to pursue il
course, Ike the OIio. over rocky strata. walled
in by rock aud imPervious clay banks the high
water mark at New Orleans wouiI reach one
huud-ed feet above It's present limits !: bat run
uiug over coarse sand walled IN by deposit
made OF sand ancient deluTial tritous and
vegetable mound, no more water r,a hes h
ocean than the excess over the amOuu: thar
peTmeatrS the surrounding structure and paS>e.
of in the process of percoIation or rranSpcra
ton in a >ubCeTTaueau descent TO the ocean
The river. without any other restraint from
rock OF clay in the bottom or bank. i left free
70 the -oscrumeRt Of TO other Law than tie
Iaw Of hydro>tatic> TIE washing or wasting
Of the banks cannot be prevented, though the
cayiHg or sliding Of large portions at one tine
may be easily guarded against.