Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-06-18

the evident fntenifon Of Whirh IS p ,-ass,
ever u hg eoHseHr e rOse 10 regard to The sd-
Vanteges Anc prospects OF Cairo-we have a
running -ssory OF the town from It's beginning
- oep.smoer OF last year. As e well kno an.
CAIRO had always been Looked unon sz ths
point for great commercial tovrn o5sbs soytb.
ern SIDE OF The STATE, and among the earliest
improFements-in lS4i-wss the construction
OF - miles OF railroad ron that place ia
nortnsrn dire .tion, but with the failure Of the
great internal Improve; nest system fell this en-
telprise- IN 1901 TIE Illinois Central Rail-
ss Iosa company dsrsoOk to make conmuni-
/ edtlon oy railway frOu the northern to the
southern boundary, terminating Al Cairo and
II mas been CO. npleted But this was the
ieSst OF the unde TtGkings of that company. In
o.oef 20 make afro = the great natural seaport
OF me west" a. The gcshary,- not only Of IlIi-
hoiS, out OF die E0rld,o the company prop 1sed
20 eoneen' rate all its eforls for this purpose,
Sho 20 encompass the cityD by lsvee or en-
oeuAI ~ Ss1t which should be protection sg ainst
Shy attack Of the Mississippi or the Ohio.
>eakng Of the " immunity Of Cairo from in
GHoAuoHs,' We are told
The ueits On which the city stands, is forty
feet above the ordinary level Of the rivers, bat
like most towns situated on rivers, was liable
/ to partial oveTiows at eKtraoTd dinary stages of
the water; yet the water at Cairo rarely rose
above the natural surface Of the ground. and
! always subsided within two weeks. Human
ingenuity has successfully opposed a barrier
4 even to the chance of an overh1S; and gigantic
works bsve marked the line which even the
mighty Father Of Waters cannot overstep.
The vast extent Of up-eountry liable TO over
l TOW BY the Ohio river, during the vernal
h5ods, renders it impossible for the river TO
rise at its mouth above the line established by
the United Safes Engineers, which line was
liked from annual observations and records
made during the past fifty years, and which is
some six feet belOp the highest line marked bv
the Engineers at Cairo, under whose obserya-
ions aud direction the vast Improvements for
protection and drainage are going forward.
Ihe sane remarks, In part, apply to the Mis-.
sissiPpi floods; although il is curious to OBJ
serve, 10 this connection, that the waters Of
TINS river at unusual high stages fad an outlet
among the sTamps and marshes, about one
hundred miles north Of Cairo, from whence the
sources OF the s.. Francis and Black rivers
tske theIr rise and fall into the Mississippi,
about three hundred piles below Cairo.
Ths site Of the city is not only fully protect
Cd oy the construction Of ordinary leFees and |
enbankuents along the banks, and by sectional
levees across the base Of the triangle made by
toe two rivers, but new and substantial leves !
! or e0osnkment is in course of construction,
and portion already finished, which will be
| eighty feet wide at the top, with an average |
higft of about ten feet, aud 1--WE feet higher
! D.
I eality. This leVee or embankmeBt will entire.
/ " encompass the city, forming on the top, the
front street on the banks Of both the Mississip-
! pi and the Ohio rivers, and from its size and
substantial character, will afford a complete
protection from overflow at any stage Of the
water, however high and which, when com
pletely paved, will not only render ii a walled
world.
This levee will be Of the most enduring char
aeter, and is to be the work Of the Illinois Cen
tral Railroad Com7sny. Il has been compIsted
sutheiently to protect the town, and for a mile
e finished for tue accommodation of business.
Inc railroad buildings are only partly erected,
and but temporary; but both Ievee and b;uIa'
ings will be flushed ss fast as tbc business
OF the road and the growth Of Cairo demand.
tor tnls service the railway receives from the
trustees ample land for depot purposes on both
rivere and when Sil the arrangements are per-
ieeteo, the raiLsosd will surround the town,
20. .eesins i OF the north side, at point about
e9Ci- -oisI mt from zach river.
Ca,-.,o Is, therefore, BY means Of the leVse al
-ey hnishedl exempt from the foundations to
Shieh 81. Louis and New Orleans are ct all
times liable.
The drainage Of the city is spoken of ss
most efheient end. complete, and it is asserted
that 10 no other town is this system SO perfect
as In Cairo.
Cairo, as exhibited By the present plan, was
surveyed iE 1853, and the 6rst lot was sold on
the 9sd ef December OF that year. Since that
time It's nrogress is to be traced.
In 1881, the Trustees reported the following
Improvements made in the city.
Number Of houses sctuAIly er-cted.............z5a
In eosrse Of erection 81
1 OF which II were brick and 4s6 wooden,
with many others contracted for.
There were, also;
10 Wholesale Grocery and Forwarding and
Commission Merchants, / Flour Mill, Saw
Mill, Planning Mill, / Iron Foundry, Pork
House, Banking Houses, 2 Railroad Depots,
Newspaper Ests bIishnents, q Germany 2
Telegraph Offices, hotels, Brewery, 3 Land
Ohces, Steamboat Agency, 1 Steamboat Re-
paIriag shop, Lumber Merchants, CaEpen-
ter Shops, Architects and Builders, 5 Master
Plsstsrers, Z Master Brickmasons, 2 Master
Stonemaso sons, Brick Yard, Insurance Agen-
cles, 3 Churches erected, Churches 10 course
Of construction, Public School, Private
Schools, 5 Lodge Rooms, Freemssons, Odd Eel
lows and Sons OF Malta besides large num-
Der Of Grocery and Provision Stores, Dry
Goods and Fancy Stores, Furniture Stores,
Drug Stores, Confectionery aud Fruit Stores,
Boot and shoe Stores, Clothing Stores, Stove
and Tin Stores, Feed Stores Meat Stores,
Watchmskers, Milliners, Tailoring Establish
nents, Wagon and Blaeksmiths' shops, Baker
lee, Slaughter Ho Ise, Paint and Sign Shops,
Cooper Shops, Ice Houses, Boarding Houses,
Groceries, Barber Shops, Lawyers, Physicians,
Dentists, Salt Agencies, and many others, too
numerous to mention.
The steam Touring mill is represented as
being i've stories high, and to have cost
$50 600 The Hotel, part of which is rep
resented to have fallen down by the pressure Of
the water, was one hundred feet front and one
huldred and twenty five feet deep. and five
stories high. The house was nearly fnishei,
and $40 90 rent had been declined for it
Adjoining this was two brick stores five sto-
ries high, twenty-feet front by sevesty-fVe
feet deep, built by Governor MsttesOn, ard one
Of which was to be used a banking house.
The "SpriDehsld Block, composed Of nine
buildings, seven Of which were occupied, were
three stories above the L'vee, and presented
uniform and handsome appearance. They
cost a large amount Of money. Two SUPER or
buildings adjoin this block, built BY Gov, Mat
teson.
,, " The assessed value Of the property within
the prrsent city liaits, for the year 1851, is
81 4SO 719, but the estimate is basel upon
sales for cash, and il estimated in the ordinary
way, it would reach double this amount" This
item, after all, is probably the best means Of
: Ending the value Of property in Cairo, now
> greatly injured, il not destroyed by the foo &.
But It conveys no distinct idea Of the loss Of
capital employed in the erection Of the levee
: or embankments, which have no8 given way,
J or Of the loss sustained By the Illinois Central
Railroad Company in improvements actually
made In Cairo. II the disaster be Is great as
represented By the telegraph, it is appalling,
. and must operate to prevent any permanent
Improvement at that point for many years to
come. We hope 70 hear that the reports have
/ heen uurb eTaggerated