The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-11


THE LANDS BENEFITED Bv THE OvBaFLow OF THE
AMERICAN NILEs-A FEW WORDS FOR CAIRO CRY
ITS SITUATION. sALuBEIrY AND PROSPECTS, roa
TEE FUTURE.
THE EDITION oF TIE EErAiD
CHICAGO, ILL.,, July l, 1853.
Much has been said and written about destruction
Of property in The West by recent high water and,
as the true state Of the case has been badly mis-
represented, and the damages exaggerated, l. word
of correction may not be amiss.
1t is not the first time in the history Of our couu
try that the Mississippi and Ohio rivers have over
flowed their banks and given alarm TO the people for
short time. Yet the country thus far survived
all losses BY both floods and fires and has steadily
increased its wealth and population.
The greatest alarm appears TO be about
Cairo, in the State of Illinois. No one
seems to think IL necessary to abandon Cincinnati
OF So. Louis, notwithstanding the waters ran through
the third stories of their buildings, completely sub
merging the lower parts Of those cities. These ex-
traordnary freshets have occurred once in twenty
iveor fifty years, and like the OVERLOOKING Of the
Nile, the benefits have been invariably greater than
the injuries sustained. No soil can ever wear out
enriched by the overlooking Of the Ohio and Missis.
sipp rivers. Tho bottom lands Of these mighty rivers
will rival the produc.iveness Of ancient Nile.
Cairo Is surrounded with levy, underlaid with
iron sewers with self operating valves, now in the
process of construction. When completed accord
ing 20 design these sewers viii be five feet above
hgf, water mark and eighty feet broad on the top,
the whole slope 20 the river being paved
with stone and thus made perfectly secure
Cairo, when it's levies are finished, will be
more secure than either Cincinnati Sc. Louis
the whole city will be entirely surrounded hyper
A haah oap
made of the absolute cost Of filing up Cairo on a
level with the embankment projections. The cost Of
this entire filing was computed 70 be not over two
hundred and fty dollars per lot Ignorance OF that
country asks where will the earth from for that
dllingi Ten or twelve miles north of Cairo the
ground rises one hundred and fifty feet above low
water mark in the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. II
would be great advantage TO the Illinois Central
Railroad 10 reduce It's immense grade from
some eighty 20 forty feet, and benefit Cairo
by filing up. This work is perfectly
in embryo. win be extended around Cairo baox
10 the high lands. and thus redeem, beyond doubt
possible danger Of overflow 70 that entire rich and
valuable point OF land lying between the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers and the first high lands north of
their junction There Is not point the face Of
the earth on which American enterprise will hot
work resurrection where such combination of
advantages can be found for manufacturing in.
terests, AZ Cairo. 10 IL true that steam instead
of water power must be used 70 propel machinery;
but wood and coal in any quantity be furnished
at the lowest rates " has the largest conveniences
for receiving the material and for the distrbu.
ton of merchandise. Besides Cairo il the reno
test point south where free labor can be
used in manufacturing. IL he highest
point north where navigation never closes
either by drought or ice. An unobstructed commun
cation with the always exists at Cairo Ill., It's
immediate and great agricultural resources reduce
the rates OF living - trifing sum compared 20
that Of other places. Hence / have seen the
attention Of many directed 10 that point, watching
its success with the intense interest that leads 20
say that, notwithstanding the prophecies Of devasta-
ton, wreck and ruin suggested by the recent flood,
Cairo lives and has now survived the most embar-
RAISING obstacle and hinjrance 10 her prosperity
Startled into new life and activity abe has proved
the entire practcabty Of her ievee, and establish |
ed beyond doubt the claims OF that city 20 per.
manency and durability Of location. II IL said that
would suppose that no human being ever lived IN
Cairo over ninety days. There Is IN the morbid
public mind q better relish for scandal tnan Tor 1
truth; and hence the love OF hearing and peddling |
reproach and detraction There are az healthy |
men and women in Cairo as there are IN new York |
or any other place. Cairo Is situated al The conffu
ence is the ohio and Mississippi rivers, each one a
mile wide at that point in low water They aP liv. |
ino mot dead streams This point OF land extending
from Inc conauence OF these river, back for about
three miles l. only about one and half mile wide, |
with an elevation Of from twenty-five 10 forty feet
above low water mark, with gradual descent from
the Mississippi 10 the Ohio river OF i've feet where
the water passes out into the Ohio river through
iron sewers UNDERTAKING the evee. There Is nothing
In such a locality TO make II sickly. Once New
York was reported the most unhealthy place In the |
world; Boston was full Of disease; Rochester and |
Buffalo the natural locality for fever and ague then
Chicago and other Northwestern cities had to have