Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-08-06

FOR TIE NASHVILLE usros AND AMERICAS.

FOR TIE NASHVILLE UNION AND AMERICAE.
The Mississippi River--Its LeVeos, &c., sc.
The late overflow of the Mississippi river, and
the destruction Of property in consequence, has
given rise to much speculation and many theories
to the best policy to prevent recurrence Of the
disaster 1t is proposed, by convention Of plan
ters at point, to give the levees more base and
increase the height; others believe by eut-Ofs
and Strengthening the stream the velocity Of the
current would be increased and thereby surplus
tiers would be carried Of. An agree general
levee system should be adopted, and more base and
height be given.
l have examined the subject with some care, and
from observation am satisfied the general system
of leveeing now adopted by the States on the bOr-
ders Of the river, viii be destructive Of the whole
planting interests on its banks.
For proper understanding Of the question, it is
important to loUk TO the river and its tributaries
The main stream rises in the 49h parallel Of lat>
tude and runs almost due south to the Gulf Of Mex
iOO in its passage receiving the waters east and
west from half the continent. The river at Saint
Louis, after the junction of the Missouri, is not
exceeding one half mile in width, and the only per-
ceptble difference is the change Of the color Of the
water After the junction Of the Ohio, the width
is not increased aud the average width Of the river
from thence to the mouth is but little over half
mile. The great allGvial plain Of the Mississippi
commences about fifty miles above the mouth of the
Ohio, and from thence to the Gulf is from an ave-
rage width Of 50 to so miles. This plain does not
commence until after the junction Of the Missouri.
The river from Cape Girrideau, or near the Grand
Tower, is much more recent, geOlOgically speaking
than the stream above. 1t is evident the country
lying north of the chain Of hills crossing the south
ern part of Illinois, the coast line Of the
sea that washed the southern shore The whole
country running west TO the Rocky Mountains,
bears the evidences Of it.. The wide extended prai-
ries and granite bouders lying scattered promis-
cuousIy ever tbero are ncJneslible evidences that
the country was ores submerged. The Cumberland
and Tennessee rVeTs, rising in what are now known
I as the Southern spurs of the AlleghaBies, and
bending as it we're, around and running in an op-
POsits direction from the Gulf, and in almost par
allel lines with each other, a west course, prove
that the country lying south Of them was more ele-
waited than it now Is, and that the outlets Of these
rivers were into the ocean of which the hills Of south
cru anu 4AzsOuAA W6E6 Allb CO1b liu5 IL
principle in hydrcslatics that water will always
/ seek level. The mighty changes of nature came,
and upheavals of the lands of the northwest con
sequently produced a subsidenoe in the South.
The waters in their passage burst through the chain
of hills before described. The lower Mississippi
/ was formed, the course of the Ohio was changed,
the continent was drained and the the country was
thereby prepared for the habitation of man.
1t is evident from an examination of the delta Of
the Mississippi that the subsidence was not sudden
but gradual. In exesvating the canal at New Or
leans, large cypress stumps were found, from six
to ten feet in diameter, of uniform height, the
body of the tree having roted of at the wafer line,
and they were found to be vertical over another
layer of stumps of the same species. We know
this class of tree grows in the swamp lands, the
roots of which rise above the water, by means Of
which the air is communicated and the life Of the
tree is sustained Whenever these roots, or knees,
as they are termed in common psrlanee, are sub
merged, the tree dies. The gradual deposits from
year to year filing the basins after the subsidence
had taken place, vegetation again sprang up, new
growth of trees filing the place of the old. This
system has been going on for cycles Of ages. With
sidenee has been Witnessed. In the winters Of 1911
and ~, large extent of country west Of New
Madrid sank to a considerable depth. So great was
the loss of lands, Congress passed law allowing
the owners who owned land in that district of
try to locate elsewhere, and these titles are now
known in the State Of Missouri as New Madrid
claims.
Such, believe to be the origin Of the Lower Mis-
sissippi River and its great auvial plain commeuc
ing fHty miles above the mouth of the Ohio anC
extending to the Gulf of Mexico.
From surveys it has been ascertained that thi
is about fifteen feet lower at the bluff than at th
bank of the stream This alluvial plain was fOrms'
by the gradual aocretOns from year to year. A
the river became confined to the channel By th
increased velocity Of the current caused BY subsi
dence Of the lands below, whenever the banks Wer
overfowed the heavier particles Of mud and SAINT
we're deposited, the lighter particles being caTrie
out into the broad plain, and hence the river pre-
sents the uniform appearance Of sn upward slop
from the bottom The surface Of the water has h
appearance of being on ridge; this slope is usually
from = to % miles in width. From Cape Gerideal
to the Gulf there are numerous outlets. Wheneye
any ordinary rise oesured these outlets wore In
channels By which the waters we're conveyed to tn
loWlands and the channel of the stream relieves
from the superabundant waters, the natural process
ofelevatiug the lands thus carried out BY mean
of the annual deposit.
In ordinary rises the heavier deposits by mean
of these channels we're carried out to the lowlands
or in extraordinary rises tended to the gradual ee
vstion Of the banks.
Nov this great process IN nature has been chang
ed Men seek to oonfine the mighty river and it
tributaries within channel not exceeding an aver
age with of Of a mile? The natural outlet or ba
sin Is ert off and the water confined to its ehanuel
this basin extending from 40 to so miles in Eidd
was not even suieient in ordinary rises to eontai
the water that was brought down BY the might
river and It's tributaries, this basin being Of a
average depth Of IS to 20 feet Yet it is contsnded
and that seriousy that the river can be confined b.
levees within its channel Laws have been passs