Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-02-26
aaiIp dnion &5ultritml
Facts about the RIississippi.

A work has recently been issued from the press,
entitled Irineiples and Psrciiess Of Enchanting
Lands from River Floods, as applied to the Levess
Of the Mississippi by William HeWscn, Civil EDgF
esr.n We have not seen the work, bat our cOteu
porary Of che Memphis appeal, has condensed tn'
following Interesting facts from its pages;
The average fall Of the Mississippi river for tue
whole distance from the Calf Of Me1i,o to the con
huenee Of the Ohio at Cairo duFibg iOS "Stei'
verv nearly three inches TO the mi'e.
narr0 he anod the Mississippi rises 81 Cairo nj
A. feet. Al FriAr's Point foriy-tWe and hall fee
A. New Orleans twelve feet The average isli per
mile is then, three and balf inches.
Al Cairo the Mississippi is upwards OF mile vide;
- Esv Orleans its width is bat half mile Ihi'
Increasing down Of The stream lie accompanied by
eo,respoodipg rapiGity and deepening.
The observations Of engineers has estsblishe the
fast that inferior streams, running into main river
rstber Siden ror raise it; they quicken the
and deepen the channel The retention Of flood wa
trr within the ordinary channel by levee, viii have
similar eects-he depth Of the river viii be incress
al. the velocity Of he streams, will be MORE rapid,
but there will not be direct consequence, any ell
ovation Of he level
The Mississippi is shown, by Sir C. Lyele, 70 car
" earth below New Orleans to the amount each year
Of hundred and thirty millions of cubic yards
As q consequence Of the above, new land is contin
uslly forming at the mouth Of the Mississippi. MT.
Rogers, in his report the geology of North Amer
ics says that, example Of the rate at which this
formation is proceeding, the old Balze erected at
tho mouth Of the river about IVA in 1884, two
miles above it There BSt at that ne the small
est appearance of the Island on which, foi ty-:Wo
years after Ulloa caused barracks 10 be raised for
pilots and now known as the New Balize. The rate
Of advance has been ninety-six feet year. LeVee-
ing is known especially By the example of the Pc, 10
forwardthe rate Of this advance.
Every three inches Of elevation Of the water at New
lesns represents elevation at Cairo Of twelve and
shalt inches The rate Of fall from New Orlesns to the
sea- is about an inch and half per mile; tbe efore,
an advance of the mOu a. quicker rate, in con-
sequence Of leveeiBg WoIld give, judging BY the
a It's in relation 10 the kiVer Pc, sdvaLcs, in
hundred years. Of tbs mouth into the Gulf of Mexico
Of four and a third miles. This would cause sd
iiiooal elevation Of six and hafnches TO the osd
level at New Orleans, Of tWeDty-three inches a.
Friar's Point aud Of twenty-sevsn inches al Csiro
Thesurface Ofthe elevation Of the bed the river
from levelling has been made CRATE bugbeGr, but
when the few facts known in the subjected tC
examination only such planters take very active
interest in their great grand Children, will be roub
led about the fact, that the work Of retaining tbs
magnificent wastes Of the Mississippi will cause rise
in the bed ofthe river of less than third of incl
year
The evil arising from extension of land at thu
month of the river can be neuralized by conhnlne
The flow Of the terminus Of the stream 10 one outlet
l.y thistle bars at the mouth would be occurred out
and the deposit Of earthly particles made further on
vt sea than at present. that the Gulf stream would
carry them completely away. system of cut offs
bv which the river would be greately strengthened
would be highly dangerous, by causing great 40
celebration Of the sm; the rapid current would
wash away the banks, and immense spaces OF country
would be reduced, by the escape Of the waters, tC
swsmps and lsEoons.