, 1859-05-12

Tie present food in the Lower Mississippi
has bccn attended by phenomenon that well
deserves tic attention Of scientific men. 1t is
that while the water from 1'icksburg down has
bren higher than it was in 1855, tie height Of
the lnud III the section between Cairo and Men,
phs las not been up to the point attained by
the Hood Of Isis, By sevcra! feet; und this al
Though all the rise came into the river from
tributaries ut or above Cairo. The New Orleans
rt.HYune thus states the iucts, and ventures n
theory:
The prominent fact, which cannot fail to in
cite inquiry, is that from no point from Cairo 10
Memphis l!as tile river this stusou attained un
elevation equal TO the hight Of water recorded
III ISIS, while from Princetown to this point the
water ranges from nineteen aud hall to four
inches above tile flood marks Of that yeur. At
Princeton. Lake Providence, and other interme
diatc points, the water Is above ttr known
marks Of the last flood. Yet the Arkansas has
contributed less than in 1865 to the volume Of
water which swels the Mississippi, and coin
1,9ratirxly no creyassrs are recorded until we
reach tho outlets in the great 1azoo valley. Be-
lnw the first Of these outlets The remarkable
food ofthi. season really commences.
1t Yicksbur!. the elevation is 1T inches
al1nse the highest point reached in 1>je. At
Natchcz tile height is several inches above that
recorded in the great flood Of LIS. Twenty
five miles below that CITY, large scction Of
river lands are now under water, that lluyc cs-
capped uil inuntution since that memorable year:
At the mouth Of tue Red, at Katon Rouge and
even here in New Orleans. the water is above
the highest record Of 1858. Yet, rs We Leave
Princeton, We come into the region Of crevasses.
Just below Nicksbnr1 the White crcvnsse is
about half mile in width. Indeed, between
Princeton and Nutclez the flood has wrought
great Icstruction-1le river being in some
points not far from fifty miles in width.
Now, il the drawing off Of water in immense
Il ~. utt,o ,+F,
Of the river either above or below the point Of
outlet, why is it that from Cairo down to Mem
phiS, where the rircr bed has carried nearly all
it, water. the river has not attained ut any point
tie height OF 1858, by si1 aud half inches,
willie i'll the region oil unprecedented creyasses,
and along the whole line Of the river below it aas
risrn MANY inches above any lately recorded
flood:
II d"cs not answer the question to say that a
greater quantity Of water has been poured into
ti,e Mississippi below Princeton, this yeur. than
III lo.o. such il not the fact. The Arkansas
has not BEEN dangerously high during this sea
son. The he'd River has contributed very little
tu our present flood The Yazoo has not risen
alluyr the height recorded last year. Still We
parishes in Louisiana, and along tue whole
river line Of Mississippi, while in the extreme
lnwtr valley We find tile elevation Of tue riycr
dangerous and uncxanpled.
The river this wear las poured over the banks
at the luwer part Of AIgiers, where no ltsec
l.ss ever beeu built, and uunc ever bclore been
l,-rde1.
TIE facts this year recorded Of tile bar Of the
Mississippi :l,u are suggestive. While the wa
Ter 1T IL low stage Of the river spread over the
large SURFACE between and near the pasScs, the
bar became impossible, but rs soon as it rose
:i"ve - as to give the nlass Of the river water
Il a@re:ter velocity, twcnty-one feet could be ob-
nari@ati"n had been the most difficult, but
where thr current WAS the most rapid, became
tie easiest pas for entrance oreyress.
Is it nut plain, ,hat the waters of this river
are d;llu>rd, the velocity Of the current is
changed, deposits commence, mud the plane ot
f':c river suri;lce is raised: Does it not fullow
that eontinin. the river within its own bed, i'll
crrasiug the 4uantii~ ef matter, increases the
vcloc;ty and Eccps down tle p1ne Of the rivers
sultlce.'