The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1859-09-28

The difference OF level between high and
low water at Caro- Il fifty feet. The width
and depth ofthe river from Cairo and Mem
phis 10 New Orleans 10 not materially in
creased, yet immense additions are made 10
the quantity Of the.water in the channel by
large streams from both the eastern and
western sides Of the Mississippi. The ques-
,ion naturally arises; what becomes Of this
vast volume Of watcri 1t certainly never
reaches New Orleans, and as certainly
does not evsporate, and OF course il is not
confined 10 the channel Of the river. for il
would rae far above the entire region south
OF us.
well i sunk anywhere in the Arksn-
sas bottom, water isfound as soon as the
water level Of the Mississippi is reached.
When tho Mississippi goes down. the water
sinks accordingly in the we'll The owner
of a saw mill, some twenty miles from the
Mississippi. in Arkansas, dug well to sup
ply the boilers Of his engine, during the
late food. When the waters receded, his
well went down ill bis hose would no lon
ger reach the wster, and finally his we'll
went dry. lie dug ditch 70 an adjacent
lake. to lei water into HE well; the lake wa.
drained and the we'll was dry again, having
literally drank ten acres OF water in less
thrn week.
The inference is ,hst the whole valley or
the Mississippi, from iis banks TO the high
Isnd4, on ei,hsr side, rests on porous stra-
ium which sbsorbs the redundant waters.
and thus prevents that degree OF accum-
ulation which would long since have swept
provision OF nature, TO which slone her ssfe-
~ il attributable. In fact, II the alluval
bottoms Of the Mississippi were like the
shores Of the Oaio. the vast plain fioin Cairo
10 New Orleans would to-day be part and
parcel or the Gulf Of Mexico, and the whole
valley fresh water arm Of the sea. Were
the geological character Of the valley dif.
fereni, the construction OF levees. combining
the water OF the Mississippi 10 its channels,
would csuse the rise in the riso 10 the river
TO besome so great at the South, that not
80 fficieni levres could be built. The cur.
rent would be stronger, and the accumsla-
,ion ofwater greater as the levees are exten
ded north OF us.
Such results were, reasonably enough an
I,icipa,ei; but il the water, instead OF break
ing the levees, permeates the porous coil
and the overflow - really beneath the sur
lace Of the swsmps Such, IL seems 10 Us.
are The wise provisions Of natural laws for
the safety and ultimate reclamation Of the
rich country south Of us. We believe thst
the levec system will be successful, and thar
the object Of its adoption will be obtained.
The porousness Of the materials used in
making them, has caused most il not all the
the crevasses. Men may deem il suprehu-
man task 70 wall in The Mississippi from
Cairo 10 New Orleans but our levees are The
work Of pigmies when contrasted with the
dykes OF Holland. The food tide OF the
Mississippi is but a ripple on the surface Of a
CLASSY pool compared with the ocean bill
lows that dash against the artificial shores
Of Holland. Tne country 10 be reclaimed
by our levees-all Of which viii not, for fifty
years cost the people as much az those OF
the Dutch when originally bult-would
make one hundred such kingdoms as that
over which Bonspsr,e once yielded the
sceplrc. Memphis Avalanche.
BRnwnLnw on DELICATE SUBJECT