Gazette and sentinel., 1860-03-17
The Outlets of the Mississippi River.


Through what channels DO the mighty
floods of the Father of Waters pass into
the Gulf Of Mexice2 From the follow
ing remarkable facts, which We extract
from the Memphis (Tenn.) Avalanch, it
would seem that its subterranean out
let's far exceed those which are visible 4:
THE difference of level between high
and low water mark at GARY is 80 feet.
The width and depth Of the river from
Cairo aud Memphis to New Orleans is
not materially increased, yet immense
additions are made to the quantity of
water in the channel by large streams
from both the eastern and western sides
of the Mississippi. The question natu-
rally arises, what becomes of the vast
volume of water 1t certainly never
reaches New Orleans, and as certainly
does not e~vaporatc; and, Of course, it is
not confined 10 the channel OF the river,
for it would rise far above the entire re-
gion south of Us.
If "a we'll is sunk anywhere in the
Arkansas bottom water is found as soon
as the water level Of the Mississippi is
reached. When the Mississippi goes
down the water sinks accordingly i'll the
well. The owner Of a saw mill some
twenty miles from the Mississippi III Ar
kansas, dug a well to supply the boilers
of the engine during the late nood.--
When the waters receded his we'll went
down until his hose would no longer
reachthc water, and finally his well was
dry. He dug a ditch to an adjacent lake
To let the water into his well. The lake
was drained, and the well was dry again.
having literally drank ten acres Of wa
ter in less than a week. The Inference
is hat the whole valley Of the Missis-
sippi, from its banks to the highlands,
on either side, rests on a porous sub
stratum, which abSorbS the redundant
waters, and thus prevents that degree
OF accumulation which would long since
have swept New Orleans into the Gulf
but for the provision OF nature, to which.
alone, her safety is attributable. In
fact, If the ~alluvial bottom Of the Mis-
siSsippi We're like the shores of the Ohio.
the vast plain from Cairo to New Or
leans would to-day be part and parcel Of
the Gulf of Mexico, and the whole val
ley a trcsh-watcr arm of the sea. Were
the geological character Of the valley
different the construction OF lcvces. con-
timing the wastes Of the Mississippi To
its channel. would cause the rise il the
- VOL. m In.s.ran sa -f-a. ~ rhA -L..l
that sufficient levees could not be built.
The current would be~strongcr, and the
accumulation OF water greater, as the
lcvees were extended north Of us.
such results were reasonably enough
anticipated; but the water, instead of
breaking the ~lcvees, permeateS the DO
rous soil and the overflow is really be-
meath the surface of the swamps. Such.
it seems to us, are the wise provisions of
natural laws for the safety and ultimate |
reclamation of the rich country south Of
us. We believe that the levee system
will be successful'and that the object of
its adoption will be attained. Tie DO
rousness of the materials used in making
them has caused most il not all the ere
vases. Men may deem it 4 sapcrhuman
task TO wall in the Mississippi from
Cairo to New Orleans. but our leyecs are
the works Of pigmies when contrastcd
with the dikcs of Holland. The food
tide OF the Mississippi is but a ripple on
the surface Of a CLASSY pool compared
with the ocean pillows that dash against
the artificial shores of Holland. The
country to be reclaimed by our levees-
Of which will not for fifty years cost
the people as much as those of the
when originally Juilt-would
make a hundred OF such kingdoms as
over which a Bonaparte once WELD
ed the scepter."