The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-05-31
The MississippI River.

The list number of the North Ameri
can Review cofltains most valuable
article, based on, the report of Captain
Humphreys and Lieut.. Abbott, Of the
Typographical Engineers, on the Phys
les and Hydraulics Of the Mississ ppi
River. The Journal of Commerce thu
states some OF the facts named in the
article:
"The first great fact brought forward
is that the ailuvlal plain Of the Missis.
sipPi, on its two sides, is mostly below the
level OF the floods, sloping ID ftosn the
river banks where the principal deposit Of
soil is made by the oyerilows. At Colam-
bus thc river 10 1,z40 feet vide, and here
the first high point, below the OHIO, oe-.
ours; at Memphis tl1e river is 1850 feet
vide. n vicksburg 1860, st Natchez A..
Sat, while il is . remarkable fact that
nearer the mouth, from Bayou In Fourche
TO Fort s.. Philip, the low water width is
only 1880 feet. Twenty miles below Fort
81. Philip it widens TO I 900 and 5000
feet, and then divides into three great
passes. The great problem Of reguiat-
ing the Cow Of this vast stream, proyid-
ing guards for the farms on its banks
against ovsrfows, and % controlling the
current and direction Of the river as not
to injure one section of country while
brnehtsing another, is the principal OBJ
ject Of the investigation which had Led to
this report. The various systcms Of reser-
voirs, cut-offs, canals and smbaNkmsuts,
are thoroughly discussed. and the conclu-
sion arrived at is in favor Of the latter as
the only really practicable and certain de-
fence Of the ands against foods.
The river is described as canal, run
ming through bed of hard blue clay,
almost as enduring as stone. Hence tile
channel does not change as do. other
streA,ns resembling this, but it, renal us
almost the same, unless when a cut OIL is
made through neck. ltthus seems that
the river is vast natural trench: into
which forever Hows the streams from the
Rocky Mountains and the Alleghanies;
aRa this entire Aaw Is rsrricd ON with atl
its sediment, depositing nothing except
in times of overflow, and sweeps to the
guilt, leaving always the same cicarsck.y
bottom, and clay and sand sides to the
great canal. ..s. ssa I'll s=s 4
The tides in the Mississippi are felt as
far Mp a. He'd River landing, .IG milas
from the mouth. At Baton Rouge the
:. mean tide 10 twe.tenths of foot. Fhe
tide in the Gulf is but one loot and two-
tenths, yet this preceptible effect = pro
20 analss ptAe rive in ia aAhArJyj
March and October. The river is above
mid-wstcr stags from the iast Of pecen.
Der ill July, and bslow il the rsss-of the
year. The sres of the Mississippi vslley
,225S, $50 square miles. csas .ass Je.tii,
FIJI Of rain in shis valley y abent "a, 4D0r
: GOO. .U06, 900 cubic feet. The Miai6sip.
rpi disehsrses ansnally ,lDs 700, 900 690,-
900 cubic feet, Or about one quarter d
the amosnt which falls from the clouds
The report Seems % setas rest the ide,
! that IN arm Of the sca once extended ii
4 TO the nouth OF the Chic, of 70 that poin
y belos the Ohio : where lhe t6rfaoas chsr
sctsr % the Fivsf bssinG TIE pfoh1bilit,
Il thst Ahesin0Alh uas one = . esnee
Plaqusmins, 220 miles up the atream.-