Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-12-26
IMPROBABLE THEORIES.

| main exit IN the Oulf OF mexico, mas
always been theme of exhaustless
speculation to engineering minds.
But, amid the numerous theories
preached from time to time, to shape
its changing channels; to control its
currents and eddies to shorten its
magnificent distances" and to stay
its "moving accidents by food" not
one has ever resulted in anything
more than partial good or positive
evil. The theoriessof "outlets and
inlets," of "cut-ofs," Of channel-deep-
ening and bank protection, have each
had their ardent advocates and sup
porters, and, when tried, have still
been found wanting in their counter
acting effects against the will and
way Of the old "father of waters"
The Raccoarcl cut off, an expert
ment tried many years ago at Iunica
Bend by which distance Of some
thirty miles was saved in navigation,
while it benefited the riparian lands
above it, by relieving them of a pres
sure Of undermining currents, was dis
astrous to the lands below, by precip-
itating the force of that current d.
rectly against the shores, extending
the area of the caving banks and car
rying off acres upon acres of valu-
able plantations. This put a check
to any further experimenting on that
score.
During the administration of Presi-
dent Jackson, recourse was had to a
national expedient Of damming the
bayou Manchac at its point Of con-
fuence with the Mississippi. The
benefit resulting to the lands along
the bayou was counterbalanced by
the evils resulting to the river lands
below, by the closure, as was con-
tended, of an important outlet, add
ing thereby to the bulk of water
thrown against those lands. The re-
opening of the bayou was for a long
time a vexed question to the planters
in that vicinity, but the bayou re-
mains closed to this day. Similar
results are looked for by parties
who oppose the damming of bayou
Plaquemine at the town of Plaque
mine-a scheme which has been I'M
dertaken under the authority Of the
Police Jury of Iberville Parish, and
which is rapidly being completed.
The advocates of this scheme are the
same, we presume, who favor the
theory of damming the outlets of the
river or building continuous lines Of
levees along their banks as well as
along the entire alluvial banks Of the
Mississippi, with view Of confirming
its waters 50 as to accelerate the
current and by this means wash out
and deepen the channels and render
the river less liable to overflow.
We cite the above instances to
show, that no scheme tending to dis
turb the natural laws which regulate
SO great and powerful a stream as the
Mississippi is ever likely to subserve
universal good" In this as in many
other things in this world, "what is
one mans meat is another mans poi
SON"
While on this subject, we cannot
forbear inserting for the benefit of
"all whom it may concern, the follow
ing new proposition, which appeared
in late number of the St. Louis Re
publican
A resident of Memphis has ad.
dressed the Governor of Mississippi, |
recommending to his attention a
scheme for shortening the Mississippi |
River. The proposition is to lessen
the distance between Cairo and New
Orleans 300 miles, or to reduce it
from 1900 to 900 miles. The effect
would be to increase the current one
fourth, Or to give, for high water, a
4 ,o,r.r, IL, 800