Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-23

he the same extent do we precipitate II
th water on those below. So this Of itse
will not do, but at the same time, it cor
,h tains q germ worth retaining.
is Now having shown, and many in
IN stances seen, not only in the case Of tn
III Mississippi and other rivers, but eve
NJ small creeks in plantations, that by max
a ing cut-offs or Strengthening, we not onl.
le increase the current passing Of Of create
.e quantities of water in less time, but con
is filming and gradually deepening the chan
Il nels, until finally their banks have cease,
o to overflow, thus reclaiming lands tina
q never could have been reclaimed Will
h crooked creeks, their bends full of slacl
e water with banks under water and bot
T. toms at the same time filling up, at the
! very time they should have been max
e ing out.
e With these lights, showing that by a
, system of cut-offs we can relieve the
I upper and middle sections, say from
) Cairo TO Memphis as The upper section,
} and from Memphis to Natchez as the
, middle section, to the extent Of say ten
or twelve feet; but this would precipitate
, the water on the lower section from
Natchez to New Orleans and overflow
the entire country.
But if we can precipitate she water
from this lower section into the Gulf OF
Mexico, by making in the first place this
grand cutoff Of one hundred and twenty
i've miles below the city, as has been
shown, do We not then relieve the lower
section rs we have the upper and middle
sections? thus forming rs it were a grand
( vacuum Of from fourteen to sixteen feet
/ 10 drop the water from above, into which,
/ by this system of cut-ofis, viii shorten
. the river fully two hundred miles from
Natchez to Cairo and in all, over three
hundred miles, one-fourth of the distance
from the mouth Of the river to Cairo; /
and as the fall Of the river is estimated /
at four inches to the mile, this would give .
an increased fall Of one hundred feet, I
thus giving a fall of five hundred feet
for a river nine hundred miles long, in
stead Of a fall of four hundred feet, and .
a river twelve hundred miles long-the
present distance from the mouth of the
river to Cairo.
This would increase the current fully
one-fourth over the present rate, or in
other words, during high water we would
have current Of at least seven miles
per hour instead of a current Of five
miles per hour as now, and in low water
a current of five miles per hour instead
Of three miles per hour as now.
Further argument or illustration to
show the beneficial effects of this COM
bined system are deemed useless, but
great as these results may appear
would not stop there. 1 would 20 on
still increasing this grand lower vacuum !
with another system which would be
best termed the positive outlet system.
IN the first place, I would dam up Red
river near its junction with the Missis-
sppi river, below the Atchafalaya, at the
same time place in this dam large iron
lock, 50 that boats could pass through,
thereby not interfering with the channels !
Of commerce between that section and I
New Orleans.
This would throw the waters Of Red
river, Ouachita, and all their tributaries, q
down the Atchafalaya through Berwicks J
Bay, harmlessly into the Gulf Of Mexico.
Then all the outlets, both natural and !
artificial, from near the mouth Of Red C
river on the west bank Of the Mississippi [
liver to Pine Bluff Ark, could be
opened, small streams Strengthened, and a
heir banks leveed, thus opening a J
borough system Of drainage through that
-ast country, embracing the largest and
'est part Of the State Of Louisiana, and e
arge portion Of the State Of Arkansas. 7
At the same time, with these positive
outlets drawing large quantities of water
rom the Mississippi, never to return.
This appears TO me 10 be the only plan
" which this great valley-the cotton
ield of America-can ever be e56eiUuHy
,eclaimed from the annual floods Of the
river.
Let this be done and there will be no
more use for expensive and uncertain
evees. The water at first win not rise
" ten feet as high as it now rises.
The banks, with this Strengthened river A
,nd more rapid current, viii be more
hsn ample TO hold and pass of the water,
md every year we will find them moro
ample for, as already shown, the river F
sill gradually deepen by constant and
perpetual washing out with increased
.urrent
This whole thing can be accomplished
II less than six years; aud with not only
40 expense or cost to the State or Ma
ional Government, or to individuals, but g
profit to all. Y
To accomplish this chartered COM b
lany, with banking privileges, with il
'apital Of say fifty million dollars viii
nave to be organized. Legislation, both
State and National, win probably be
necessary to make the proper grants for
he right of way, and all needful
'hauges in rivers, bayous, etc, in order
% carry out the above plan.
The company must have the right 10
'ollert a revenue tax from all vessels
and clearing at the port of
New Orleans, through the proposed canal
1r river, not to exceed half what it now
,osts vessels to enter and clear. The COM
lany relieving the vessels from all ex-
Dense for towage and pilotage.
This tax should he so regulated in |
lecades as to decrease, say in a term of !
ifty years, to only be selfsustaining. /
The tax on the canal and locks con-
Meeting the waters Of the Great Lakes
with the Mississippi river, and that of
.helocks at the mouth Of Red river,
should only be selfsus,ainiAg.
The idea Is TO relieve commerce, as far
as possible, from all tax.
As an inducemcnt for men TO under
take SO stupendous an enterprise, the
must have other resources
and nothing offers SO positive a guar
anty as the power 10 levee tax on all
the bottom lands in the States of Louisi-
ana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri.
They should have the power to collect a
IA Vi NV NiNAAeAAo NNA AN bAA eAAl AAAAAAlo
and belonging to individuals
which cost them the Government price
Of one dollar and twenty-five cents per
acre, to be paid in five consecutive years,
to begin only after it was clearly proven
that this company had efIectuaily re-
claimed such lands from overflow, on
the same condition to have one-baf Of
all the swamp lands belonging to indi-
which was purchased by them
from the States or National Government
at a price less than one dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre.
An the unsold swamp lands in the four
States above named, effected by the
Mississippi river and its tributaries.
To tax all lands improved in the same
at the rate often dollars per acre, to be
paid in ten annual payments, ss in the
case OF the unimpreved lands.
In order to get this company up, when
the necessary grants are being msdS by