New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-26

5to % feet el. with tile interruption, from
the lands on s .l4s, below New-Orleans, along the
ch,,,rel Of th. ,er to the boundaries Of Tennessee
and Missouri.
Tie system, nc 20 ils origin, was purely sell
i.h one. Fac .cr provided for his individual pro-
lection. Ifb. i-od be could drain the water from
III, own place throw it on the lands below or by
closing d bayo rolld reclaim additional acres, the
thing was do tlout reference 10 the effect II
,ni,hthss on OBJ. country lower down the stream.
Much damage bus done by shortening the chan
rel ofths rive Jr closing some OF its natural out
lets 10 the sea.
The legslat the States along the Mississippi
la, Teen little M tlau the individual action. Inc
cnactments ..+l more upon the comparative
strength of n, .-- e. TO be benefited and injured
than upon any established plan for the con'Tol
OF the waters. cr aJ.hority of law, the ehanhei
of the river wa cnea by the construction OF cuts
acros, the ma ccks formed by the great DehuS
80 frequent in OLA. course of the stream. Bayous'
winch led from main channel of the river to the
gulf forming DID, eudont outlets or mouths, were
closed and the .itr forced into one channel which
was unable TO Pre-, il to the sea.
Before the va therec e, the Father Of Waters
.ogr,t TO cont. l, floods. During the war, when
labor that had been forced to the task day and night
and which at times was able to grapple successfully
with tls elcme s was .thdTdwn, the waters swept
away the leyee 20 Morganzia, West Baton Rouge az
Can,'s and d, Robe.son's plantation, and az other
points both above aui below the mouth OF the Red
RIVER ana inu I-'ed thc country west of the Misss-
sipp. from Molpauzo to Bcrwick's Bay.
A. attempt va made during last Winter to rebuild
these broken embellishments. Under the combined eff
lart. OF the State authorities of Louisiana and the
Wa Department 0l Washington, large number Of
lalorcrs were employed. and the work had been SO
ar repaired that it believed to be sufficiently
strong to resist tie pressure Of the food. Many
planter, and mer ,-om the North, believing that these
l.-.,, would be REBUILT engaged in the cultivation
of Cine fertile lands in the Parishes Of Point Coupee
We, Baton Rouge. beryIe, LaiouTche, TeTebonne
and parts of Others that were overlooked last
vo1r Recent reports from Louisiana bring the sad
Intelligence taat a these newly-constructed lcvees
hIv, been swept away and that the water is rapidly
filing mp the sva ups and spreading over the whole
country driving the homeless inhabitants before IT,
l. is crave question for the consideration OF the
country whether Con ress should not undertake the
protection Of the whole delta Of the Mississippi agalns
overflow The present system, or rather want Of
system, seems tooo failure; and, unless some such
combination Of works as is suggested by Gen. Hum
parcy be adopted planting on the fertile ryer lands
must ever be precarious undertaking. with the
weight Of the chances largely against success. The
distinguished engineer who conducted the survey
referred % estimated the total cost Of works TO
protect the country from the Ohio TO the Gulf at S26
1000. The county thus reclaimed and protected
would easily bear tax Of an amount sufficient TO pay
the interest on this sum- to keep the works in repair
and finally, to lquidae the debt. This like all other
physical problems, must be capable Of determination
Tie water brought down the Mississippi is not in
finite. its quantity its velocity. its pressure, are
melsurable the hight and strength Of levees, and
the capacity Of outlet required to confne and dis
charge the annual floods brought down, are there
fore determnable measurements. To solve the
problem it is only necessary that competent super
intenlent, clothed with ample authority over every
portion Of the territory be protected, be charged
with The task so that the whole work may be carried
ON and completed in accordance with some we'll
established system.