The New York herald., 1867-02-14


Between four and FIVE hundred delegates
were present on the first day Of the River I'm
provement Convention at st. Louis on the 18th
of February. Only eleven States appear to
be represented at this convention; but the
whole nation Is interested in its objects.
The area drained by the Mississippi and its
tributaries includes a vast portion Of the
interior Of North America. II is limited above
by the high lands in which rise the Red river
of the North the Assiniborn and the Saskatche-
wan tributaries of Hudsons Bay and the
Arctic Ocean and the waters that flow into the
lakes Of British America; ON one side by the
western slopes Of the Alleghaniss, and on the
other by the eastern slopes of the Rocky
Mountains, and below by the Gulf Of Mexico,
into whi ch pours the whole system of rivers,
uniting IN one main channel. The areas of
drainage Of the principal branches Of the
Mississippi-the Missouri, the Ohio, the Upper
Mississippi, the Arkansas and the Red river
have been computed by Elicit to be LBS 200
square miles, and the total area of the Missis-
sippi above the mouth of the Red river
l,226,6o0. The entire length Of the Mississippi
from Its source in the Hauteurs de Terre to
the Gulf Is 1855 miles; but its main branch,
the Missouri, which runs 5000 miles before
uniting with it, is in all, from its source in the
Rocky Mountains to the Gulf, 4,5O6 miles long
the longest river in the world. The amount of
wealth which has already found an outlet in
these Western waters is almost incredible;
but we can scarcely begin to imagine how in
calculable it must hereafter become. Imme-
diate measures to improve the facilities for
commerce-and, in the first place, to remove
the Instructions to commerce-on the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries are Of urgent i'm
portance.
Not only is a vigorous and systematic war
to be waged against those well known
old enemies Of Mississippi boatmen-the
snags and sawyers and drift material or
"raft" together with the shifting sand and sed-
iment that bar the channels and border the
long coast of the delta, but new class of OBJ
structions, created during our late civil con-
test, must be attacked. Not long ago vaIua-
BILE steamer was lost near Memphis, with its
cargo and many precious lives, in consequence
Of striking against the submerged wrecks of
the rebel feet More than one steamer and
gunboat and fire raft went down with its
federal or Confederate flag and still lies
embedded in the mud of the Mississippi.
These wrecks and the remnants Of the
battered defensive works of the rebels at
different points along the river must be re-
moved. The levees, which were neglected
during the war and for long miles were swept
away by floods which have covered millions Of
fertile acres admirably adapted to the cultiva-
ton of cotton or Of sugar, must be restored.
Stronger and higher levecs must be constructed
in lower Louisiana. In this kind Of "recon-
struction"-tbe reconstruction Of the levees-
South and North may surely cooperate with
hearty good will. The cutoff at vicksburg
might be advantageously deepened, although
additional cut-oos in the upper part Of the river
and its branches should be prohibited
for obvious reasons. The channels of the
Atchafalaya and the Bayou Plaquemine should
be enlarged. An outlet Of the greatest possible
capacity from the Mississippi to the head Of
Lake Borgne should bo formed, with o view
Of converting this ultimately into the main
channel of the river. Extensive reservoirs
might be formed by placing dams across, with
apertures sufficient for their uniform discharge,
SO Is to retain portion Of the water till the
floods have subsided below, and thus in part
compensate for the loss Of the natural reser-
voirs destroyed by the levees, improve the
navigation Of the tributaries and proportion
ally abate the violence of the floods below.
In short, whatever experience and due delber-
alton may suggest as indispensable and prac-
ticable in the way Of improving the Mississippi
and It's tributaries should be determined upon
and DONE No doubt the deliberations of the
convention will result in an application to
Congress for such appropriations as may be
requisite to effect the river improvements
which are contemplated. These appropria-
tons should be literally made, inasmuch as
the sums needed for the purpose would form
too heavy burden for the States lying along
the course Of the Mississippi and as 1t is but
just that the nation should share the expense
Of works Of so great national Importance and
advantage.