Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-01-26
ANOTHER WORD Oh WARNING
The SandbarS and Cul-OiIs
Threatening Memphis.
few Words TO tIlG City Fathers
and People Generally.

At the request Of a numbered citizens,
who in common with the majority feel
r interested in this matter, we publish the
following important communication
To our City Fathers:
The writer would most respectfully
call your attention to the subjects in con-
nectiOn with the vital interests and
growing prosperity of our giant young
city, and submit for your calm refeetion
! and consideration few wholesome sug-
gestiOns.
No doubt many if not all Of your hon
orable body have frequently at times
which commands a magnificent view of
our noble river for many miles above
and below, and have not failed to note
the huge, ungainly sandbar that mars
the view and Obstructs our navigation,
| which has been forming in front Of our
city for several years past, making out
for miles along the Arkansas shore
/ into the middle Of the Mississippi
river, and now becoming a perfect
" eve sore to every observer, and
which certainly fOTbOdes no good
to our future prospects as great
commercial emporium aBd has not
! the question invOiuntarily come up:
| Cannot something be done? and should
! not something be speedily done 10 change
/ the current Of the river, so as to sweep
/ away this ugly obstruction more par
/ ticuiarly as the said obstruction forces
| the current over upon our shore with re-
sistless fury, causing corresponding cut
| ting away Of the batture property, which
I has formed there many years since, and
/ has now become to be a most valuable
/ addition to the city property. This en-
| croachment Of the mighty river, if not
/ by some means speedily aGss ssted by some
action on your part, must ultimately
| sweep away into the relentless current Of
/ the river our present most valuable navy
yard property, together with its build
! ings, that has been so generously do
mated 10 us by our general government,
and with it. also, all that valuable prop
erty on the bottom south Of it, with its
valuable improvements. The property
/ Of our citizens, all worth, in the aggre-
! gate, several million of dollars, and then
our valuable stone wharf, put down at
| immense expense; all this valuable
property is doomed to sure and inevitable
/ destruction il some giant effort is not put
/ forth TO divert its threatened fate by
/ those who hold the destiny of our city
n in the hollow OF their bands.n VIII
I they not step forward and rescue US
from so great a calamity? We trust
I they will
This is but one consideration involved
| in this subject there are several others
that claim our attention. The next is
of even more serious moment, viz is
/ there not serious cause to appTehend that
/ if the current of the river snot changed
materially, for several miles above here,
[ may not our city in course of time land
/ that not many years hencel be left three
/ or four miles away from navigation, and
/ become comparatively an inland city,
| bv the current during repeated over
/ flows, and in consequent of the swift and
/ impetuOus current rushing past Mound
/ CITY or into the bend below, which is
cutting away the land in the bend at a
| fearful rate, having years since cut away
/ the military road which once acted as a
( barrier to its encrOaChment. There is
nothing now to prevent its rushing across
/ the little neck Of land, through the four
mile bayou, into the bend Of the river,
/ three or four miles below the
city, which here makes up in
nOrtherly direction. Let any one
/ from any point on the bluff in
I front of the city, notice, if possible, the
! course of any two steamers-the one as
cending, the other descending the riv-
er-by the smoke from their Chimneys,
as they course through the opposite
/ bends above and below the city, and
/ they will notice that they approach fear
! fully near each other, and that the dis
tance is becoming gradually shorter
each year Of our lives, and must event
ually come together if something is not
done TO arrest IL, and leavB our city high
and dry, with maybe dead lake similar
to Horn lake, or, perhaps eventually,
broad mud or sand bar intervening be-
tween our enterprising city and the then
Mississippi river, thus placing US IN the
sad predicament that Gen. Grant sought
to place the city Of NiCksburg some
three and half years since, during the
rebellion and famous siege OF that city.
This is no idle conjecture, but such a
| freak as has been frequently played by
! the great and mighty but no less tickle
stream that flows past our doors. And
| il such is the case, are we moi, as it were,
| sleeping over a volcano ready, as it is,
/ 10 burst loose upon US at any moment?
" A word 10 the wise is sufficient"
There is yet another important con-
I sideratiOn to be thought OF IN connection
with this subject. j is this.
Within twelve months from this time
! our great Little Rock railroad link in
LllE ktEAL uLAlAI AtAAAAfeAtA W AtAAAAtA AAAa
will no doubt be completed 10 the OppO-
site bank Of the river, and we will want
/ a clear, open river between oar central
/ landing and H0peiield, Arb, drcof, and
1 free from any distractions of any kind
/ whatever, so as to make the break in the
/ line Of road as short as possible without
diverging up 10 the point above Men,
phis, or 70 Mound City.
+ Here also is destined in time to be the
l Termination of the great Memphis aud
/ st. Louis railroad. Being thus the de-
Dot and termination Of these two great
| lines Of trade and travel, We should have
| easy aocess 20 the same and guard its
I approaches.
In view of the above suggestions, will
/ not our venerable city fathers deem II
Of sufficient Importance to appoint a Sc
/ Iect committee Of Old reliable and eXpe-
rieneed steamboat Captains and pilots,
/ who, in connection with two or three
good, substantial civil engineers, could
! be instructed to make a complete and
careful survey OF the river from here
up to Cairo, II necessary, and see If
| some change cannot be effected ia the
I current Of the river, whereby the cham
mel can be brought on this side Of the
river. between the odd Hen " and the
! Tennessee shore, so as TO cut away the
| bar in front OF Us, and also stop the cav
/ ing and cutting away over in the bend
| in Arkansas, above the pointg That
[ this can be done by scientific ap
| pliances. does not admit of a doubt
either by cut-ofis, or by breakwatens,
cut or put in the proper position above
] here. at some Stated point. Let this
committee make careful examination
/ and report, and let our worthy mayor
/ and aldermen act accordingly j have
/ understood that Intermediate between
/ here and Randolph, there is long bend.
/ probably twenty-five or thirty miles
around, and may be only one and half
miles across. This bend is called Dew
/ IFS Elbow" 1t may be possible, If this
cutoff were made, the change in the
/ current between here and there would be
sufficient to accOmpgsh this end if SO,
I two objects will hava cen accomplished,
I the land around the bend will be made
higher OF better drained and there will
I be two or three hours saved in steamboat
! travel, beaides accomplishing our own
object. Let the matter by ell means be
/ investigated and reported, if not imnie-
diately acted upon.
It may be urged by our worthy guar
dians that our city finances are too much
depleted to pay the expenses of such 3
committee as proposed, al the present
time; but is not delay dangerous
Would any strict business man having
sueh heavy interests at stake not act
promptly and at once What man of
common sense who had discovered that
his house was on fire would stop to
coollv calculate the expense Of eKtin-
gushing the flames 3 or what sea captain
would. ii his vessel had sprung leak,
4- .-+5~,afa fine pWu4nea ~ rarasr