Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1868-06-11
Communicated
BAroN RousE June 9th, 1868.

| ICommrnicafed
BAroN Rnusx June 9th, 1858.
rprsoa 0sssSrE And OMIT:
/ Dear Sir - In late NUM- Der OF the New
| Orleans Times, / observe u comnu nica,i. n
from u. W r. Bsyle Eco. in sn.wer to
mine which was published in Your journal
Of the lAth uIsimo. M. Bayley UNDER
takes to disprove my assertion that the
height Of the high water line OF the
mississippi River 1t the point of the
Bayou Manchac IL 81 feet, aud hat of the
| low water mark, "a feet, by svering that
made an erroneous apple ton of the
figures Quoted by Mr.. b ylsy) from
! Messrs. Humphrey d Abbott's U. 4. Sur
vsy Report on he Mis-issippi River.
Nov, sir, notice the evasion manifested
BY Mr. BayIey. In his communication to
| the Times Of tho ~, ult !. he statss. &C.
coFdirR to Humphre, d AbhotL's Rsl ort'
that the height OF the high wster line OF
| the River NJ Baton Rouge. ~ 33v-lO feet
| above the Cult level, aud that If the low
water mark, . 8 10 shove said level. They
give go 1000 iest NJ he speed Of the cur
| tent st high water sud 0 034 1000 feel Vt
low water. From these data | made m,
eAlculatiogs, which sgres with the ngursr
| above given.
Now, Mr.. Bayley says that those figures
sre erro lsourly nsed Ia these calculations
Dc says. moreover. that ths fall, per mile.
Of water surface, il l.s-t near the mouth
OF the River aud Il increases ~ we a.osn. !.
From Fors 81. Philip TO the head Of the
Passes, b. places tho average fall per mile
~ high wstsr, 1t l.l6 feet and 0 035-l00
ss low water. do mot doubt nor do
dispute the correctness Of this statement,
but $1,000 Of foot per milo, would be no
near slsck water Is to render impsrcsptbls
the current OF the River.
Mr.. Bsylsy takes the Red River mark a.
. criterion 70 show that, descending the
Aissi.sip. ! from Red River Landing, the
average tall per mile At high water is
~ 1000 feet, aud vi low water, "a 1000 feet
per mile. Notice the psrversion OF the
situation apparent in these statements,
which are 10 Disconnected that neither
nor any other man could base proper
ejaculation u, on. Heretofore. 81 1000 feet
sre used between Baton Rouge aud the
Gulf, and in high water %. 1000 feet used
In the same way, which gave me the result
! have stated. But, now Mr.. Bayley shifts
this to Rcd River and makes the current
st Baton Rouge, II not slug nant water, ut
lssst very near it.
Happily tor me, have other authorities
equally NJ correct ~ Messrs. Humphrey d
Abbott; aid,iiN:
Principles If Gsology, by Lyell, page
2eA. 1.-The velocity vi the current al the
surface somewhat exceeds IN miles IN
hour. when snS water Ia vt mean height
For 800 miles above New Orleans, the dis
tancs measured by the winding river, is |
sb"ut twice ~ great as the distance in n
rig ht line. For the frat 100 miles from the |
mouth Of the M rri-sippi, the ratio of tall
Ia l.s-lO inches per mile; for the second |
lUO miller, " is 2 inchor; for the third luO |
miles, . 90 and for the fourth 100 ni.er
9.57 inches"
Nov, we can solve tbis in o nut she'll |
Bear in mind that tbs water, at average |
point, mean surface Of River, is--
LIST 100 miles, ! 8-Iu ! che. per mi.s. xives Is
is,t height sbnve tie dull.
ID TO miles. Observation-Disclosures. l6 Git |
ia 100 only wanting D. miles, giyeo........ yos
Total average Gu rent. .............4l .46
Let MS now refer TO the statement given
by me to you, on the l4th ult l there
ssid that the River ut the mouth of ths
Manchac is 81 feet high water mark above
the level Of tbs Gulf. Now what il the
average fail Of tie nverl sox2s-S0 total
Divide that by . and We have ~ iset aver
age, which agrees, within / font, with tn.
RAPPORT OF Mr.. Z Il F"r-hey, who WAS
State 0eoIrgi-t IN lS4s, and who by MI
order Of the Governor OF Loui.isn. VIVA
,alled to examine the mississippi River.
! would not ttoubIs you with thi.
sngthy explanation, were it not tha. am
,cting in seli-detsuce and endeavor,ng to
% curtsct In my premises aid deductions.
Mr.. Bsyley gives the reports and cpin-
ions Of PROFESSIONAL men who are opposed
o the opening Of the Bayou Manchac
mones. other authorities be ci.ss the
,pini. ofMr. Woodbridge, now decss.edl
, no occupied, many year. since, the post
ion Of State Engineer. With all due def