The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-03

ID SCHEME OF ESeIxEERISe
from The New York Times

From the New York Times
At the last meeting Of the Connecticut Scientific
Academy, Gen. b. 8. Roberts, U. S. A., read re.
markabe paper on the hydraulics of the cont.
nent. He announced what we may style a very
large problem, but he soon set forth its merits
and its practicabity that its national importance
claims for its serious consideration. The general
undertook to show that the system of combining
the food waters OF the Mississippi river in one
narrow channel by dyking is obstructing the cres-
tive laws of delta bottoms and basins, and work.
ing the most serious evil by emptying into the
Gulf of Mexico the delta.formng material that
would, IL the waters were left free, spread them
selves over the low marshes and swsmps. and in
lime raise them up to higher levels by the cumula.
tive process Of delta deposit and create cotton
lands. He made very clear demonstration Of an
easy and economical plan of engineering these
dykes by system OF waste weirs, that should
create artificial rivers and carry all the food
waters into the swamps, morssses, bayous, etc.,
of the Mississippi basin.
This was his first proposition, by the means of
which be insists that all the food waters that come
from the great western tributaries can be con.
trolled and made available TO undo the evil that
had its beginning with the French and Spanish
who commenced this vicious plan of dyking when
they owned the States Of Louisiana aud Florida
and the vast country west of the Mississippi.
After engineering and disposing Of the food
waters Of the Mississippi that come from the great
Western tributaries, he proposes another plan for
engineering the water OF the lakes, 10 supply
hi behsObs 10 the upper mlsslsslppl, the ILLINOIS,
and Ohio rivers enough of their surplus waters to
fix minimum low water navigation. He makes
Lake Superior the natural feeder of the upper
mississippi, and demonstrates the ease with which
all the waters that empty out of IL down the Ssut
st Marie can be canaled into the head waters of
Rum river, and through that channel into the Mis-.
sissippi, into the Falls Of st. Anthony. The wa
tiers OF Lake Huron and Lake Michigan that are
empted into Lake Eie through the st. Clair river,
he proposes to drain into the Illinois river, by
deepening the Chicago river, and carrying them
in an artificial bed TO the head Of navigation of the
Illinois river. In like manner he would draw from
Lake Erie the waters that discharge themselves
over the Falls of Niagara, by deepening the Grand
river and from its head waters cutting an artificial
river to the head of the Beaver river, and down
that into the Ohio.
These are Gen. Roberts outline plans, and he
rs very earnest and clear In his convictions that
they are practical and of easy and economical
accomplishment, under the direction of skilled
fhe geography OF the country IS peculiarly favor
able for the accomplishment of these plans, and
seemingly invites the skill of nan to undertake
what God has plainly left for him TO do. IL Is
not our purpose, in what we have said, to in
dorse this plan we are not professionally In that
line. Whether il Is practical or not we do not
know. But il certainly has novelty about 1t, aud
thinking, and in great original undertakings. II
seems to Us quite clear that Gen. Roberts is bold
and original thinker. and is now wrestling with a
great national plan Of engineering the hydraulics
of the continent and sppropristing them to such
use as shall develop in time all its resources and
wealth. We, therefore, put II forth to the pub
lie, hoping that others, more able than we are
viii give II prominence, and discuss II as its i'm
portsnce demands. honestly and impsrtially.
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