Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-10
HvdrauIies.

| hioos phoNtiS1i essAo SStSth'iS D"b'hoe't "
completely answers the City EnginneRi
Report, we offer nothing on our part:
EDIroRs LEDGER: The encroacbmeni
Of the Mississippi river upon that part Of
our city immediately below the mouth Of
Wolf river, has at length engaged the
attention Of the " Conscript Fathers, y
as well as the business men and Owners
Of property adjacent 20 the submergina
district. As it is customary for every
one who has an opinion to express it,
whether directly interested or not, ! may
be pardoned for vsnturing few ideas
on this subject, as to what is fuvial, i'm.
practicable or practical and feasible.
Most any man can change the current
Of q river, even that Of the mighty Mis-
sissippi. provided be have money enough
to carry into execution his designs; and
Of one or two such plans as have been
heralied in the city press, It would beg
gar the Rothchilds to accomplish. The
problem proposed, (which, or what is
the best plan. involving the least ex.
pense," will require all the theoretical
skill of the engineer combined with the
practical knowledge OF old river men,
pilots and captains, for its solution.
Until an accurate survey and examination
of the channel of the river be made, the
abrasion Of the bank carefully noted, the
influence. of the islands and bars upon
the current, all deductions are mere by.
potheses. A few general and well
known principles of the action of water
confined in deep channels with sandy
beds and alluvial banks, are all the data
we have upon which to predicate any.
thing reasonable. ~,
Suppose we first apply these princi-
Piles to the project of building piers
or jetties in front of the city. These
piers would almost necessarily have to
be at right angles with either the Arkan-
sas or Tennessee chute channel, and
how long does any waterman suppose
they will serve as a barrier against the
resistless flood pressing on them, while
the eddy caused by their projection ia
constantly undermining and uprooting
from below? 1t is as easy to dam the
Nile with bulrushes as fetter the Missis-
sippi with piers. The mere fact that
the Creator himself has not planted a
bluff pier sufficient to withstand the riv-
er's force, should certainly deter man
from experimenting at the same point by
erecting wooden or stone jetties on
ground that is rapidly giving way. s
Another project is to sink stones atthe
mouth of Wolf river, or just below it,
sliding them in until sufficient quantity
be sunk to form breakwater--a minia-
ture Eddystone lighthouse and Plymouth
harbor sea ratification. Have you ever
noticed peculiar white sand dug up
near the foot of Beal street, and hswked
about the city for various purposes2 II
is species Of quick sand from stratum
of bluff liguite, eighty odd feet in thick
| ness, that underlies this blessed bluff and
permeated by the water of the river, the
bed OF which it forms part. Give the
Memphis and Charleston railroad con
tract to transport Lookout Mountain to
the mouth of Wolf, it will epgulf the
mountain and perhaps do the job. ri
For q feasible plan, il is necessary to &c
above the city, and if possible turn the
volume of wster through Tennessee
chute. Whatever is done to the contrary
will involve the expenditure of immense
sums of money without any positive as
surance of success. 1t is much better TO
| let the present caving continue than en-
deavor to check it in any other manner.
Above the island known as the "Chick-
en-" on the Arkansas side, projects Fo-
| gleman's bar. This is several miles long,
| the lower end bearing north of west OF
the "Old Hen" Tor Island Az. The cur
rent of the river strikes the Tennessee
shore at the Foot of Island 40, thence
along the bank in straight direction
towards AZ" Running straight it is as
easy to turn as well-trained race horse.
Say at the distance of mile above "42"
on Fogleman's bar, and at an angle oil
250 with the current distractions be
sunk, which at that angle and at that
distance will offer gradual increasing
lateral resistance, and throw the current
in the direction of the lower part of '42''
the head of the island protected by an
| - IL ii
rent can cut the bar Of the Tennessee
chute and again establish the channel
therein. The cape north Of AZ will
then cut and build on "42," when the
river having clean sweep from Island
40 to Hopefeld, no danger need be ap-
pretended of caving banks at Memphis,
or loss of the water privilege by the
river taking trip into Arkansas,
W. 8. Moog.
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