The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1869-03-15
Unspprecistsd Danger--The Mississippi
Meuaciug Cairo!


The exceedingly alarming stories, set afoat
years ago by shallow patcd panic-makers, to
the effect that the site upon which Cairo
stands was in danger of utter annilation from
the rapid and unmanageaple abrasions of the
Mississippi river or, what was almost as
fatal to the existence of the city, was in dan
ger of ISOLATION by the cutting through of the
Mississippi into Cache river-werc, even
then, believed by no sensible man acquainted
with the locality. They were, indeed, so
maniicstly foolish that in a short time the
most vndictive enemy of Cairo had not the
assurance to repeat them in the presence OF
any man who knew anything about the topo-
graphy of the country. Long ago therefore,
they fell into disuse,-no person having a
sufficient hate or fear of Cairo to induce him
to repeat story so sublimely ridiculous.
But rip Van Wrinkle has been aroused
in Memphis, who thrust. the old story upon
the attention of disgusted public with an
assurance that betrays his ignorance Of the
fact that it WAS long age exploded rs fallacy
most absurd and ridiculous. Says this won.
derfully bolatsd man
About six miles above Cairo the Missis-
sippi. at Greenleaf bend. approaches very
near to Cache river and Is rapidly under
mining and tearing away the land interme-
diate. Now what assurance j. there that
Cairo will not be on an island or, at least,
uu the wrong side Of the river at some future
day If the barrier above referred to give
way, of course the Mississippi will enlarge the
Cache river as it did the Arkansas and the
Ohio will then empty into il at Mound City
instead Of at Cairo Again, in the same part
Of the river, in cighboring bend IL is rap
idly washing away It, Missouri bank, and
thrcutcns to resume an old, and almost for
gotten channel, the Lake near Charleston in
Mississippi county, Missouri, in which event
Cairo would be .iN milo. from the Mississippi
river.
And here We are, ten thousand Of Us, liable
at any moment, according to the writer
whom We quote. to be "leit on an island or
no place at al, attending to our usual busi-
mes, utterly unconscou. Of the great danger
threatening Us True, the peninsular has
resisted the aggression, Of the Mississippi
more than six hundred years; true that
stream has shown itself to be perfectly tract
able, yielding to our will, wherever that viii
ha. been oXerted; true when the land inter
vcning Cache river and the Mississippi is
"toru away Cache river will find an outlet
into the Mississippi aud not the Mississippi
into Cache; but what does all thi, amount 70?
The paragraph quoted was undoubtedly
written to scare somebody, and il We are not
scared byit it will probably f.il in the attain
ment OF its purposel
The Mississippi river says this writer,
"hss played fantastic tricks before high Hea-
ven and set at naught all human calculations
on its stability. All creation is made subject
10 the law Of nature except the Mississippi
river, which is allowed to do pretty much Is
il pleases.' Now this is decisive Cairo
and Memphis are alike endAngered-boih
subject TO the whims Of the eccentric Missis-
sippi-bo,h unfit for the tsrmisi OF the Mis-
sissippi river railway This il bad, it, cruel,
a. it suggests the feasibility Of building Of
the middle Of the road, but deprives it Of
termini! Oh, laugh upos such insensste
folly