Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-07-02

Yesterday m0rning ct 10 o'clock,
Messra MaltiBgly, Howerree 4 Co,
wHA hsir usual Hberality, placed
he siaam tug & Little Queen" ct the
dispesal Of committed Of citizens
to Investigate that much vexed
question, the " cutoff" There was
Of the party, His Honor Mayor ].
c. Weber, COuncilmen Frank and
Walton, Rev. DR.. C. K. Marshall,
MessFs. Dennis Ksnne, A. N.
Record and Muir, Of Mobile, W. H.
Buchanan, Il. P. Hunt ]. W. Wick,
W. II. Walker (of the Times and
Republican,, james Calls, Jr. lin
charge Of the National Cemetery,
W. L Polk, Jas. II. searles (sur.
veyor), B. Springer, the Editor Of
the HERALD, and Mr.. Albert Stein,
Of Mobile, invited to make the ex-
animation. In command Of the
craft was r. H. Phillips, and Nj.
Pat. COakley at the engine. The
gallant little tug steamed boldly up
Old River to the mouth of the
YazoO, where, in 3 shower
of rain, a halt was called
while all partook Of dinner.
Atterwhich the little vessel steamed
from Bucks mill to the wrong end
Of "0ld River" Here began the real
duty and labor of the survey. Two
routes we're suggested one leading
into "LODg Lake." and from thence
into the Mississippi the other from
cold River" into Bonnet Lake
from that through Q short bayou
into "Mud Lake," from thence
through Willow Bayou into the
Mississippi at the Bluffs above the
city. None Of these questions can
be decided upon q superficial sur.
vey, and require accurate and SCI
entifc surveys, which can alone be
arrived at by patient labor. After
Esvlng examined these two points
the vessel steamed into the Fright
End" Of Old River, where at the
mouth Of q certain dry bayou, with
out a name, three gentlemen were
sent to make an exploration and an
eye survey. From what zoe can
learR,::this OGs found 10 be a most
ldbo riOus duty.
1t was discovered that from this
point, without line and compass, it
is fifteen hundred steps from "Old
River" to the Mississippi, at a point
terminating nearly opposite the
centre Of Psw-Paw Island. To be
accurate in the measurement Of
this strip, and from no other earth.
" motive zoe understa and these gen.
Asmen stepped the distance three
times and are accurate, although
we are informed that at a point
lower down, the stepped distance
will not be greater than one thou
sand yards. Allowing for detours
and inaccuracies we are satisfied
the distance on the upper line is not
One.halfa mile, and on the lower
line o fcourse much less.
Mr.. Stein, like all other scientific
gentlemen, can make no report up
on such an informal survey. These
examinations are, Of necessity, SUI
%perfcial, and require as the surest
proof accurate and scientific tests,
which cannot be applied in q day
or week, and since this matter has
assumed such vast proportions, we
propose that Mr.. James ". Searles,
who is more familiar with this
whole question than any other man
in the whole State, be employed to
make q close survey and report at
once.
If this new detection of the
current Of the Mississippi be
attempted, we feel assured i
must commence at some point
nearly opposite the centre Of
Paw Paw Island, striking across
into the fright end" of Old River,
q distance Of not over FIVE hundred
yards, and thence across the PENN.
sular betreen the right end' and
"wrong end" of Old River, and
thence to the most available point
the city. Our impression is
that none are superior to those
presented through Bonnet Lake.
gentleman, however, think
that Long Lake is the most desir-
able route. We think that Long
Lake does not bear sufficiently to-
wards the south, and that Bonnet
Lake has the exact bearing. We
neglected to say that between the
end" Of Old River and the
Mississippi was discovered q lake (
almost the whole dis. {
.ance, which will greatly facilitate {
he cutting through if it shall be .
ieeided upon. !