Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-04
THE LEvEE SYSTEM.
An Answer 10 Captain John COWden's
Letter 10 Horace Greeley.
HELENA, August %, 1871.


Editors AppeaI-I find in your paper q
communicative FROM Csptsin John Cow
den. addressed TO Horace Greeley, under
the above heading, TO which desire 10
make answer, snd 70 endeavor TO correct
some errors into which the captain has
fallen.
The very first position taken by the
captain is incorrect, when he claims that
the Gulf or sea once extended TO Cairo,
snd had been filed up from the wsshings
OF the Rocky and Allegheny mountains.
IFths captain viii examine she formations
of the 81 Francis swamp, I think, likely,
be will soon satisfy himself that portions
Of iJ were never formed by deposits from
the Mississippi. l am not so well sc-
qu2inted with the st. Francis swamp;
bat ! know that, Immediately opposite
Helens-ssy within two miles Of the
riv6r-I can show him soil that
be must admit has no resem-
blsnce 70 any deposit that can be found
at any point along the banks Of the
river when We kHOU that the river made
the land The east bank of Noon Lake
is an entirely different formation from
the west side, bed OF the lake, IS it is
called. 1 am not acquainted with the en-
tire swamp, but I know that there is q
ridge Of land, commencing at Moon Lake
aud extending little east Of south to the
YazOo river, that Messrs Humphreys and
thereof, and a portion OF this ridge was
several feet out Of water in 1862 The
quality Of the soil is the same as Crow
leys ridge on the west, or, rather, Of the
high lands Just back Of the ridge. Just
now, Whist is called the mississippi
bottom lsnds''were formerly do not pre-
tend TO saw but IL is certain there is no
evidence that the sea ever extended to
Cairo, except the indication which we
Il nd that the sea once covered our entire
continent. will not take issue with him
in regard TO the great lakes he speaks OF
extending from the Grand Tower, north.
This is possible and probable; and it is
sls0 possible and probable that the water
flowed out of those lakes into Lake Mich
igau, and thence along the st. Lawrence
into the sea; and when these lakes broke
loose, by some cOnyulsiOn Of nature, then
the Mississippi river was formed, and
that, At that time, the Gulf of Mexico,
possibly, extended up as high IS Red
river, but never higher. These specula-
tions, however, have no reference to the
matter as IL now stands. If 1t 1t is as
sumed that the sea once extended TO
Cairo, there must have been grand water
fall at some point near Commerce, Mo,
as the river has solid rock bottom st that
point; and Il is little remarkable that the
river was discovered just as the falls hsd
disappeared from the elongstion Of the
should endesyor 70 state only such facts
as we know, and not assume those posi-
tionE, which, when proved 70 be incorrect,
destroy all our conclusions in the minds
OF those we wish 70 convince. 1t is OF
little co1seq uence, really, whether the sea
once extended to Cairo or out TO Red
river. The tact is that we have some
Is OOO,COO to 20,C00,OO0 acres Of the finest
land in the world, subject to overflow
every year from the Mississippi river
and we must either reclaim Il or desert it, |
and leave it for the Rlligstors and mus
quiUOes, except perhaps q small portion OF
il. The reclamation Of this YRst territory Is |
not 50 great an undertaking as many sup
pose il 70 be. The Captain proposes the |
only possible plLn when he proposes the |
cutoff or strengthening system, but /
gets = little wild when be proposes to /
commence st the bottom and make 30 /
many outlets. In my opinion, only one /
outlet IS necessary, and that should De at /
that point where the greatest difference Il
exists ia the distance from the river to /
the gulf This point is from the foot Of
the reach below Baton Rouge. At the /
point mentioned, II the reader will take q
correct map OF the river, he will notice /
that the river turns TO the left, going /
down, and making a long bend Ii comes \
back within q short distance of the point /
and to where Bayou Plague
mine starts cut The bayou being leveed, /
] should propose 70 dig large canal from i
the foot Of the reach TO the most eligible 4
polzt in the waters on the west that cir /
cumstanoes would seem 70 dictate. The /
distance from this point to the gulf, by the
river, is two hundred and eighteen miles;
by the new route designated about sixty.
This would make q difference Of some
twenty, or possibly some twenty-five
feet in the elevation Of the river at Baton
Rouge. This would give great relief to
the river, and would make the work of
reclamation easy. From this outlet,
which propose to make the channel OF
the river, I should prepare to make all
the practicable cutoff Is high up as Csiro.
This system would relieve the banks of
all overflow, except, possibly, opposite
Memphis and Lske Providence, and at |
these points the levees would have 70 be !
very small, and essy of construction.
Captain Cowden speaks OF the amount !
Of water IN the swamps during high wa
ter, IS though he never read MesErs, |
and Abbot, or any other en-
yinser's report on the subject. Unless he
denies the possibility of measuring the
amount Of water passing down the river. |
be must admit that that they can tell (
how much water passes Cairo, and
slso how much passes Memphis,
Helena, or any other port, and
also how much passes over the banks du-
-iDg an overflow. Messrs. 81. q A. gives
,he amount of water flowing into the head
1f the delta at ], ,z7s, 600 cubic feet per sec
Jnd. ! have never found any place In
heir work where they state the amount
passing Memphis In the channel OF the
liver, but as near as / can find out they ,
put il st !, 100 900 cubic feet per second,
which would give S7s 900 cubic feet per
IecOnd IS the amount discharged into st.
Francis swamp, between Cape Girardeau |
md Memphis. It makes no difference
low deep the water is or how wide the {
Iwamp msy be. The only water there IL (
s this overflow water, with possibly lit ,
lie rain water. Instead of surface eleya-
icn of one hundred feet 1t would Only re-
Iuire that the leYees should be built some
aoelge feet 81 HOpeheld to hold this wster,
IS Messrs. 81 q A. estimate that 1t takes /
bout IS, 900 cubic feet of WGter TO raise
he wsier IN the river one foot. They give
he elevation OF the water at Providence,
upon a continuous levee. ct
,leven feet and as the levess now are :
lome htteen feet high, presume no cut
"a or outlet system would relieve these {
NO DOinLa eutireiV