Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-05-11
A CURIOUS PHENOMENON.
The Caving in 0fthe Mississippi
Banks, and Why it ls all on One
Side .---

The caving in of all the bluffs on the
eastern side of the Mississippi, from
Cairo to New Orleans, has led to cur
ious conclusions. It Is said that the
motion Of the eartn on its axis or some
result of general law of nature must
have begotten this uniform and con-
stant abrasion of the eastern shores of
the river. Fort Pillow has wholly
disappeared. There is not a vestige of
the earthwOrks erected by General
Pillow, and others, at Randolph. The
river has cut cayernous depths for its
strong currents beneath the everlasting
hills, and these have slowly crumbled
and fallen, a grain of sand at 9 time, in
to the abysses of the mighty deep
Now and then hillside has disap-
peared in single night, and curiously
enough, this work of desolation goes on
mainly upon the eastern side of the riv-
er. Here at Memphis, as at Vicks-
burgh, Columbus, Fort Pillow and
Randolph, the resistless, fathomless,
river, whose course none may antici
pate and none can resist, pursues its
appointed tasks with force and pertinac-
ity which has lessened property values
between Wolf river and Fort Picker
ing many millions of dollars. Great as
is the damage already done by the
mighty river, the calamity begotten is
steadily progressive, and none can tell
when DETECTION of the wilful current
may relieve the anxieties of those own
ing property along the river shore be-
tween the navy-yard and Fort Picker
ing. The city once imagined that in
the navy-yard it had basis of of cred
it to be used in the perfection of rail-
way system. The Little Rock road at
one time was strengthened IN its re-
sources by a mortgage on the navy
yard. The mortgage subsists, but the
property has been disposed of by a
power against which chancery may is
sue its thunders in vain. Plainly
enough, while the river holds its pres
ent course, there is no assignable limi-
tation to its destructivenesS. It is gen.
orally conceded that the direction of
the current cannot be changed or its
forces restrained by any local Obstruct-
ions. Several miles above the city,
where the current turns westward, it
should be directed into its. old channel
within the confines of Tennessee. But
who shall essay the task? No one in
dividual property-holder directly in
terested, will attempt it, and it seems
impossible to effect any combination
among riparian proprietors. Those in
terested, lazily look to the city for re-
lie + and the city answers that there is
space enough for several cities between
the river and Germantown, and that it
is none of the business of those unaf-
fected by the flood to pay for or amelio-
rate the misfortunes Of those who specu-
lated on these very chances when they
sought lott. fronting ON the, river. If
this were true, the whole ofrMississippi
should be taxed to replace the losses of
those whose river plantations have re-
cen tly disappeared beneath the food of
the great river. Would it not be well
for those slowly ruined by the abra-
sions Of the bluff, and of the eastern
shore to hold meeting. A small, sum
levied on each owner Of property 'front.'
ing the river would probably save mil
lion of money. The plan proposed Is
very simple and cost little, and consists
only in diverting the current BY devic-
es long used by British engineer in In
dia and Europe Shall we have a
meeting? or are these sluggish people
content to sit quietly by and see the
last vestige of their wealth, from the
Navy-yard to Fort Pickening, swept
into the Mexican Gulf?-Aemphis Ap-
1l2nf