The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-02

changed or it's forces restrained by any local
distractions. Several miles above the city,
where the current turns westwardly, 10 could be
directed into Its old channel within the confines
of Tennessee. But who shall essay the task? No
one individual property-holder directly in
terested, will attempt 1t, and it seems impessi-
bic to effect any combination among riparian
propTietors.
Those interested lazy look to the city for re-
lief, and the city answers that there is space
enough for several cities between the river and
Germantown, and that 1t is none of the business
of those unaffected by the flood to pay for or
ameliorate the msfortunes of those who specu-
lated on those very chances when they sought
lots fronting on the river. If this were not true,
the whole of Mississippi should be taxed TO re-
place the losses of those whose river plantations
have recently disappeared beneath the flood of
the great river.
Would it not be we'll for those slowly ruined
by the abrasions of the bluff and of the eastern
shore to hold meeting A email sum levied
on each owner of property fronting the river
would probably save millions of money. The
plan proposed is very simple, and costs little,
and consists only in diverting the current by
devices long used by British engineers in India
and Europe. Shall we have such 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 Pickering,
swept into the Mexican Gulf ?-Memphis
appeal.
Report of the Louisiana state Engineer.
OFFICE BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS, NEW
ORLEANS, April 26, 1871-To the Editor of the
New Orleans 1ianeS:-Upon my return from the
Bonnet Carre crevasse this evening found very
limited news from the other crevasses nothing
definite or worth publishing.
By telegraph learn that the river has fallen
three inches at Yicksburg and two and half
inches at Baton Rouge, and is now eight feet
eight inches below high water of 1867 at Vicks-
burg and thirteen inches at Baton Rouge below
| the high water of this year.
l found, on eur visit there to-day, that the
Do ht1p1 rad
| wide; but the current and waves had decreased
| in proportion as the black lands have become
| filed with water and the surroundings of the
| river lowered.
The high-water mark at Logue's is almost
| exactly twenty-five feet above the level of Lake
Poptchartrain, the levee being over twelve feet
| high. The natural surface of the ground at
| Porche's (where the crevasse commenced) is but
ten feet above the level of the lake, the slope of
the ground towards the lake is at least five feet
| in the first mile and therefore when the crevasse
| broke the slope was seventeen feet in the first
mile, twelve feet of which were in the first hun
| dred feet and the speed of the current and dig
| gipg effect of such fall can be appreciated by
! persons acquainted with cur light alluvial soil
| To-day the river has fallen, and the plantation
| is covered with water to the base of the levee.
| Therefore, l say again. the current through the
| crevasse has decreased and probably no more
| water passes to-day than yesterday.
am Indebted to Colonel Walton for a calcu-
| lation of the velume OF water passing, that he
|
shows that 10000 cubic feet per second, or
one-slXth Of the whole volume of the Mississippi
river at that point, passes through the crevasse.
| The work of saving the ends of the levee is
progressing very slowly on account of want of
experienced labor, and the changing condition of
| the field operations. The steam-pile- driver
has got hard aground away from Its work, and
the hand pile.drivera was only at work, which
was doing good service at the lower end of the
| break.
The temporary works at the upper end have
been washed away, and it is now exposed to the
current and caving gradually. Financial ar
rangements must be made to prosecute this work
with deliberate, systematic, and concentrated
labor, or what we doing will be thrown
away. In my opinion, it is utterly useless to at
tempt to close this crevasse, for the preparations
| could not be made before the river will fall and
as the damage yet to be done is but little more
| than question of months DURATION and not
much in extent, large expenditure would be
thrown away. hope means will be provided
to save the ends of the levee that less will have
I 10 be built. Yours most respectfully,
| NJ JEFF. THOMPSON,
Chief State Engineer.