The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-22
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~ - - =, n 81. II

.9fsss River and Its EfcTeeS.
Messrs. Editors Richmond Dispatch
& Dear sirs,--I note some remarks in your
paper this morning appended to ar extinct
from the st. Louis Republican, IL, regard 10
the Mississippi.
some wears ago I had reason for looking
into this subject. and my opinions vii! do no
harm while they may be OF service, even IL
it be only in the tending to call forth dis
cussion ON this subject, whic! Is of vital i'm,
porfance to threeiotrths OF the Uhltea
States.
The statement that I" the levees tend only
to raise the bottom Of the river" IS ques-
tionable: while / should hesitate TO assert
this, ! should at the same time grant tnaL
they tend to augment the rate mt when tue
bcttcm of the river rises. The ieVees 40
certainly to some extent protect tue a"Ja'
cent lands, and so far they are good.
II will not take very much reilectlon To
become convinced that the bottom must rise
higher every year, and as the levees CONNIE
to the river the water carrying the silt, when
would otherwise be spread over large area
Of land, it is also Likely that the additional
snccG gwen TO the current is not sufficient TO
enable the water to hold in suspension all
the silt 50 confined, and that part OF 1t Is de-
Of rising of the bed is increased by them.
1t is probable that the crevasSes OF late
years are entirely owing to the raising OIL tue
river bed by this means, and we may, by con-
tinuiur the course of reasoning, be led TO
conviction that the levees must be continued
upwards until they become, in the course OF
centuries. monstrouS establishments, with the
bottom of the river actually on higher level
than the lands adjacent now in cultivation.
But while admitting all this we must also
consider another serious question, and that
is, The reason why the Mississippi hugs tue
eastern boundary of its valley.
But one reason for this can be alleged, ana
that is because of the inertia OF the wafer
and suspended silt during rotation OF the
earth, which, from the shape of the earth, Is
gradually increasing the rate OF rotation Oh
the water and suspended silt, whereby the
heavier portion ors liz is left against the west
crn edge of the stream, and the purer ana
lighter water driven to the eastern edge.
Ii the system of artificial canals has pros
pect of present success, why Is 1t that at
the present day Bayou Atchafalaya carries
hardly any of the Mississippi: Why does
the river per-i>lcntIy refuse to avail Itself 10
any great extent of the natural auxiliary
| If it now rejects this and the other bayolls,
cIIlSinr a very slight current down them,
| and filling them up year IS year, under Whi!l
| circumstances can YOU expect To Use the arli-
fetal canals: | Will an,ivcr that when the
bed of the canals is Is love rs the bed OF the
river YOU may expect in them moderate
current but still "Ss than that OF tile river,
| and in consequence gradual ililh% up OF
| them; and to have current III them equii
| to that of the river the beds must he lower
| than the river bed.
| Now, do not pretend 10 say that your
canals will always be useless, but they are
pcrI,aps two or three centuries ahead ol
time They will be needed some day (mas
YOU live 10 sec it), but it is very safe to pre-
dict that they will be useless for some time
| TO come.
The rivcr-bottom needs TO he still higher
and in order TO accomplish this with saicty
il is necessary to build Il icEce outside tfohl
the river Of the present one Ill distance vi
say two hundred feet, and connect IL VII,
the present cvcc by croSs-cyccs every nan
mile: then cut the present lcVcc llnincuEitcis
above and below the crosS-cvecS, so tllat lLt
hood may have free in"rcs> and cgrcss. Inc
consequences Of this will be the removal ane
saving Of Il great portion OF the valuable Sill
which is now Deposited OF the rlrcr-Dedan(
in the haynils and carried down to form th'
bars ai the passes and this material can III
used wien necessary to add to The lcIeeS, an(
The space between the lcvccs cn be devoted
to the growth Of riCe-Whlch Is considered
tit for food BY some people.
Then wien you find the l1"cr-bcd hl@l
enough 10 force the water into the 1mturl
auxiliary chinmcl. with Il current which VII
keep their beds from risin" faster than tin
II fs.t