New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-04
TIE MISSISSIPPI INUNDATIONS.

ELLET PLAN IMPRACTTcABLE-THE ARTIFICIAL
RESERVOIRS PowERLEss IN GREAT FBEsHErs.
To The Editor OF The Trfbune
SIR: In your paper of the Goth OF Apr1i
there letter the subject OF Mississippi lnunda
datiOns the signature OF X L. ColOrn, containing
interesting points relating TO the periodical over
flow OF the Lower Mississippi concluding with refer
ence 10 two modes proposed for relief His descriptions
OF the river It's foods and its elevation above the low
lands each side oil sound. So Is his reference TO
the eyees, their cost magnitude danger OF rupture.
and ther effects The river itself constantly eleyatDg
it's own bed and extending itself annually into the Gulf
Constantly the plane Of the surface OF the river toward
its mouth is fatteDing as II pushes out further and
further into tho level OF the Thus. when
the debouche OF the main stream where NewOreans
stands the Mississippi had precisely the same total
fall that has, with hundred miles shorter dis
lance to its dlschargng point. Human Efforts can do
ntte toward staying this grand movement OF tho sedi
ment Of tho upper country to the ocean Al some future
period the advance will practically cease but only when
the dertus has extended several miles further ont into
the Gulf deep sOundings, where the sweep OF the
Gulf currents may carry it far away rs rapidly as IS
deposited
IL is true that the remedy which has been applied
namely the evees along sides OF the river for
hundreds OF mes-has direct tendency TO Increase
the difficulty" choice OF evils, either to suffer
the annual and occasional high freshets TO How quietly
over the low lauds which, under the clrcum-
value, or restrain tho water within bounds
by means Of lcvees thus OF course. causing
additional elevation Of tue river floods The eyees
therefore became necessity erder to maintain moro
than 10000 OF land In salubrous or even habit
able condition. Mr. Colburu and every oneiwhO Is faml-
lar with the river is that the leyees are now an
indispensable adjunct Of the Mississippi. Mr. Cobmn
writes:
There are two other modes OF relief, namely: % To
provide outlets for the food or G 10 arrest INC
meshod, though practicable Is attended win Immense
dneales ana Cost snV cial oJDS r SWt re vn
lOcty OF the current az NeYOreans aud for hundred
miles above very slight. Roller 10 be effective should
be had high mp as the mouth OF the Red River.
IAb0ut 200 miles above New-Oteansl The Atchatilaya
Bayou does act as estuary for the Mississippi az
times Of food with great effect. BY connecting IL with
the collateral streams entering The CUR something more
the Ouacmta the Red the Teuss the Black rivers
that, at such conuncOns OF flood, all the present
channels to the sea taken together are nsGeent We
therefore thrown back upon the other alternaye
stop the floods before they have concentrated ia the
lower river This Is feasible, however dcuit II may
appear at first glance.
concur with Mr.. Colburn in all he has stated
above referring TO the difficulties OF materially
amehorating the floods OF the lower Mississippi, by
any attempts to make moro waterway 10 the sea- An
enormous expenditure In that direction, could result
only in very triug reduction in the hight Of the
freshets along the extreme lower river and then with
out producing any percepuble effect hundreds Of miles
above II could not sensibly diminish the labor now
needed TO maintain the eyees intact
The plan OF artificial reservoirs proposed by Charles
Elle civil engineer, and first promulgated by him more
than 30 years not then ncw had been pro-
posed and ntegenty discussed by the aOest engineers
small rivers OF England the conclusion was that, while It
might De useful IN maintaining better low water nayi
CATION, 10 would avail little restraining largo
hoods. Mr. Elects original paper va published. think
Transactions OF the Phos pa. a society OF Pna
depbis about So years ago. /. Is ,ulte elaborate and
admirably written, and theOrr,. ally, the IDEAS adj
yanced both attractive aud plausible; but sHg
gestons made at that time lacked the essential element
OF practicaOhlty az any admissible cost His object
primarily, was not the restraint or floods, bat tho
lmprovenent OF low water Navigation, although no
eryors on the head waters OF the ONO, the stream
he had specially studied, would give command Of tho
taon that even II practicable which IL is not, find
such for the large reservoirs As he hal Indicated
they would not essentially diminish the great
freshets It was shown that repeated instances
very highest freshes had occurred when they would
found all the reservoirs full, and secondly. that
they Would nave stopper oIt an lhsHhcaDt proportion
Cairo more water than either the Nj ssspp or the Mis-
discharges above Caro- although tho drainage
the Missouri Is q times greater than that of tho Ohio
The practical objections, aud which have deemed
by practical engineers nsurmountabe any allowable
cost TO the plan OF attempting 20 control tho great
floods OF the Mississippi by reservoirs spring from
nature Of the problem. which includes tho flow OF body
OF water second quantity only TO that OF the Amazon
and which drains million and half square miles OF
territory, between latitude SO' and 49, and lougituda
a g anI s eHS Xbbo S@ SS cubic ce Il
VIII be found that II is the magnitude Of the stream
tempting seriously control it by the reservoir method
The few thousands OF square miles which might be
ected for reservoirs toward the upper portion Of the
streams would hold back only insi gnincant propor
ton OF the prodigiOus 1ow Of the Mississippi below
Memphis. which Is largely augmented SUI lower dOwn
BY the heavy aow from the St Francis, Yazoo White.
| Big Black, Arkansas. and Red rivers.
thousand should be built, each advantage
ously placed hold back the drainage OF 100 square
miles-if that possible for great number Of
reseryorst would represent only one fifteenth of tne
drainage area. Ii would by no means follow, even IL
Of tubl
all the United states east of the Rocky Mounain
must be- II at ALL and II One-eentn OF the rainfall
years could DC stored up IN sch reservoirs that
the country would have control OF onehiteenth OF INC
flow the Mississippi, say az the mouth OF the Red
River, at any given moment On the contrary, theirs
yors would have TO DO fun sometimes; aud
at those mG Back as viii Cue sho% e'eGrO0 SsS,
easily bappen mat thu heaviest rains and the greatest
floods could occur hp.fr n,lOns OF uoliaIs eh
pended In reservoirs would be me means OF storing mp
a large body Of water which 'aight DO made available
IN adding depth 20 the low Sae eis oS M Mss
suppl, IL would be 30 much money thru ~h away. lhs
subject has been almost exclusively discus 81 al diner
ent periods by experienced military and civil pgneers
the tue United states whose repor,> may
be found IA the Office OF the Chef Of Engneers aud ~
some OF the periodicals. Toe area OF the country
drained by tins riyer Is immense range is through
such great variety OF climates; the periods OF the
different, and all 80 Irregular that human SfrorI,
in tue direction OF restraining reservoirs Tor controlling
meshet IN Tue lower Mississippi, Will probably prove
Inc country Is constrained as were to lreeard the
lelce system Troublesome aud expensive as Il is ms e
only practicable mode OF preventing frequent danapinS
ONefhONS OF tue extensive body OF owlands aIon.
the valley OF the Lower Mississippi. The partcalr
method that Is, the best plan conducting protectng
and repairing these works. Is not yet PERHAPS eNac1%
determined. IL Is subject OF very great nnorfanee
ana worthy OF national consideration since M yolVes
t 1 1s vas. poo9ay interests OF the Government
sands OF our fellow citizens. W MuSoR Ro1ERrs
NO. ~ run drs' " 4. May l. LIZA