The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-05-15
Curious Facts i'm Regard 20
Our Rivers.

To the Editor Of the Picayune:
Your jocular reference to the plan of
my friend, Mr.. C. Il. Marshall. for the
reclamation of the alluvial lands of the
Mississippi River, and especially in
Louisiana, in connection Witlyourneigh-
Dor of the Times, of course requires no
comment from myself or any outsider
butt may be well, perhaps, to state a
few truths long known, and that, if re-
membered, might save q great many
| well meaning people from speculations
on false premises, to the prejudice of
what they would like to accomplish.
Promising that everybody knows the
fact, that no drop of water leaving the
Mississippi River on it's west bank be-
low the mouth of Red River, or it's east
bank below Baton Rouge, ever returns
to it again, except from the rain clouds,
let me state what is equally as true,
but seems to be often overlooked, that
no drop of water passing out Of the
Mississippi River by its west bank, from
the mouth of Red River to the mouth of
the Arkansas River, and all the water
of the Arkansas itself running out from
it's south side up to Pine Bluff, filling
and overfowing at a time like this all
that great country between the Missis-
sippi River and the high lands ON the
western side of the v~alley-ever returns
again to the Mississippi River. g.
And not only this, but not a drop of
the Ouachita or Red River waters ever
passes New Orleans during such a flood
time as we now have. T.
To many such q statement, without
some explanation, might seem incredi-
BILE. All the sedimentary streams of
Louisiana, big and little, build up ridges
for themselves, on the crests of which
their beds are made, the banks being
always higher than the lands further
back, and thus the inclination of all wa
ter, when the streams are high, is to run
aaCGy from, instead of remaining in their
usual channels. Now, from actual and
careful measurement, it is known by
surveys on at least two lines of level
ings, that the banks of the Mississippi
River, say at Vicksburg, are about 10
feet higher than the banks of the Qua
chita at Monroe, on the western side of
the valley, and so it is that the water of
the Mississippi at flood time is made to
tend westwardly and then southwardly,
by the intersection of the tongue of
high land known as the Bayou Mason
Hills, uniting with the water from all
the other streams mentioned in thelow-
err Ouachita, Black River and lower Red
river country. inns great cOncenora-
ton is fully consummated by the juno
ton of the Black and Red Rivers, and
through the low swamp alongside the
latter streams, for forty miles of it's
length above it's mouth-so called-a
country so much lower than the Mis-
sissippi River Cat the mouth of Red Riy-
er,) when full, that all the water from
it is forced sOuthwardly through the
low swamn menfioned.5 nv the higher
water of the Mississippi itself, taking
the general direction of the Atchafalaya
to the gulf, and bearing with it a large
volume of Mississippi River water pro-
per, passing through Old River, Onto
which Red River mouths0 on to, and
down the Atchafalaya. Hoping this
explain, satisfactorily, the not we'll
understood fact first mentioned, | am
Respectfully, etc.,
JNo. NJ. SANDIDGE.
New Orleans, 23d April, 1874.