The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-08-14

formation. What think you, reader,
Of putting the capricious old gentlaman
in leading strings with levecs made of
sand:
That mountain levees may be built,
and untold millions expended in their
construction, no one can doubt. In
stead of being built of sand, they may
be built of granite as solid and as grand
as the Pyramids of Egypt, but when
located on sand foundations they would
be undermined and buried out of the
reach of mortal eyes by the first flood
stage of the river. We have already
stated that the width of the Mississippi
between Sicily Island and Natchez is
twenty miles, with an average supposed
depth of fifteen feet and a current over
the whole distance of twenty miles,
Now, let us suppose a grand levee We're
built one and a half miles west of Nat
chez-we leave the reader to conjecture
! the necessary height Of a levee that
would he necessary to confine the water
of such 4 river, a river that during the
year 1928 maintained its width and
depth for six months, and which has
during many years since that remarka-
bic flood Tor two, three and four
months. Now, let us suppose our
J mountain levee to be built high enough
to prevent an overflow the first conse-
quencc Of such an elevation of the
its momentum, or force Of current,
which would be multiplied by tue in
creased elevation of ITS surface, which
would undermine the levee III an iii
credible short space Of time. Hence the
folly Of all such attempts.
| We are aware that a large portion of
Holland has been reclaimed from the
sea by vast lcvces kept up ut the cx-
pense Of the government, we have no
knowledge of the character of tho foun-
dation upon which they are based, but
have no doubt that they are based
certainly not on quicksand.
But let us suppose that the NIissis-
|sippi could he confined by permanent
levees. What would be the consequent
effect Of shutting up its detritus or allu.
Won within its banks? AS a matter of
course it would be thrown down on its
bars except a small fraction, which
would be carried into the Gulf, ana the
bed of the river, in the course of time,
would be elevated above the level of its
highest arabic land, and ultimately il
would destroy the most productive por.
ton of the State. Do we desire to prove
by actual demonstration what reason
> and common sense show to be self cvi.
dent propositions: We have only tc
refer to the influence that levees have
, had on the italian river Pc, which
carries the waters of the Southern ALPS
and Northern Apenines into the Gul
of Venice, draining /, basin of 22, 65C
square miles. The levees of this rive1
We're first built by the Romans with the
labor of their countless thousands o
slaves, (prisoners of wary The bed O
this river is now from ten to thirty
yards above the level of the surround
ing plains. The levee that protects the
city of Casal Magiore is eighty feet il
: height, and by the last accounts wa
nearly caved away. We should no.
, fancy such a situation behind a lcve,
) on the Mississippi.
We are under the impression tina
other measures than levees are mucl
moro reasonable and practical for thu
1 purpose of relieving the most produc
l tive lands of the State from inunolation
and these means are dictated by cxpe
j rience, reason, and common sense, the,
j are simply cut-offs and OUTLETS.
In the survey Of the Raccouici bend
; before the cutoff was made, it wa
acertained that the river at a low stag
: had q fall Of an inch to the mile, ant
!. the making Of that cutoff. reclaimed
from annual inundation, the create
) part Of the alluvion district of tn
l parishes Of Point Coupee, AvoyelleS
l Rapides, Catahoula and Concordia, an,
a vast amount of land on the Missis
i sip2i side Of the river, its beneiicis.