New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-06
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
l:s DeGtas-frs RayOus-f,s leyees-xts
Floods and Their Remedy
EY EEAs:gs EVERETT.

the ;i:oss remarkable are tle lrr.WGat.S
tte Ganses. and the Euphratese III ASS.
The Ms IL: Egypt; and the 20 AMI 'i.t
Rain. y Europe. This similarly eX.s:!
not "a sac ai!uvla! beds ;hToags which she !,
low. arc which owe :he.r existence ~ tie
rivers themselves. for su1': ::vs.s aoo.ad
il: both :ne Old World ana :.le New. :.u'
especially either in the formation -. l.c.!ai
az :!.e:. mouths. or ia tho 5e.s -: :.:c river
being upon the cres. OF !. V.d.", giving e
:iir surface. OF she river 1t: i..:a wa:... 3
leve: several feet abo.e !ha: ri t.e .anGs
ad!acen: to the bank ~ she r!ve:. Two o:
these. tine Me and the hni;.e. :!4t :o.Gle.
Illustrating the delta formation. ana :he
late. ia. !eyee system vi ?Gc Mississippi,
Require special cotce.
Tie Nile aas been celebrated :.o:. :::..
mos, remote AN .igmitv. The ,;ei:s. SO called
:ra.n the resemblance OF is i":,I - she
Greek letter 4. mas an area OF .ltj !;!a.t
MES. Inc Egyptians. SO tar from ina-...i (
Iil:es 20 prevent TIE periodical :nul;.a.
zion. which a.tans .ts maximum auau: !.le
autu!Hnal equinox. watch its approach 'r!F..
!iaDa,lence and celebrate its return with
rational festivities. The river. before reach.
n. t.e ieita, runs through :: valley ra:v:n :
Il. w.drh from fifteen 20 twenty miles. This
valley IS ;ertilized, in upper Egypt. hr
artificial irrigation. and in !pweE Egvp. or
II: annua! overflow o! the Nile. which lie.
posts the seijmen: which j! mas brou II.
down from the mountains ot Ethiopia at:
..oyss!nia.
1as kaire has delta Of auou: ~, SQUARE
mites. al Of j. protected py uykes varyiI :
x. neisi. from :wo o. .ilcec Zee: ?. eleven
. &c wLc-c o: this :IGmense area IS drained
o: its superintendent waters pv steam
pumps WORKED by 4 powe: w:.cii Is cia.ac.
:eris. :c-:he windmill. T;.e dykes. which
!r0tec: ten. liberalization !!.t- garden -! Eu.
rope. save ~ :;r.r.!s '!ine- s'een :n.ctLc.en:
=, :e.!s: Ike :miuease pressure ana have
:ur... ;,aur:ig destruction apon :ae gar
t.e:.s anG :a..l !v:.seS De,vw. These have
sometimes beer. cat 20 sa:e The country
:ron al enemy More dreat.!u! than drown.
:Ig. Motie: gives instances q: his during
the wars Q: the ::,thless .A!c.. 4 ST.:
more remarkable Instance occurred during
the wars o: L.u:s NV. III i6::- His army
had penetrated; in:u toe very hear: Of
HOLLAND aud waS r.pld ina:ci! 70 An.
ste!dam. The metropolis :s!:eE. the
commonwealth v'cs.i.. lave tesG :uined.
\: this cri.ici:t j...:'::,:. tie Holland.
e:s. by direction oi yEsc;r rrea: chief. the
PE:ncecs Orange. az .....l themselves OF :he
reservoir at their ...rsa!. they cut he
1ikcs. and tie French army ~.:a wei: nigh
"vertaken. and "o:..,. save .ha:t.. the tate
O! Pharaoh but :ur :: rce";:!ta.- getcea:-a
vetyeae rOt. believe. i...!... 80 c!the. nv
Gc.!eai: OR Corre::.e. whom !.o..:. sep: il.
cay 20 celebrate as ", .or!e.. Blu: :.:s
:. trea: WAS purchased: a: :. fertile sacrifice.
- ac whole country. SAID Macalia::. "was
oae g:ea: Jake. :rou: w.i.ea III: cries. with
:nelr -an.patts 81. &c. pies. $3.50 t:ae
islands,"
We Tow cone 20 ,iie Mississippi. lie data
OF Wl.c,i. reckoning TIE territory comprised
:ne man river az ne e.s: ar.; the
4 .ci.a:a.aya On :he wes.. c,vers ~ area of
abol.: 1900 square miles. TIE age o: this
formation. though. remote tevort: human
records. .s gee!p s!ca.ir o: :ecen: date.
have been informed tv .ne Ba:ize pilots
that the Mississippi: eacIoaci,es ;ipou the
CO.: OF Mexico a: :ls rate ut abci.: ieague
ia a century. Il is not q little remarkable
ina: this is iust apo.:, tie .ate a. wil:c!, The
Eu!hrates is estimated. by me erte.pris:ny
engineer. Colonel Chesner. &c eEc:oacn upon
lie Persian gutf. the Gu.. Of Mex:co ex.
tended TO upper Louisiana !ons after vol.
;anic action had thrown UP The limestone
ridges OF tennessee and Aent;.ckr. Those
fertile regions were t!o:..et. witt. reriYre
org before tie waves u: me gulf had
:essed 70 beat against the nluEs If Baton
koage.
The appearance Of This ds..a 70 a s.rar.
yeg's eye !s remarkable. To one born
among the crags and prec. o:ees O: a noun.
a!nous district, there IS something Gisa.
-reeablT n!oIotonoas Il the tar surface OF
his Country. !: IS rs level as the ocean in
| ca!ms and tine eye Is H0c relieved '.y g
i:..ock even. fIcf.. tie Passes OF the Bal:ze |
o the bluffs OF Ba:o. Rouge. At this place
ne .anG rises. Tor an ex.en. o: several
mics. on the eastern shore Of the river. 20
ne .eigh! o. el2tF OF seventy feet. and i:
$ calico b name sGnewa:. ex:.ava CANT
/ .e H!anlanas: There IS no: !. aow.Ger
II pebble III ri! the delta. We use the word |
,e..a n its usra! occupation as including
lie low. a.luv:a! deposit embraced between
he two outlets o: she Mississippi: tho |
ar:Gest from each other. he pass.s.!'0uty
nd the Atchatalara. One writer has |
pp!ied !: to the Ehol- valley az far norti, |
$ the mouth Of the Ohio. This is i;kse x.
ending the delta q: the Gar.es 70 Benares
lsteaG OF Moocshcdaba and tia; of the
lie 20 the second cataract. instead %: /
lemphis. 1t IS employing this significant !
'o.d IN a sense entirely new. and ;nt.oGuc.
rg confusion n place Of persp;ca;tv.
The delta j, all elevated n"re o. less |
bove the Cult On the south and the b,ws I
nd Jake: on tue east. /: IS ike tire far !
oof o! building with che mighty M;ssis.
lpp' apoD The cces:-a crest which has
cen formed by the river itself bv ANIMAL
eposits :og - long Succession Of YEARS.
his delta IS much lowe: saaE the s;Irface
the river q: high wafer.
From shis formation setT!t The bavo,,s
-hich spread Ike network ever ali shis /
eg:on. AS she pIrpcse Of the writer IL
repairing this article IS purely prac:icai-
raise warning voice agains: the policy
! the ievee system. and :i.;,s to save Iower
culsiana Irom becoming :,ermane,tiv.
ha. it has been ?os The Lass :iree menths'
waste OF Wa.sss"-he is anies the neces.
ty Of presenting fully. rs we.; as clearly
le conditions OF this interesting problem.
lie IS she. rather induced &c do his
ON the fact that the peculiar water.
purses known as Sayous have neve.
cen treated at an: ienghtn oy any
her WRITER iSe osthography Of che word
you indicates lis French origin. Sut
neither applied by the French settlers in
,e first instance or borrowed from :ne
and represented by French. ssto
rs, is uncertaine TIE term ia applied 20 |
70 classes OF streams
First, it IS applied to such streams as nave !
leir sources in the canals which drain The
antations on the banks of the Miss,ssipD;.
Id, instead OF flowing into this river. are
.rried back by gradual fall to the gulf
, the south or TO the lakes on the east.
Second. It Is applied to such outlets Or
ouths OF the Mississippi as are situated at
considerable distance from ats principal
outbs, known as the Passes.
Both of these classes OF streams are re-
arkabie. The bayous OF the first class
e SUI geNsris. They exist only. and are
ssible onlv. where the immediate bank of
e river is higher than the lands adjacent,
ID that is the case. it is believed, with no
The wsisee Of this article has read papers On
$ subject before the New Orleans Academy OF
ences. the New York Geographical Socis:yo aud
; Long Island Historical Society